Preventing Fires

Dear Linda,
       I moved my mom into a high rise with other senior citizens. I’m worried about fire. What precautions can we take?



The National Fire Protection Association reports that the number of residential fire deaths has decreased as the number of smoke detectors in homes has increased, so have the building manager attest to the proper number of detectors in the units.

Be sure your mother’s detectors work well. If they’re older than 10 years (battery operated or wired into electrical system), components aren’t reliable, and they should be replaced. If they’re new, test and vacuum monthly as dust impairs effectiveness. Replace batteries yearly.

National fire safety standards recommend a minimum of one detector on each level of the home, one detector outside bedroom area, and one in each bedroom. The detector outside bedroom area should be installed where it can be heard through a closed door.

Senior citizens are at greater risk to die in a fire than the rest of the population (more than doubling over age 75) because their thinner skin is more vulnerable, their reflexes are slower, and they’re more likely to be on medication that makes them drowsy, particularly deadly if the older person combines medication with alcohol or smoking (the leading cause of fires among seniors).

Smokers shouldn’t smoke when tired or around flammable objects. They should use deep ashtrays and check furniture for embers that can smolder for hours before bursting into flame.

Keep glasses and a phone on the bedside table, and have an escape plan. The cleanest air will be 12 inches above the floor, so practice crawling to the nearest safe exit (with a wet handkerchief over the mouth and nose). Memorize number of doors from home to lighted stairwell (Doors can be counted if it’s too dark to see). Never use elevators.

Contact the neighborhood fire station to inspect unit and the building, and for more safety recommendations. Ask them also if there are any local programs that give away smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Your local fireman are not only a great source of information, are at the ready to check for gas leaks and to see if your equipment is reliable, but they are also the heroes who risk their lives when called to extinguish a fire. Show your appreciation to these fine men and women.