The month of June is Seniors’ Month, and as we raise awareness of senior safety issues, it is important that we consider fire safety.

Many seniors require extra time to escape a fire, and are more susceptible to injury or death. According to the Office of the Fire Marshal, statistics indicate that between 1997 and 2006 in Ontario, 95% of fatal structure fires occurred in residential structures, with 32% of those who died being 60 years of age or older.

Ensuring all smoke detectors are properly installed and maintained can help provide an early warning of fire and increase escape times. Furthermore, developing and practicing home fire escape plans will ensure that everyone is better prepared, and may even help to determine if modifying accommodations is necessary. For instance, if an elderly resident must climb down flights of stairs to escape, as opposed to being on the main level, it could impact their survival rate. Another vital component to home fire safety that can suppress and contain fires are residential sprinklers. When seconds count, these measures can make the difference between life and death.

We strongly encourage you to consider the needs of seniors in all fire safety and prevention strategies.

Charles Parsons
Leamington Fire Service Deputy Chief

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009 at 6:10 pm and is filed under From The Chief. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Please leave a response of your own!