FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ANAHEIM FIRE & RESCUE LAUNCHES NEW HOME SAFETY VISIT PROGRAM
An initiative to keep both residents and firefighters safe
ANAHEIM, CA (October 31, 2014) – Every year, thousands of people are injured or die as a result of home fires in the United States; most of whom are in homes without a working smoke alarm.
Statistics have proven that homes with older adults or young children are more likely to be affected by this devastating experience. To help prevent our residents from suffering from this type of disaster and to ensure that everyone, including our firefighters remain safe, Anaheim Fire & Rescue has launched a new community risk reduction initiative – the Home Safety Visit Program.
Anaheim residents who are eligible include those who live in and own their home; income-qualified families; older adults over the age of 65; families with children under the age of 14 and people with disabilities. Residents can visit the department’s website www.anaheim.net/homesafety to request a visit.
During a visit, fire personnel will share information to increase awareness and knowledge about home safety and demonstrate how to test and maintain your smoke alarms. While smoke alarms should be tested monthly, they should be replaced every ten years. If needed, fire personnel will replace smoke alarms with new smoke alarms with 10 year batteries. Home assessment and escape planning tools will also be available. Funding for the 1,000 smoke alarms was made available by a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Fire Prevention & Safety grant so there is no cost to the Anaheim resident.
“I hope this campaign encourages everyone to regularly practice fire safety. This effort will not only increase the protection of our residents and their families but will ultimately enhance the safety for our firefighters by reducing the number of working fire incidents that they are called upon to respond to,” said Fire Chief Randy R. Bruegman.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, the risk of dying in a fire is reduced by 82 percent when both smoke alarms and fire sprinklers are present in a home. “The first minutes of a house fire are critical; a working smoke alarm and practiced fire safety plans can give you and your family the time to exit safely,” said Fire Marshal Jeff G. Lutz. “Daylight Savings Times ends this weekend; it is a perfect opportunity to check the age of your smoke alarm and change the battery.”
The Home Safety Visit Program is another initiative of the Department’s Community Risk Reduction Plan focused on single family homes which was adopted as part of Anaheim Fire & Rescue’s Strategic Plan. Visit the Department’s website at www.anaheim.net/fire to learn about the Department’s vision and their 11 recommendations to continue excellent delivery of fire and emergency services in Anaheim.
For more information on the City of Anaheim, please visit www.anaheim.net.
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ABOUT ANAHEIM –The City of Anaheim, founded in 1857, is one of the nation’s premier municipalities and is one of California’s most populous cities. Anaheim covers 50 square miles with more than 346,000 residents and more than 2,900 City employees. The municipal corporation’s annual budget is $1.6 billion. Anaheim supports a thriving business community with companies such as Carl Karcher Enterprises, Inc., L-3 Communications, Pacific Sunwear, and Disneyland Resort. Successful sports franchises call Anaheim home, including Angels Baseball, Anaheim Ducks, the U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team, and the 2012 Olympic Games Silver Medal winning U.S. Women’s National Volleyball Team. Anaheim also boasts world-class meeting and entertainment venues with the Anaheim Convention Center, LEED-certified and the largest on the west coast, Honda Center, City National Grove of Anaheim, Anaheim GardenWalk, and Angel Stadium of Anaheim. In addition, Anaheim embraces its vibrant cultural arts community, including the world-renowned Anaheim Ballet. Annually, Anaheim welcomes millions of visitors to the city, truly making it where the world comes to live, work and play. For more information, please visit www.anaheim.net.