Safety Awareness Focuses on Fires

The lessons learned may save lives.

October is the month dedicated to focusing on fire safety awareness, and schools and governments in Forks and Palmer townships and throughout the Lehigh Valley are spreading the message.

Some schools, such as in Forks Township, are holding fire drills to educate students. Meanwhile, Palmer Township has a program planned to educate the community.

The will hold its annual Fire Prevention Open House on Monday, Oct. 3, from 7-9pm at Fire Station #1 on Route 248 and Crest Boulevard. Come and visit your local firefighters to learn about fire prevention.  

There will be free fire-oriented handouts for children as well as refreshments for all.

With October serving as National Fire Safety Month, Liberty Mutual Insurance conducted a survey that indicates more awareness needs to be raised among families.

Among the findings:

 ·   Nearly 40 percent of parents have never discussed or created a fire escape plan with their children.

 ·  Only 28 percent of parents with children under 12 say their kids have had a fire drill at home.

 ·  61 percent of parents who haven’t developed a family escape plan say it simply hasn’t occurred to them to do so.

 ·  88 percent say their kids have had an in-school fire drill, but escaping from a classroom in orderly, single-file fashion is far different from when an alarm goes off in your home, possibly in the middle of the night.

BeFireSmart.com can serve as a valuable resource to help families eliminate fire hazards and create a fire escape plan.

It also features a children’s section with fun, interactive games and a downloadable coloring book and story that teaches children to never hide from a firefighter during a fire.