“Safe Kids Blair County hopes the presentation of new smoke detectors to families with newborns emphasizes the important message of having a working smoke detector with fresh batteries in the home,’’ said Sherry Turchetta, coordinator of Safe Kids Blair County.
“We encourage everyone in Blair County, especially families, to check their smoke detectors and make sure they are working properly and have fresh batteries,’’ she said.
Safe Kids offers the following advice for protecting one’s family:
n A small fire can grow into a deadly one within minutes. To help prevent a tragedy, closely inspect the home to eliminate potential hazards.
Prepare your home for an emergency and teach family members about the dangers of fire and how to escape. If a child is coached properly ahead of time, he or she will have a better chance of surviving. Also, test/check smoke detectors each month and replace the battery each year.
n Eliminate potential hazards. Keep matches, lighters and other heat sources out of children’s reach. Playing with matches and lighters is the leading cause of fire deaths for children ages 5 and under.
Keep flammable items such as clothing, furniture, newspapers or magazines away from fireplaces, heaters or radiators. Keep all portable heaters out of children’s reach.
Avoid plugging several appliance cords into the same electrical socket. Replace old or frayed electrical wires and appliance cords and keep them on top of, not beneath, rugs.
Store all flammable liquids, such as gasoline, outside the home.
Safe Kids Blair County is a member of Safe Kids Worldwide, a global network of organizations dedicated to preventing accidental injury. Safe Kids Blair County was founded in 1991.
