Monday, February 18, 2008 3:23 PM CST
Firefighters help elderly remember safety basics
By HERB MEEKER, Staff Writer
hmeeker@jg-tc.com
MATTOON — Local firefighters have bridged a wide generation gap on fire safety training.
Children have benefited from educational visits by Mattoon firefighters for years. Seeing children stop, drop and roll or marvel at the firefighters’ gear is a well-known aspect of public education for fire departments.
But in recent years, Mattoon firefighters have been working with elderly residents as well through the “Remember When” safety program.
It not only teaches older adults about fire prevention, but general safety in their residences.
“We felt we were missing out on teaching older people about safety. There was a need for this in our community,” said MFD Captain Mitch Strader, who coordinates Remember When visits with other firefighters.
The title for the program comes from a simple task relating to smoke alarms: Remember when to replace the batteries after one year.
Mattoon firefighters found many elderly residents were not keeping up on smoke detector maintenance. So they offered visits to their homes or apartments to personally replace batteries in ceiling-mounted smoke detectors, which can be a daunting task for elderly people worried about falling off a step ladder or a chair.
A large number of the elderly live by themselves with little or no regular contact with their adult children or younger people for help.
Eventually, the program expanded to include instructions on general fire prevention in kitchens, with smoking materials and space heaters, Strader said. National statistics backed up the firefighters’ concerns: People 65 and older are twice as likely to die in a home fire as the general population, based on figures from the National Fire Protection Association.
“And many of these fires can be prevented,” Strader said. “We teach them about emptying ashtrays safely, space heaters and using large oven mitts and not leaving cooking foods unattended. All of that information can prevent fires for the elderly.”
Some of the fire prevention tips include:
n Provide smokers with large, deep ashtrays. Wet cigarette butts and ashes before emptying the ashtrays. And never smoke when reclining, drowsy or in bed.
n Keep space heaters at least three feet from anything that can burn. Unplug the heaters after turning them off.
n Use oven mitts to handle hot pans and avoid loose sleeves on clothing when cooking. If a pan of food catches fire then slide a lid over it and turn off the burner.
n Use a broom handle to test your smoke alarm on a ceiling or other high place. It can prevent a fall.
A fall can end more than an elderly person’s independence by sending them to a hospital or long-term care facility. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, falls are a leading cause of death from unintentional injury in the home and annually thousands of elderly people across the country die from injuries related to falls.
That is why Remember When visits also emphasize fall prevention.
“We show them the basics like clearing walking areas of cords and other things that clutter the path. We also tell them to use throw rugs with non-skid backing,” Strader said.
Other tips might include installing handrails for staircases, use of shoes with low heels and non-slip soles, and non-slip mats in bathrooms. Regular exercise and taking time to get up are other ways to prevent falls.
Strader said firefighters do this as part of their community service calls. They never call them safety “inspections.”
“We don’t want people thinking these are inspections. We are offering help and advice to help them,” Strader said.
Mattoon Senior Citizen Center program director Corrine Joyner said Remember When is beneficial because it teaches the elderly about helping themselves.
“It makes them more aware that they should be cognizant of their own surroundings,” she said.
It also reduces the fear factor they might face on fire and fall hazards, she said.
“They can feel responsible for their own safety and can prevent this from happening. With that feeling comes independence,” she said.
For more information on Remember When, call the Mattoon Fire Department at 235-0931.
Contact Herb Meeker at hmeeker@jg-tc.com or 238-6869.
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