BROCKWAY — Brockway Volunteer Hose Company Chief Mike Hoskavich reminded residents to check their smoke alarms as his department promoted Fire Prevention Week.
Fire Prevention Week was established in 1925 after fires claimed the lives of 15,000 Americans the previous year, according to the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA) website. Fire Prevention Week 2024 ran from Oct. 6-12 with the theme “Smoke alarms: Make them work for you.” Hoskavich said NFPA emphasizes smoke alarms every other year.
“Unfortunately, even in these advanced times, people don’t have something as simple as a smoke detector,” Hoskavich said. “Working smoke detectors have been proven to save lives, and they’re not something you put in your house and leave in your home 30 years. They expire and need to be replaced every 10 years.”
As part of Fire Prevention Week, Brockway Volunteer Hose Company visited preschools in Brockway and joined the kindergarten at Brockway Area Elementary School for a presentation. The second grade traveled to the fire station to learn more about fire safety.
“We split the classes apart,” Hoskavich said. “Half of them see our equipment, and the other half go to our training room to see a video about why we do Fire Prevention Week and what to do when there’s a fire in their home. We tell them to check their smoke alarms, have an escape plan, and have a meeting place. Then they switch.”
Hoskavich stressed that families need one meeting place and not more so that every member of the family can be accounted for in an emergency. Parents should also talk to children about escape plans based on where a fire is in the house. While the lesson is important, the other half of the students get to see a demonstration of fire equipment.
“In the truck bay, the firefighters show them the apparatus and the equipment,” Hoskavich said. “We feel that it’s very important to see what a firefighter looks like in their gear. Fires are scary, especially at night, and seeing a firefighter fully geared up in that situation might be traumatizing. We let them see someone fully suited up and touch the equipment. Then we let them hear us breathing through the mask because it doesn’t sound human. It’s important that they know what to expect if a firefighter has to enter their home.”
Hoskavich said that someone talking in a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) is easier to understand than in the past, but the voice is muffled and mechanical-sounding.
More information about creating a fire escape plan can be found at the National Fire Prevention Association’s website, www.nfpa.org. Local fire departments can also assist with plans and fire safety information.
The main advice Hoskavich gives every year ties into the 2024 theme.
“You should always check your smoke detectors,” he said. “Check the batteries and make sure the alarms have not expired. Also, ensure fire extinguishers are charged and not expired. And if you don’t have a fire extinguisher, it’s good to get one. You never know when a fire will happen. Fire prevention is not just once a year, but every day.”