Northwest Iowa — This is National Fire Prevention Week. Northwest Iowa Fire Departments are busy teaching students and others about fire safety and prevention.
The Sheldon Fire Company is doing their annual fun night on Thursday night with bingo at the fire station for hams and turkeys and other prizes, and a showing of a movie at the Main Street 3, both for a freewill offering.
But firefighters will also be busy cruising through Sheldon in the fire trucks, blowing their sirens. Sheldon Fire Assistant Chief Brad Hindt explains.
Hindt says their sirens will serve as a reminder to practice your plan. Experts suggest having at least two ways out and deciding where to meet the rest of your family in the event of a fire or other disaster.
Rock Rapids Fire Chief Ed Reck gives us some tips that they’ve been giving students and others this week.
The theme this year for Fire Prevention Week is “Learn the Sounds of Fire Safety.” It focuses on the sounds made by smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms not only when they are alerting you to get out of the house, but also when they or their batteries need to be replaced. Reck tells us that if you have a hearing-impaired person in your family, there are alarms that can alert them too.
He tells us why carbon monoxide detectors are important.
Experts tell us carbon monoxide, or CO, is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, gas that replaces oxygen in the blood. In fact, they tell us carbon monoxide has a 210 times greater affinity for hemoglobin than oxygen. This prevents your blood from carrying oxygen to vital organs in your body and can lead to sickness and death.
Reck says now is the time they’re emphasizing safety, but safety doesn’t have a season.
Experts tell you to plan out what you’d do in case of a fire, and then rehearse that plan with your family. And always maintain your smoke detectors. Those are two of the easiest ways you can increase your family’s chances of survival should your home ever catch fire.
