The Official RJWestmore Blog

As a volunteer member of the National Fire Protection Association Education Section, RJWestmore is helping spread the word about the importance of home fire sprinklers.

Using only a fraction of the water used by fire department hoses, home fire sprinklers save lives, reduce property loss and help cut insurance premiums. In addition, 90% of fires are contained by the operation of just one sprinkler.

Fire sprinklers are economical, reliable and proven to be the best way to protect your family and home from the dangers of fire.

That should be comforting news for you and your family when you consider that 4,000 people die in fires each year – 80% of them in home fires.

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We talk a lot about fire safety – because, well, it’s our passion. But as important as fire safety is, it’s equally important to remember that it doesn’t start and end with adults. Children should practice fire safety, too.

That’s why we’ve compiled a few good resources on teaching kids about fire safety.

The first is FireSafety.gov, which has lots of great activities, including crossword puzzles, coloring pages, a matching game, and a fire safety quiz that offers an official junior fire marshal certificate upon completion. Just for fun, we’ve tested out all of these activities and they’re well worth the visit to the site. In addition, the site’s animated moderators, Marty and Jett, guide kids through the lessons, enhancing the experience even more.

From the National Fire Protection Association comes Sparky.org – with everyone’s friend, Sparky the Fire Dog. Kids can learn all they need to know about fire safety through activities like “Fun with Fire Trucks,” “Ask Sparky,” “Sparky’s Arcade,” and “Hot Diggity Dalmatians.” When they’re finished having fun while learning, children can send e-cards to friends and family for special occasions.

PBS KIDS Sprout – at SproutOnline.com – reminds kids to “Practice Fire Safety Every Day.” Fireman Sam and friends have plenty of ways to teach the importance of fire safety with the “Hot & Cold Game,” make-your-own fire safety badges, video safety tips, and more.

Parents – you never know when fire will strike. And we at RJWestmore hope it never does. But the reality is, it could happen to you and your family. So, please, prepare your children by practicing fire safety. It can be educational and fun when you use the resources provided here.

Good luck, and BE SAFE!

In light of recent wildfires that have devastated some California communities, the National Fire Protection Association has issued the following tips on how to protect your family and your home:

• If you’re moving to a new home in a rural area or buying land to build a new home, do a thorough outdoor fire safety check before you proceed. Locate the home on the lot with adequate setback from downhill slopes. Wildland fire travels uphill rapidly – make sure that your home won’t be in its path.
• Make sure that the area has adequate public fire protection available. Will emergency vehicles have easy access to the house? Is you address clearly visible from the road. Will firefighters have access to a water supply to put out a fire?
• Make your roof fire-safe. Untreated-wood shake roofs are the leading cause of wildland fire losses. A roof made of fire-resistant or noncombustible materials can make your home safer. Also, use non-combustible (metal) screening in eave vents and for windows.
• Sweep gutters, roofs and eaves regularly and remove dead branches from around or near chimneys. Burning firebrands or embers can collect in the same space that leaves and pine needles do. Remove leaves and needles from cellar window walls and from corners and crevices around the outside of your home.
• Create a survivable space, safety zone or “fire break” around your home. Flammable (highly resinous) plants, woodpiles and debris should be kept as far away as possible from the exterior walls of the home. Fences, decks or outbuildings connected to the house must be considered part of the house; construct them out of non-combustible materials and keep them clear of pine needles, dried leaves, etc.

For even more safety tips, visit the Firewise Communities Web site.

This week marks the beginning of the National Fire Protection Association’s Fire Prevention Week – which means that there’s no better time to safeguard your home.

Fire departments nationwide responded to nearly 400,000 home fires in 2006, but by practicing extra caution, preventing the leading causes of home fires – cooking, heating, electrical and smoking materials – is within your power.

First, here are some statistics you should know:

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