Fire Prevention Programs Fire safety programs are available for schools, senior citizen groups, and industries; in addition, tours of one of our six fire stations can be arraigned for groups of up to 30 individuals (larger groups are invited to arrange multiple tours). Arrangements may be made by contacting Brian Smith, Administrative Officer, at 610-655-6081, by email at fire.info@readingpa.org, or by completing this form and faxing it to: 610-655-6395 or by mailing it to: Department of Fire 815 Washington Street, Suite 1-41 Reading, PA 19601

Roughly 70 percent of home fire deaths result from fires in homes with no smoke alarms. Smoke alarms are the great safety success story of the 20th century – but only when they’re working properly. Making sure that homes are equipped with working smoke alarms is only part of the solution. Kids and families must also know what to do when the alarm sounds. Pull together everyone in your household and make a plan. Walk through your home and inspect all possible exits and escape routes. Households with children should consider drawing a floor plan of your home, marking two ways out of each room, including windows and doors. Also, mark the location of each smoke alarm. This is a great way to get children involved in fire safety in a non-threatening way. Make sure that you have at least one smoke alarm on every level of your home.

Choose an outside meeting place (a neighbor’s house, a light post, mailbox or stop sign) a safe distance in front of your home where everyone can meet after they’ve escaped. Make sure to mark the location of the meeting place on your escape plan.

It’s Fire Prevention Week. Protect your Family from Fire!

City of Reading, PA – Department of Fire and Rescue Services Encourages Residents to Keep their Homes Safe During Fire Prevention Week, October 7-13, 2012

What’s the best way to protect your family from fire? Be ahead of the game, of course. With more than 360,000 home fires reported in the United States in 2009, according to the nonprofit National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), your best defense is a good offense. That’s why the City of Reading, PA - Department of Fire and Rescue Services is teaming up with NFPA during the October 7-13, 2012, to let our community know: “It’s Fire Prevention Week. Protect your Family from Fire!” This year’s campaign focuses on preventing the leading causes of home fires -- cooking, heating and electrical equipment, as well as candles and smoking materials. Additionally, it urges people to protect their homes and families with life-saving technology and planning.

“In 2009, 2,565 people died in home fires. Nearly all of these deaths could have been prevented by taking a few simple precautions like having working smoke alarms and a home fire escape plan, keeping things that can burn away from the stove and always turning off space heaters before going to bed,” says City of Reading, PA Fire Marshal Todd M. Iaeger of the City of Reading Department of Fire and Rescue Services. “Fire is a dangerous opponent, but by anticipating the hazards, you are much less likely to be one of the nearly 13,000 people injured in home fires each year.”

The City of Reading, PA - Department of Fire and Rescue Services offers the following tips for protecting your home and family from fire:

• Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, grilling, or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove.
• Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment, like the furnace, fireplace, wood stove, or portable space heater.
• Have a three-foot “kid-free zone” around open fires and space heaters.
• Replace or repair damaged or loose electrical cords.
• If you smoke, smoke outside.
• Use deep, wide ashtrays on a sturdy table.
• Blow out all candles when you leave the room or go to bed. Avoid the use of candles in the bedroom and other areas where people may fall asleep.

“While preventing home fires in the City of Reading is always our number one priority, it is not always possible,” Reading’ s residents need to provide the best protection to keep their homes and families safe in the event of a fire. This can be achieved by developing an escape plan which you practice regularly and equipping homes with life-saving technologies like smoke alarms and home fire sprinklers.

The following tips will help keep your family safe if there is a fire in your home:

• Install smoke alarms inside each bedroom, outside each sleeping area, and on every level of the home (including the basement).
• Interconnect all smoke alarms in the home so when one sounds, they all sound.
• Test smoke alarms at least monthly and replace all smoke alarms when they are 10 years old or sooner if they do not respond when tested.
• Make sure everyone in your home knows how to respond if the smoke alarm sounds.
• Pull together everyone in your household and make a plan. Walk through your home and inspect all possible ways out. Households with children should consider drawing a floor plan of your home, marking two ways out of each room, including windows and doors.
• If you are building or remodeling your home, consider installing home fire sprinklers.

To learn more about “It’ s Fire Prevention Week. Protect your Family from Fire!” visit NFPA’ s Web site at www.firepreventionweek.org. There you will find educational and family-oriented activities and materials and general fire safety tips and techniques that residents can use to learn more about fire safety and prevention.

The City of Reading, PA - Department of Fire and Rescue Services reminds all residents to be diligent about fire prevention and safety. No one is responsible for your safety more than you.

PLEASE REMEMBER TO BE FIRE SAFE!!!

Sincerely,
TODD M. IAEGER
Fire Marshal