The Westchester County Department of Emergency Services (DES) has released its second fire safety video in a series of four to help residents reduce the risk of fire danger in their homes.
The latest video focuses on fire safety in bedrooms, an area of homes where the potential for fire is high. Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins said: “The Department of Emergency Services is providing practical guidance to prevent house fires, while also making sure residents know what to do if a fire does occur.
We have seen lives lost in recent home fires in our County, and those tragedies remind us of how quickly a fire can become devastating. The good news is that many home fires are preventable, and simple steps like having working smoke alarms, creating a family escape plan and knowing how to respond in an emergency can make all the difference.”
Among the tips in the Bedroom Safety Video:
• Do not charge electronic devices on beds, upholstered chairs or other soft surfaces; the heat generated by charging laptops, phones or other devices can start a fire on soft surfaces. Always charge electronic devices on hard or rigid surfaces.
• Do not overload extension cords by charging too many devices at a time. It is best to use a power strip that has an on/off toggle switch, which will detect when too much power is being drawn and shut off automatically.
• Install a smoke detector in each bedroom.
• Close the bedroom door before you go to sleep. This will slow the spread of fire and smoke should a fire break, which will allow more time to get to safety.
• Have two ways out of your bedroom, and every room in the house.
Consider purchasing an escape ladder if a window is one of the ways you would get out. Practice deploying and using the escape ladder to be prepared for an emergency. Jenkins and DES Commissioner Susan Spear launched the fire safety campaign and announced that four Public Service Announcement videos would be released as part of it. The videos provide practical tips on fire safety in the kitchen and bedrooms, maintaining smoke detectors, and preparing a family evacuation plan in case a fire occurs.
The videos are being featured on the County’s social media channels, including YouTube, as they are released.
