Falls Fire Department Prepares Families for Emergencies

The Menomonee Falls Fire Department hosted an Emergency Preparedness Open House last week to help citizens develop plans to keep their families safe in case of a disaster such as a house fire and high carbon monoxide levels.

Here are some of the tips they offered:

Smoke Detectors

• Test each smoke detector monthly, and replace all batteries once a year.
• Have at least one smoke detector for each level of your home (including the basement) and outside each sleeping area.
• If you have a family member who is hard of hearing, consider a smoke detector with a strobe light, or a vibrating mat for underneath their pillow while they sleep.

Carbon Monoxide Detectors

• CO is a “silent killer,” especially in winter, so if the alarm goes off get out of the house and call the fire department to have them investigate.
• Since Feb. 1, a new law went into effect that requires one CO detector on each level of homes to be placed near bedrooms.

Escape Planning

• Practice your escape plan with your kids once or twice a year.
• Hold an emergency drill after your kids are asleep (let them know beforehand that it is a drill) to check if they will wake up to the smoke alarm.  If not, try installing a smoke detector in their bedrooms or using a smoke detector such as the KidSmart Vocal Smoke Alarm where you can record your voice to say, “Johnny, get out of the house.” 
• Once out of your house, stay out and let the fire department rescue other people and pets.
• Be aware of family members and neighbors with special needs.

Knowing what to do in an emergency is important to ensure your family’s safety.

“Sometimes you can’t prevent fire from happening, but if you have a working smoke detector and a plan, your family can get out in time,” said Joe Ostrosky, a Firefighter EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) at Menomonee Falls Fire Department.

CERTS Program

Laurie Frey, the Life Safety Educator Lieutenant at Menomonee Falls Fire Department, would like to encourage citizens who want to know more ways to be prepared for a disaster to participate in Waukesha County’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training.  This program teaches basic disaster preparedness and response skills.  Classes are offered regularly, for more information visit the CERT training webpage here. 

Another good source of information on how to be prepared is the website “Are You Ready Wisconsin?”