SAFE KIDS GET ALARMED

Fire kills Kansans of all ages, but those under age 5 are particularly vulnerable. Small children do not have a strong perception of danger, have less control of their environment, and have a limited ability to react promptly and properly to a fire. According to the Kansas Fire Information Reporting System (KFIRS): 56% of Kansas’s child deaths due to unintentional fire/flame injuries are age 0-4.

A working smoke alarm cuts your chances of dying in a fire by half. The Kansas Smoke Alarm Statute, enacted in July 1998, requires that all new and existing single-family residences have a working smoke alarm on each level. For more details on the Act visit www.kdheks.gov/kfipp or call 785-368-7290.

The GET ALARMED program is designed to increase the number of Kansas homes with young children that are equipped with working smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms. Utilizing a discount program for smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms available to community groups through a partnership with First Alert and Kidde, participating communities distribute and install alarms in low-income homes. Over 19,900 alarms have been distributed since implementation of the Safe Kids Kansas GET ALARMED program. If you would like to receive an order form for discount alarms, contact the Coalition at mbrown@kdheks.gov or call 785-368-7290.

KANSAS FIRE INJURY PREVENTION PROGRAM (KFIPP)

Mini-grants through the Kansas Fire Injury Prevention Program (KFIPP) provide Kansas communities with long-life lithium battery smoke alarms and limited funding for installation expenses and educational resources. For more information see the KFIPP website at www.kdheks.gov/kfipp/ or call Marilee Brown at 785-368-7290.

JUVENILE FIRESETTING

The Y-Fire Program of the Kansas State Fire Marshal's Office and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) was created to help prevent children from starting fires and to intervene with youths known to have started fires. Youth Programs supports Y-FIRE coalitions across the state and also provides resources and materials for parents, teachers, childcare providers, and fire service personnel. For more information visit the website; www.kdheks.gov/y-fire or call Elena Nuss at 785-296-3403.

To arrange to checkout the following items contact:

Elena Nuss at 785-296-3403 or email her at enuss@kdheks.gov

Marilee Brown at 785-368-7290 or email her at mbrown@kdheks.gov

911 SIMULATOR

An instructor with a minimal background and education in the emergency reporting field can conduct a 911-safety session correctly and effectively using this realistic simulation of an actual 911 call.  Over the last five years 10,500 children and adults in 87 communities have practiced properly responding to an emergency by calling 911 on the Safe Kids Kansas 911 Simulator.

TOY-LIKE LIGHTER DISPLAY CASE

Adults will benefit from seeing this display case of dangerous toy-like-lighters. The case contains lighters that resemble toy cell phones, guns, cars, motorcycles etc that were purchased in Kansas convenience stores. This item cannot be mailed.

PLAY SAFE BE SAFE

The play safe! be safe!® kit is designed to give fire safety educators, preschool teachers, daycare providers and other community agencies concerned about child safety the tools they need to effectively teach fire safety to preschool children.

FIRE SAFETY FOR YOUNG CHILDREN CURRICULUM

Kit containing toys, books and child size bunker gear to be used in conjunction with Oklahoma State University Fire Safety for Young Children. You may access the curriculum at:  http://info.ifsta.org/. This curriculum is developmentally appropriate for children in Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten.

SAFE KIDS USA RAPID RESPONSE KIT

Safe Kids USA offers a fire rapid response grant program during the winter months. This grant for $500 is sponsored by the U.S. Fire Administration and is available to Safe Kids coalitions and chapters who have a fire in their area where children die or are injured in the fire. Grantees must apply within 2 weeks of the fire and must begin carrying out activities within one month of receiving the grant funds to be considered “rapid response”. A kit with educational materials will be sent out to the coalition as soon as the grant is approved. Also, Kidde has donated sample alarms to go with the display boards in the kit. More information at www.usa.safekids.org.

TIPS FOR PARENTS

• Install working smoke alarms on each level of the home, and test them monthly. Replace batteries twice a year on smoke alarms with conventional batteries. (Some units come with long-lasting batteries that may last up to 10 years.) Replace smoke alarms every 10 years. The chance of dying in a residential fire is cut in half when a working smoke alarm is present.

• Plan and practice with your children two escape routes out of the house and each room. Make sure your children know the sound of your smoke alarm. Have a home fire drill to prepare your children. An unprepared child may attempt to hide from the fire instead of leaving immediately. Design a home escape plan for your family.

• Designate an outside meeting place for your family. Teach everyone in your household that once they are out, they must stay out until firefighters say it is safe to go back inside. Children should be reminded not to stop or return for anything such as a toy. A call to 9-1-1 should be placed after leaving the house.

FIRE AND BURN PREVENTION LINKS

The following links provide ideas and tools for promoting smoke alarm use and maintenance in your community. For further assistance contact mbrown@kdheks.gov or call 785-3687290.

National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)…www.nfpa.org

Public safety education From life-saving campaigns to training programs to special hazards guides, NFPA educational efforts protect lives and property and are an established resource for fire, electrical, and life safety instruction. NFPA's mascot, Sparky the Fire Dog®, hosts his own Web site featuring family safety activities Risk Watch® is NFPA's school-based program addresses the leading causes of injury and death among children. As the sponsor of Fire Prevention Week each October, NFPA works with safety officials to educate the public about fire safety and prevention. Developed by NFPA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Remembering When® addresses the leading causes of injuries among older adults. NFPA produces quality safety education materials including posters, booklets, brochures, and award-winning videos and films. Information resource NFPA is the premier resource for fire data analysis, research, and analysis. This data helps guide educational outreach, support the work of NFPA Technical Committees, and frames the fire-loss picture for organizations, the media, and the general public. The Fire Analysis and Research division produces a wide range of annual reports and special studies on all aspects of the nation's fire problem.