Fire Won’t Wait, Plan Your Escape

By the Santa Barbara City Fire Department

The City of Santa Barbara Fire Department is teaming up with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) – to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Fire Prevention Week (FPW), October 9-15, 2022. This year’s FPW campaign, “Fire won’t wait. Plan your escape,” works to educate everyone about simple but important actions they can take to keep themselves and those around them safe from home fires. 

“Today’s homes burn faster than ever. You may have as little as two minutes (or even less time) to safely escape a home fire from the time the smoke alarm sounds. Your ability to get out of a home during a fire depends on early warning from smoke alarms and advance planning,” said Lorraine Carli, vice president of Outreach and Advocacy at NFPA.

The City of Santa Barbara Fire Department encourages all residents to embrace the 2022 Fire Prevention Week theme.

“It is important for everyone to plan and practice a home fire escape. Everyone needs to be prepared in advance, so that they know what to do when the smoke alarm sounds. Given that every home is different, every home fire escape plan will also be different,” said Fire Marshal, Ryan DiGuilio. “Have a plan for everyone in the home. Children, older adults, and people with disabilities may need assistance to wake up and get out. Make sure that someone will help them.”

The City of Santa Barbara Fire Department wants to share these key home fire escape planning tips:

• Make sure your plan meets the needs of all your family members, including those with sensory or physical disabilities.
• Smoke alarms should be installed inside every sleeping room, outside each separate sleeping area, and on every level of your home. Smoke alarms should be interconnected so when one sounds, they all sound.
• Know at least two ways out of every room, if possible. Make sure all doors and windows open easily.
• Have an outside meeting place a safe distance from your home where everyone should meet.
• Practice your home fire drill at least twice a year with everyone in the household, including guests. Practice at least once during the day and at night.
   

The Fire Department is hosting a series of events in support of this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign, “Fire won’t wait. Plan your escape,” including fire evacuation drill, fire extinguisher trainings, fire safety talks, Sparky the Fire Dog elementary school visits and informational booths throughout the week.

To find out more about Fire Prevention Week programs and activities in the City of Santa Barbara, please contact Liliana Encinas, Bilingual Public Outreach Coordinator at 805-564-5778 orliencinas@santabarbaraca.gov. For more general information about Fire Prevention Week and fire prevention in general, visit fpw.org and sparky.org.