SARASOTA COUNTY- The entire family is invited to a enjoy a fun-filled and educational day at the annual Fire Prevention Week Open House sponsored by Sarasota County Emergency Services.
The open house will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7, at Fire Station No. 5, 400 N. Beneva Road. Admission and refreshments will be free.
Sarasota County Fire Department is reminding the community that “Every Second Counts – Plan Two Ways Out,” which is this year’s Fire Prevention Week theme.
During this year’s fire safety campaign, firefighters will be spreading the word about the importance of having a fire escape plan and always planning two ways out. In order to help keep your household safe, Sarasota County Fire Department encourages residents to:
- Draw a map of your home with all members of your household, marking two exits from each room and a path to the outside from each exit. Be sure to include accommodations for any disabilities family members may have, i.e., blindness, hearing impaired, physical/mental handicaps.
- Practice your home fire drill twice a year. Conduct one at night and one during the day with everyone in your home, and practice using different ways out.
- Teach children how to escape on their own in case you can’t help them.
- Make sure the address number of your home is clearly marked and easy for the fire department to find.
- Close doors behind you as you leave; this may slow down the spread of smoke, heat, and fire.
- Once you get outside, stay outside. Make sure you have a safe meeting place that everyone in your family knows about.
- Never go back inside a burning building.
“Developing and practicing a home fire escape plan is like building muscle memory,” said Sarasota County Fire Chief Michael Regnier. “That pre-planning is what everyone will draw upon to snap into action and escape as quickly as possible in the event of a fire.”
This year’s event will include live fire demonstrations, games, fire trucks and rescues, 9-1-1’s Red E. Fox and Terry Telephone and much more. Bring a camera for photo opportunities with firefighters.
For more information, call the Sarasota County Contact Center at 941-861-5000 or visit www.scgov.net.
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View the complete policy at www.scgov.net.