January 2018 Volume 17, Number 8
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Preventing home fires is particularly important for older adults When it comes to older adults, fire safety cannot be stressed enough. Did you know that adults at age 65 are twice as likely as younger populations to be killed or injured by fires? By age 75, that risk increases to three times—and to four times by age 85. Knowing what to do in the event of a fire is particularly important for older adults, according to Captain Christopher E. Shaffer of the Center Township Fire
Department in Aliquippa. “Most people suffer from physical or mental decline as they age, including illnesses or disabilities that limit their mobility to varying degrees, making escape from a fire more difficult,” he explains. “That’s why it’s important to educate the elderly, their families and caretakers of their increased risk and what to do about it.” Captain Shaffer teaches fire safety education to both children and adults through
programs at schools, the Center Township firehouse, and elsewhere in the community. He offers the following general tips for staying safe in case of a fire emergency. Keep it low If you don’t live in an apartment building, consider sleeping in a room on the ground floor in order to make emergency escape easier. Make sure that smoke Continued on page 3
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