‘Hear the Beep Where You Sleep – Every Bedroom Needs a Working Smoke Alarm.’ This is the campaign of 2015’s Fire Safety Week.
The Chula Vista Fire Department held an open house Saturday to educate people about the importance of smoke alarms and other safety information.
“You need smoke detectors in your house,” says Justin Gipson, Chula Vista Fire Division Chief and Fire Marshall. Gipson says the fire department recommends placing smoke alarms in bedrooms, bedroom hallways and kitchens. He says people should check the smoke alarm each month by making sure it beeps when the button is pressed, and the batteries should be changed twice a year.
“It’s priceless,” Gipson says of the open house, “It gives us as the firefighters that serve this community a chance to interact with the community outside of the stressful 911 calls that we experience unfortunately on a daily basis.”
The open house also taught the community about the International Association of Fire Chief’s ‘Ready, Set, Go!’ program for wildfires. It advocates making your home ready in case of a wildfire by clearing brush away from your house, using fire-resistant landscaping and having emergency supplies and belongings in a safe place.
Next you should be set by staying on top of the news and updates from the local fire department. Lastly, you need to be ready to go when it’s necessary to evacuate.
The event also included practice drills, a special fire safety house, rides in the ‘Little Fire Truck’ and puppet shows.
