Smart911 Marks Fire Prevention Week with Safety Tips

FRAMINGHAM, Mass., Oct. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the National Fire Protection Association, a home fire was reported every 85 seconds during 2010 - a total of 369,500 for the year - causing 13,350 injuries and 2,640 deaths. With Fire Prevention Week underway, public safety experts from Rave Mobile Safety, creators of the national safety database, Smart911, encourage citizens to review the following safety tips and create a free Safety Profile that will help fire crews better help them during emergencies.

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• Planning & Practice: The size of a fire can double every 30 seconds, leaving as little as two minutes to escape once an alarm has sounded, so acting quickly and precisely is critical. Develop a fire-escape plan and review it with family members. Make a map of the residence, marking two ways out of each room, such as a door and a window. Note where fire extinguishes are located. Select a spot outside and in front of a residence where all should meet in the event of a fire. Practice the fire-escape plan twice a year and post it in a visible spot like a refrigerator. Also, discuss fire dos and don'ts, including never exiting a door if it feels hot and staying low to avoid smoke inhalation.
• Proactive Walk-Through: Do a walk-through of your residence and perform a proactive safety check. Foremost, test the function and batteries of smoke alarms. Make sure outlets are not overloaded with multiple plug-extenders or extension cords. Use certified, surge-protected power strips and follow wattage guidelines. Look at electrical wires and cords on appliances, devices, lamps, etc. to ensure they're not damaged or worn. Be sure that wires and cords have not been run under carpets or heavy items, behind hot appliances or tacked up with staples or pins.
• Be Aware of High Risks: Cooking is the #1 cause of home fires and related injuries, so always keep an extinguisher close by when cooking or grilling. Also, be on guard against particularly high risks. For instance, never leave burning candles unattended, under the attention of a child, or leave portable heating devices on while you're away from home.

Finally, Rave Mobile Safety urges citizens to create a Smart911 Safety Profile containing details about their household that they want 9-1-1 to have during an emergency. This can include all family members and photos, information on medical conditions and disabilities, home and vehicle details, even data about pets. Once created, when a citizen places a 9-1-1 call, their Safety Profile is automatically displayed to the call-taker and can be immediately relayed to emergency response teams in the field, enabling them to have a better understanding of the situation.

In the event of an emergency such as a fire or natural disaster, Smart911 can offer vital details to help fire crews provide faster, more precise response, including such information as:

• How many residents live at a home and the locations of bedrooms to support search efforts.
• If there is a citizen with a mobility limitation who may need special equipment to be evacuated.
• Where utility shut off locations are to prevent further problems.
• If a family member has a disability such as autism and has a safe spot in which they would hide.
• If there are pets in the home that need to be located.

Each Smart911 Safety Profile is private, secure and only available to dispatchers during an emergency call. Smart911 now helps emergency responders in 23 states and more than 300 municipalities to protect millions. Because it is a national system, once a Safety Profile has been created, it can be delivered with an emergency call in any area of the country if the local 9-1-1 call center is supported by Smart911.

To see if Smart911 is in your community, please visit: http://www.Smart911.com.  

About Rave Mobile Safety

Rave Mobile Safety is the most trusted software partner for campus and public safety. Used by leading Institutes of Higher Education and State and Local Agencies, the award-winning portfolio of RaveAlert, RaveGuardian, Eyewitness and Smart911 enables millions to feel safe, secure and connected. Rave Mobile Safety is headquartered in Framingham, MA. For more information please visit www.ravemobilesafety.com.

Contact:
Marty Querzoli
Davies Murphy Group
[email protected]  
(781) 418-2433

SOURCE Rave Mobile Safety

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