Fire safety for seniors

Lynn Volkens

05/22/2008 - High Country Fire Protection District’s (HCFPD) big yellow engine was parked on one side of Gilpin’s Community Center late Monday morning, along with one of their smaller brush trucks. Out front, was Black Hawk Fire Department’s (BHFD) red engine and a Gilpin Ambulance. What was the emergency? Just the senior citizens having lunch…

  About 50 of Gilpin’s seniors attended Monday’s luncheon. That’s a record crowd. They were the reason for the emergency vehicles, but it wasn’t for medical reasons. Gilpin Ambulance Director Zane Laubhan had organized a fire safety presentation, tailored to circumstances that senior citizens might encounter. HCFPD and BHFD had sent along personnel to help with the presentation, and cook. Yep, cook.

  Just outside the community room doors, two propane grills had been fired up and the emergency responders were cooking barbecued chicken and hamburgers. Ambulance staff had prepared a huge bowl of potato salad plus baked beans, peas and rolls to go with. When it came time for the dessert course the firefighters carried in six different fire extinguishers and set them up front. While seniors enjoyed ice cream, the firefighters distributed fire safety brochures (in large print) and summarized fire safety measures that seniors (or anyone, for that matter) should consider.

  BHFD’s Chris Williams and Joe Lucero stressed the importance of smoke alarms “on every floor, in every bedroom.” Smoldering cigarettes and candles left burning are the cause of many house fires, they explained. There’s lots of smoke, and smoke kills. They had a couple different smoke alarms, including a combination carbon monoxide/smoke detector, for show and tell. Then they turned one on so folks would recognize the high-pitched “beep, beep, beep,” that means “Get out of the house!” HCFPD’s Gary Gain sounded the smoke alarm again and asked all who could hear it to raise their hands. All but a few went up, but it was those few that Gain was looking for. For them, he recommended low frequency smoke alarms. They’re harder to find, he said. (Veterans can get them through the Veterans Administration.)

  Lucero told folks to make sure the exit ways through their homes are clear. That’s not only for those trying to get out, but for firefighters trying to get in. Adding nightlights along the way helps those with vision problems delineate their escape route. Firefighters recommend using the back of the hand and feeling a closed door down low before opening it. If it’s warm, don’t open it. “Getting low” was also their recommendation for traversing smoky areas, but that isn’t so easy for some seniors. If the situation is too smoky, or there’s fire, folks should go to a room away from the fire, close and lock the door, then see if they can escape through a window. If not, open the window (but only after closing the door securely), or hang a sheet from the window. That will help firefighters find someone in need of rescue more quickly. It also helps for folks to tell the dispatcher, when they call in an emergency, where in the house they are located and if they have any mobility problems. For folks on oxygen – leave it and get out, said Williams. Emergency responders will have oxygen with them so folks will only be without it for moments. For those who can’t go even moments, it’s better not to take the tank anywhere near fire – that means those folks may have to stay put and wait for rescue.  Many Gilpin seniors have “med-alert” devices, generally used to summon medical help. Firefighters encouraged seniors to use them if they need any kind of emergency help. “If you’re trapped in a fire, press that button,” they stressed. It’s just one more way to get help. Some folks hesitate to call 911, said Laubhan. They may wonder if “their” emergency is really that important. “Always call 911,” he reiterated.

  Finally, never go back into a burning house, Lucero lectured. Never, never. (Although he admitted he’d find that tough to do if a loved one was inside.) The best thing is to let firefighters know someone’s still inside and let them go in. Lots of folks, seniors included, have pets. Don’t go back in for a pet, the firefighters admonished.  “Animals are smart. They’re going to say ‘See ya, I’m outta here,’” Lucero said.

  The firefighters had planned to demonstrate the different extinguishers on real fires in the parking lot, but it was just too windy on Monday to do that safely. Instead, they showed a short video that explained the “P.A.S.S.” (Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep) memory acronym for extinguisher operation. That’s “P”-Pull the Pin, “A”-Aim, “S”-Squeeze the trigger, and “S”-Sweep the nozzle from side to side over the fire. There were several different sized extinguishers ranging in weight from 20, to just a couple of pounds. The 20-pounder is likely too heavy for most seniors to handle easily. The two-pounder will work for a small contained fire, like a trashcan fire, but not much else. Even the large extinguishers will empty in about a minute. After that, it’s time to get away and let the professionals handle it. “We’ve got LOTS of water,” said Williams, indicating the fire engine parked outside, “1,000 gallons.” Lucero and Williams recommended a five-pound dry chemical extinguisher (as opposed to water or foam) as it’s a manageable weight and can handle most types of household fires, including grease and electrical fires. Don’t “test” a fire extinguisher, they stressed. “Once you’ve squeezed, the pressure is gone and it won’t work the next time.” Fire extinguishers should, ideally, be inspected every year. Just because one has never been used, and still shows “green,” doesn’t mean it will work when it’s been years since it was purchased or recharged, they said. The chemical inside packs down, settling to the bottom, and the extinguisher won’t work. There’s no place in Gilpin County to have extinguishers recharged. Neither BHFD nor HCFPD are equipped to do that. After three-five years, it may be better just to buy a new extinguisher, said Laubhan.

  Laubhan said he thought the fire safety presentation was needed because he’d supplied some seniors with fire extinguishers and their questions made him realize they didn’t know how to use them or how long they would work. That isn’t true just for seniors, however. There was one ignorant reporter there who learned a lot. The folks of BHFD and HCFPD are happy to answer questions and will even walk through a home with the resident to offer suggestions for making it more fire resistant. (But first, you’ve got to clear the way, so they can get in.)