Fire prevention program begins with Wharton kids

Staff Photo by Benjamin Sharp Youngsters with Wharton's Child Development Center greet "Sparky" the fire department dog during a fire prevention program.

This week is Fire Prevention Week and the Wharton and El Campo volunteer fire departments are joining national efforts to provide fire safety tips helping to keep families, friends, and communities safer.

The theme of this year's Fire Prevention Week is "Practice Your Escape Plan!"

Wharton's department kicked off the week by visiting area elementary schools. On Tuesday, Wharton Fire Chief Anthony Abbott shared prevention tips with youngsters at First Baptist Church's Child Development Center in Wharton, and later at Faith Christian Academy in Burr.

Abbott stressed maintenance of fire alarms, a family-orchestrated escape plan, the danger of playing with matches and hazards found in the kitchen.

"This was our first fire prevention presentation," he said.

El Campo Volunteer Fire Department president Patrick Hlavaty said it takes a team effort to prevent fire-related injuries and deaths.

"Please share these tips and continue to pass on the message of fire safety every day," Hlavaty said. "Together we can all make a difference."

Tips to remember when practicing a fire escape plan include:

• Always have at least two ways out

Wharton kids

of each room, such as doors and windows.

• Make sure all exits are clear and working. If doors or windows are blocked by items such as boxes or furniture, someone, especially young children, may not be able to move them quickly enough to escape. Test your windows to make certain that they are not stuck shut and screens are removable from the inside.

• Teach children how to unlock and open the window in case they ever need to get out. If a screen is on the outside, demonstrate how they can remove it.

• Choose a meeting place where members of your family can assemble once you get out. This location should be safely accessible for all members. For example, if small children are in the family, choose a location where they would not have to cross the street, such as the mailbox, a tree in the yard, or the neighbor's fence.

• Practice your plan at least twice a year. Make sure that you have also practiced at night because some family members may not wake up to the smoke alarm and the exits are more difficult to find by feeling your way through the dark.

• Call the fire department and notify them about any special circumstances within your home.