This is WBCA LP 102.9 FM Boston, Boston's community radio station. I'm your host, Tommy Shenifield, and in case you didn't know, it's Fire Prevention Week in the United States, and today we are very lucky to be joined by Jake Wark, spokesperson for the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services to talk about the week. Thanks for being here, Jake. Great to join you, Tommy. Thank you so much for having me on during this important week and public health observance. Yeah, it's great to have you on to talk about this really important event. So for people who don't know, because honestly, until a little while ago, I wasn't familiar with Fire Prevention Week. What is it all about? Fire Prevention Week is the nation's longest running public health and public safety observance, and it's observed every year during the week containing October 8th, and that's in deference to the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. That fire was caused tremendous property damage and loss of life, and it's honored each year through Fire Prevention Week as a way to promote fire safety in the public and whenever possible to reduce the number of fires and the loss of life and property associated with fires. For our purposes, Tommy, I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but there's always a Massachusetts connection, right? And in this case, it's because Governor Calvin Coolidge declared the first national observance of Fire Prevention Week, and he was, of course, had deep Massachusetts roots before going on to the presidency. Yeah, and then, so I guess it's been about 100 years of holding this week. That's right. Next year is going to be a big one, but we're doing everything we can to promote Fire Prevention Week this week here in Boston and across the Commonwealth. That's great. I understand that this year the theme is smoke alarms, make them work for you. That's exactly right. So this year's Fire Prevention Week theme focuses on smoke alarms, and it's a really important theme to recognize. Smoke alarms are your first line of defense against a fire at home, but only if they're working properly. And so we want to really spread three core messages this week when it comes to smoke alarms. First of all, be sure you have them on every level of your home, from the basement to the top floor. And they're especially important while we're sleeping, right? So be sure you've got the smoke alarms in the ceiling in your bedroom and the hallway outside your bedroom. Now that you got those alarms installed, test them to be sure they're working properly. And we recommend testing those alarms at least once a month. Here at DFS, we have a little tradition called Smoke Alarm Saturday. That's the first Saturday of the month when we test all the smoke and CO alarms at home. But obviously you can do it any time that works for you and your family. And then finally, replacing them, replacing the batteries, the alkaline batteries in your smoke alarms, twice a year when you change your clocks, and replacing the alarm itself after 10 years. Because smoke alarms, just like any other appliance, they just don't last forever. And you want to make sure that you have the most up-to-date protection possible. So replace those alarms when they go out of service. So this year, for Fire Prevention Week, just reminding folks to install, test, and replace their smoke alarms. And you said that it's ideal to test your smoke alarms once every month? That's right. And do most people do it at that rate? I'm sad to say that the statistics show that most people do not. And that's why we really emphasize it. On our social media pages and when we talk to our friends in the media or at community events and so forth, the importance of being sure that you test those alarms. It's pretty simple. Every alarm has a test button. Just reach up, push that button, make sure that it sounds. And if the alarm doesn't, respond when you press the test button, replace it right away. There may be some folks may have physical limitations that prevent them from either getting up on a chair or a ladder or something like that. Still, pretty easy. Just grab a broomstick and hit the test button with that broomstick or call a friend or a family member. It's important to make sure that you and your loved ones are protected and testing your alarms is a great way to ensure that you are. Yeah, and if somebody is listening right now to the show at home and they're thinking to themselves, "Oh, it must work. I don't need to check it." What does that stake with not checking it and ensuring that it's working properly? Well, a lot of folks think this won't happen to me. I'm pretty careful around the house and unfortunately we see every year about half of the fatal fires in Massachusetts take place in homes or residences that don't have working smoke alarms and they may be out of date. The batteries may have failed. The device itself might be defective in some way or they're simply not present at all, which is a fact that sadly we see too often. So it is very important to test those alarms, make sure even your loved ones are protected. Yeah, and I would imagine that in many cases it's seconds, minutes can count. So having that warning and that alarm can really make a difference. That is an excellent, excellent point, Tommy. The primary purpose of smoke alarms is to give you as much warning and notice as possible so that you can get out, stay out, and call 911. There are years ago, decades ago, buildings were built very differently. They were furnished very differently. You had heavy lumber, you had cotton and textiles and wooden furnishings. These days, buildings and especially homes are built very differently and they're furnished very differently and they burn much more quickly. The furnishings release toxic gases that are poisonous and that smoke can spread throughout the house and sadly incapacitate. In fact, most fatal fire victims never actually come in contact with a flame. They succumb to smoke inhalation, which is rather unconscious and unable to escape. Sounds like maybe they should build things a little bit different but obviously that line of defense of the smoke alarm is a good place to work from. It's absolutely right. So in the US Fire Administration had a summit, I believe it was last year, and they determined that we have less time to escape fire at home today than at any time in history. Fires can become fatal in three minutes or less in some cases, whereas in decades past, when people of a certain age were a little younger, you had 15 minutes, for example, to get out. But it's very important to get out of a residential fire very quickly for those reasons that I mentioned, especially the toxic smoke that can render you unconscious. And so the theme of this year's Fire Prevention Week is smoke alarms, but what other things can people do in terms of equipment they have or just having a plan? What can families and individuals do to make sure that they can get out in time if they are if there's a fire? Sure, sure. So if you hear that smoke alarm, obviously you want to get out of the house. What can really speed up your escape is planning it in advance. And that's why we recommend a home escape plan for every household. So considering two ways out of the building of the apartment unit, if you live in an apartment, and remembering that sometimes one of those ways can be a window, if necessary. The practice of planning and practicing a home escape plan can really reduce the time it takes to get out of the house. And it's great to do as a family activity, drawing a little group blueprint of your house with the kids' rooms, the hallways, the stairways, and so forth. And looking for those two ways out of the building, two ways out of the apartment, sometimes two ways out of each room, if that's possible. And understandably, it's not always possible if you've got a bathroom without a window, obviously. But planning your escape can really help. I guess I should also note that we're heading into the fall season. The mornings are getting chillier. I had to put on a jacket when I left the house this morning. So we're entering home heating season. And it's a great time to have your home heating system checked, the boilers, furnaces, and so forth. Home heating equipment is the number one source of carbon monoxide in the home. And it's also the, generally, historically, the number two cause of residential fires. So having your home heating system checked by a licensed professional service, if necessary, won't just help it run more efficiently and save you money. It could actually save your life in the long run. And you said that the heating is the number two cause of fires. What's said at number one? Oh, by far, the number one cause of fires at home is cooking and unsafe cooking practices. And that's everything from leaving your food unattended on the stove comp to putting a, forgetting to take the fork out of your microwave meal when you stick it back in the microwave. So cooking is far and away. The leading cause of fires here in Massachusetts and really in across the nation. Yeah, that makes a lot of sense, unfortunately. Yeah. The, you know, there's an interesting fact, though, the leading cause of fires overall is not the leading cause of fatal fires. And, of course, historically, the leading cause of fatal fires, again, in Massachusetts and across the nation is smoking. Smoking, the unsafe, or careless disposal of smoking materials, oftentimes smoking in bed or tossing a cigarette but into the trash before it's fully extinguished. And I think if you think about it, the reason becomes clear, right? Most people, if they're cooking something on the stovetop or if they've got something in the oven, they're aware of it, they're engaged with it. If a fire breaks out, they're definitely aware of it and can take the appropriate action to either to extinguish it or to escape. Smoking fires are much more insidious. There oftentimes will smolder for a long period of time before bursting into flames. And if you're asleep or impaired by drugs or alcohol, you just might not wake up in time to recognize the danger. And again, that's where smoke alarms will really come in handy by alerting you to that danger. That's good to know. I mean, I would imagine the other keys to that are just not smoking, not smoking when you're not alert and maybe having an ashtray, but definitely, again, having that extra line of defense of the smoke alarm seems like it's really key. That's true. And you'll have to forgive me for not making that point myself. The safest thing you can do for yourself and your loved ones is to quit smoking. There's really no safe way to smoke. Smoking in bed or when you're impaired is especially dangerous. And of course, no one should smoke in a home where home oxygen is used, medical oxygen is being used. But if you must smoke, and we know that many people still do, or if you have guests who smoke, to bring out that ashtray, heavy sturdy ashtray, put it on a stable surface like a table where it's not going to get knocked over and have some water or sand in there so that you can make sure that you put it out all the way every time. And again, you said that smoking-related fires are the leading type of fire in terms of fatalities? Yeah, that's right. The historical, historically, the number one cause of fatal fires locally and nationally is the unsafe or careless disposal of smoking materials. Well, yeah, I didn't know. We are going to go to just a very quick break. You're listening to WBCA 102.9 FM, Boston's Community Radio Station. I'm your host, Tommy Shenifield, and we are speaking to Jake Wark of the Mass Department of Fire Services about Fire Prevention Week. We'll be back in just a moment. Join NFPA and Fire Departments across North America for Fire Prevention Week 2024. This year's campaign, Smoke Alarms, Make Them Work For You, focuses on the importance of having working smoke alarms in the home. Smoke alarms are the first line of defense in a home fire, but they need to be working to protect you. These three actions will ensure your smoke alarms are working for you. Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area, and on each level of the home. Make sure smoke alarms meet the needs of all family members, including those with sensory or physical disabilities. Test smoke alarms at least once a month by pushing the test button. Replace smoke alarms when they are 10 years old or don't respond when tested. This Fire Prevention Week, we all have a vital role to play in spreading awareness and protecting our loved ones and communities. Remember, install, test, replace. Make sure smoke alarms work for you. Visit fpw.org for more information on smoke alarms. That was the sound of a smoke alarm because it is Fire Prevention Week in the United States, and the theme this year is smoke alarms. Make them work for you. You are tuned into WBCA 102.9FM Boston, Boston's Community Radio Station. I'm your host, Tommy Shenifield, and I am speaking to Jake Wark of the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services again for Fire Prevention Week. Thanks again for being on the show. Thanks for having me, Tommy. So one thing that stood out to me just listening to that little informational piece about Fire Prevention Week is ensuring that people with different disabilities also have the proper precautions in place in their homes. And I heard kind of the sound of an audio fire alarm. And I'm curious. Could you talk a little bit about what's going on to make fire safety more accessible in a sense? Sure. So the smoke alarms that we're all very familiar with, the beeping that you just heard, is sort of the classic sound of the smoke alarm. Modern alarms, however, will also have a feature that will actually describe the danger. So tell you there's a fire. But for what about people who are deaf or hard of hearing are smoke alarms available for them as well to meet those needs? And the answer is absolutely yes. There are a few different models that are available that use a strobe light, for example, or can provide a vibration or a shaking sensation if you're in bed. They are also available, and we would strongly recommend them if you or someone in your household has a disability that would make them unable to, or unable to, or less likely to hear a smoke alarm when it matters most. And are there any requirements in public buildings to have things like that? My understanding is the requirements are based on the occupancy, and it's a level of technical knowledge that I just don't have off the top of my head. But certainly, in Massachusetts, about 70% of the fire deaths and injuries take place in the home, and that's really where we focus our efforts. The value of home smoke alarms and fire prevention at home is really where the money is, the greatest bang for your buck, so to speak. The overwhelming majority of fire deaths in Massachusetts, and again, Massachusetts really is in line with the rest of the country. These fires are most likely to hurt or claim lives in the home. I'm curious. For those who don't know, again, it's fire prevention this week. It's the week that contains the date October 8th every year, and every year there's a theme. Again, this year, the theme is smoke alarms. I'm curious. Do you know how that theme is determined each year? Is it a certain most pressing topic it needs to be addressed, or how does that work? The fire prevention week observances are sponsored and coordinated by the National Fire Protection Association. And again, they're the Massachusetts connection, right? They're based in Quincy, Massachusetts. And when Massachusetts was first considering a statewide fire code, some of the first documents they looked at were promulgated by the National Fire Prevention Association. But the NFPA, which develops many fire-related and life safety-related standards, puts their heads together and comes up with a theme each year. Smoke alarms. This year's last year was learning the sounds of safety, and that related to smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. And then there was another reason one involved cooking, which as we discussed is the leading cause of fires at home. And there have been others that are just escaping my memory off the top of my head. Yeah, I was looking back. I was on the on a page going through all the themes and it looked like back in say the 70s, the theme would for years and then just be fire safety. So it looks like it's gotten a little bit more specific, but I imagine it's helpful to have a more focused theme to kind of really drive the message home. Sure, sure. And fire safety takes so many forms that it's easy to take sort of a scatter shot approach, but maybe dilute the message with each additional sort of bullet point that you add. So focusing on a particular matter, especially one as fundamental as smoke alarms, really helps us in the public education field to spread that knowledge. Yeah, and of course fire safety is a year-round affair. There's no need to say it. What other sorts of things at the the mask department of fire services where you are or with the National Fire Protection Association, what other sorts of things year-round are you doing to get these messages to people? Yeah, we really take a sort of a seasonal approach and we were just talking about fall and winter fire hazards. And I mentioned the having your heating system checked. I should probably include, you know, I mentioned furnaces and boilers, but if you use a fireplace or a wood stove, making sure that you have your chimney and flu inspected and cleaned each year. Cracks in the masonry of a chimney can allow the very hot gases or embers from a fire in your fireplace to spread to your home. And that would of course extend to the rest of the structure. We should also talk about things like space heaters, which many folks use to warm up a room, always plugging a space heater directly into a wall outlet instead of a power strip or an extension cord, for example, is going to be much safer. And we really recommend that you put those high output devices, heating devices, cooling devices like air conditioners also should always go right into a wall outlet rather than an extension cord or a power strip that may not be able to handle the draw. The other thing to remember is that they're temporary devices. You don't want to leave them running overnight. You certainly don't want to leave them running while you're sleeping. And you always want to keep a three foot circle of safety around those heating devices like space heaters, Gestove, and other other heating appliances. Three foot circle of safety. Three foot circle of safety. Yeah. So you want to keep it well clear of the curtains bedding. If you're someone like me, the pile of clothes that's fallen over the hamper, keep that stuff well away from a space heater, really anything that can burn. As we head into the winter holiday season, Hanukkah, Christmas, Diwali, Kwanza, these holidays all have strong traditions that involve candles. And we want to make sure that folks are using their candles safely. The safest one these days is going to be a battery operated candle. And you can get battery operated candles today that flicker just like the real thing. They provide that soft, warm, homey lighting. But you definitely want to follow those safety steps with candles as well. Keep them clear of anything that can burn. Never leave the room while they're while they're burning. Always extinguish the the candle before you leave the room or go to bed. And whenever possible, substitute them with something that doesn't involve an open flame. Yeah, those electric candles, like you say, have really gotten quite convincing. Sometimes you have to look really close to say, "Is that real? Is there heat coming off of this?" Yeah, sure. And in a couple of weeks, we'll all be carving jack-o-lanterns. And they look pretty good in the jack-o-lantern too, I can say. The other particularly spooky way to let your candle, like your jack-o-lanterns with those glow sticks. I've tried it myself and it provides a very eerie green glow. Oh, I'll have to try that. And then it's worth a try if you're interested or if you want to show off for the neighbors. Yeah, for the for the season. You know, through the year. I'm sorry, go ahead. Oh, no, I'm just just thinking about pumpkins. It's Halloween's quickly approaching. You were saying? Yeah, it is. And, you know, just continuing through the seasons, right? After Halloween, what comes next? Thanksgiving. What's Thanksgiving? It's the number one day for residential fires in Massachusetts. Really? Of course, that goes back to the leading cause of fires and that's cooking. Right. A lot of folks can get pretty hairy in the kitchen around Thanksgiving when you're juggling so many different dishes. And so we do, we always put out a full court press on cooking safety around Thanksgiving. And we've just got a little time left, unfortunately, but I'm curious, for somebody who's maybe listening and saying, "Well, I check my fire. I check my smoke detector every month. I do all these things." What can they do if they want to get involved in helping spread these messages about fire safety to others? I would absolutely encourage them to visit our website or follow us on social media. We are at MassDFS for most social media platforms that's Facebook, Instagram, and X, which is formerly Twitter. We've got a series of fire safety related public service announcements on our YouTube channel. And if you just Google MassDFS and YouTube, you'll come right up with it. And then, of course, our website is mass.gov/dfs. There's an abundance of public safety information, including fires, fire safety fliers in English, and about 10 other languages online. And a lot of other fire safety information for the public, for regulated industries, and for the fire service. Great. So again, that was mass.gov/dfs. And at MassDFS on social media, that's contact for the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services. Again, it's fire prevention week. And we have been speaking with Jake Wark about how people can prevent fires, particularly through checking their smoke alarms, making sure they have them. We have just a moment left. But Jake, is there any less thing you want to say to anyone listening out there? You know, Tommy, there's one more thing I would like to add. Older adults, people age 65 and older, are the most vulnerable and the most likely to be injured or perish in a fire at home. And so I would like to ask those folks in particular to stay on top of their smoke alarm and home escape planning. If you're having any trouble with that, never any harm asking a friend or a neighbor or a family member to help you install, test, and replace your smoke alarms or contact your local fire department. In Massachusetts, we have a grant program that supports smoke and CO-alarm installation for older adults. The Red Cross has a program as well. Just reach out. It really could save your life. Well, thank you so much, Jake Wark, for sharing all this really great information about fire prevention week and everything going on at the Mass Department of Fire Services. And I'm sure this program, I hope it reaches a lot of people who, you know, right after they listen, go and check their smoke alarm. I hope they do. Thank you so much, Tommy, for having me on. Yeah, thank you. This has been a special program from WBCA 102.9 FM Boston, Boston's Community Radio Station.
