Senior Safe

In Massachusetts, adults aged 65 and older are two times more likely to die in fires than any other age group. The Senior SAFE Grant Program was created to address fire safety for older adults. The program was approved by the Massachusetts State Legislature and is funded through the Fire Standard Compliant (FSC) Cigarette Program. It provides funding to local fire departments to improve fire and life safety of older adults through education that addresses the unique fire risks of this age group.

What is Senior SAFE?

In Massachusetts, adults aged 65 and older are two times more likely to die in fires than any other age group. In FY14, the Senior SAFE Grant Program was created to address fire safety for older adults. The program was approved by the Massachusetts State Legislature and is funded through the Fire Standard Compliant (FSC) Cigarette Program. It provides funding to local fire departments to improve fire and life safety of older adults through education that addresses the unique fire risks of this age group.

Fire Risks

Physical and mental changes occur during the aging process that may limit the ability of older adults to react quickly in an emergency. Changes in vision, hearing, sense of touch, memory, cognitive ability, and mobility may impact safety. Fire risks for this age group include:

• Cooking

• Heating

• Electrical

• Smoking

• Use of home or medical oxygen

What is included in the Senior SAFE Program?

Senior SAFE also aims to improve safety in senior housing. Programs include:

smoke and carbon monoxide alarm installation
testing and replacing batteries
installation of house numbers
heating limiting devices on stoves
in-hood stove fire extinguishers
nightlights

Education is key to improving the safety of seniors at home. Senior SAFE creates partnerships between agencies that serve seniors and fire departments. Together, these agencies collaborate on local fire and life safety education programs.

Keeping Seniors Safe

KEEP IT LOW

If you don't live in an apartment building, consider sleeping in a room on the ground floor in order to make emergency escape easier. Make sure that smoke alarms are installed in every sleeping room and outside any sleeping areas. Have a telephone installed where you sleep in case of emergency. When looking for an apartment or high-rise home, look for one with an automatic sprinkler system. Sprinklers can extinguish a home fire in less time than it takes for the fire department to arrive.

SOUND THE ALARM

The majority of fatal fires occur when people are sleeping, and because smoke can put you into a deeper sleep rather than wake you, it's important to have a mechanical early warning fire alarm to ensure that you wake up. If anyone in your household is deaf or if your own hearing is diminished, consider installing a smoke alarm that uses a flashing light or vibration to alert you to a fire emergency. View a list of product manufacturers.

DO THE DRILL

Conduct your own, or participate in, regular fire drills to make sure you know what to do in the event of a home fire. If you or someone you live with cannot escape alone, designate a member of the household to assist, and decide on backups in case the designee isn't home. Fire drills are also a good opportunity to make sure that everyone is able to hear and respond to smoke alarms.

OPEN UP

Make sure that you are able to open all doors and windows in your home. Locks and pins should open easily from inside. (Some apartment and high-rise buildings have windows designed not to open.) If you have security bars on doors or windows, they should have emergency release devices inside so that they can be opened easily. These devices won't compromise your safety, but they will enable you to open the window from inside in the event of a fire. Check to be sure that windows haven't been sealed shut with paint or nailed shut; if they have, arrange for someone to break the seals all around your home or remove the nails.

STAY CONNECTED

Keep a telephone nearby, along with emergency phone numbers so that you can communicate with emergency personnel if you're trapped in your room by fire or smoke.

* Information courtesy of the NFPA

In case of an emergency dial 9-1-1

Athol Fire Department