SAVE No. 2!

The latest "save", recorded in Johnston County, was reported to a Local Field Coordinator, Mannsville Fire Chief, Mike Eddings, by a resident who is hard of hearing. With the combination of First Alert dual sensor alarms and a Lifetone HL alert device (for people who are hard of hearing) this person was successfully notified of smoke coming from the kitchen. The resident had placed food in the oven, left the room and had forgotten about it.

The alarms went off which activated the low frequency tone of the Lifetone HL which the resident could hear and quickly realized there was an emergency. With this advance warning and the life safety education given, the consumer knew to turn off the oven, to leave the door closed and to get out. As a result there was no damage to the structure and no injuries.

Prior to this project, this consumer did not have smoke alarms in her home. She credits the grant project and the efforts of the local installer team for saving her life.

SAVE No. 1

SAFE Oklahoma is excited to report that through the FP&S 2008 Grant, Smoke Alarm Campaign, we've had our FIRST documented SAVE!

A First Alert, dual-sensor alarm, actuated a Lifetone HL (device to assist the hearing impaired) which in turn alerted the resident in a Coal County home.  The fire was in the kitchen and the early warning provided by the alarm allowed the occupant to safely exit the home.

The item which ignited was a towel that was found to be too close to the pilot light on a stove top.  The person who received this early warning is partially blind and hard of hearing.  The installation had been so recent to this incident that the report was actually filed before the installation report form had been processed.

This event only helps us to emphasize the fact that, "Smoke Alarms Save Lives!"  ... and SAFE Oklahoma places smoke alarms in those homes where they are most needed!

If you live in Coal, Johnston or Harmon counties and want to be a part of the SAFE Oklahoma Project,just call your local Fire Department for detailed information about this project.

Of course, you may call the OSFA at:  1-800-308-5336 for general information.

Smoke Alarms and Fire Education = SAFE Oklahoma!

It is a pleasure to report about the smoke alarm campaign, SAFE Oklahoma that is ongoing in Coal, Harmon and Johnston counties at this time.  This project is funded through FP&S Grant, No. EMW-2008-FP-02048.

SAFE Oklahoma is delivering much-needed First Alert Dual-Sensor Smoke Alarms, Lifetone Alert devices and home Fire Safety Education information at no cost to the residents of these three counties upon their request.  OSU-Fire Protection Publications (OSU-FPP) has overcome the logistical challenges of bolstering local support and identifying those folks who would be willing to serve in a leadership role as a Local Field Coordinator (LFC) for each of these counties. The patch shown to the right identifies those folks who have been trained and approved to be a part of this project.

Along with our other partners:  The Oklahoma Fire Chiefs Association; the Oklahoma State Fire Marshal; the Oklahoma State Department of Health and their regional offices; the OSFA and local Fire Departments in each county have joined together and now this project is gaining an incredible amount of momentum.  A special thanks goes out to Coalgate Fire Chief, David Holt.  He has been a major contributor in the effort in Coal County and his willingness to be a part of the project as well as his leadership has certainly added to the success we have realized!  To be fair, ALL of the Fire Departments in these three counties are to be applauded for the effort they put forth to accomplish this county-wide task!

This collective team has been working together with schools, city government, town boards, tribal governments, healthcare providers, local merchants and senior citizen organizations to get the word out about the SAFE Oklahoma project.

Quality, dual-sensor smoke alarms with a ten-year lithium battery.  Installed.  No charge!  For those with the need, a Lifetone Alert Device for folks who are hard-of-hearing or deaf.  Alarms are available for folks with vision problems or who may be blind.  The SAFE Oklahoma project delivers… for everyone who will request an alarm.

There has been a reported “save” in both Coal and Johnston Counties to date in which the resident(s) were alerted to a fire and successfully exited the structure.  This is continuing evidence of the high level of success of this project!  The team from OSU-FPP working on this project has led the SAFE Oklahoma program to set a precedent that I am confident will be recognized nationally.

We hope to build upon these successes and justify future funding for other counties in Oklahoma, especially those counties that have suffered a loss of life due to a fire in the home.  It has been a Fire Prevention standard for a long time, especially during Fire Prevention Week…. but, it is still, a good saying,

“Smoke Detectors Save Lives!

James Edwards, Grant Coordinator
405-424-1452
800-FIRE-LINE