Happy Holidays Fort Myers Beach, San Carlos Island and surrounding areas!
By MATT LOVE
We conclude “The Fire Marshal’s Twelve Days of Christmas” with
On the ninth day of Christmas the Fire Marshal gave to me, nine coloring pencils to develop a home safety plan for my visiting loved ones:
Knowing two ways out of every room in the house is important for families to discuss, plan, and practice.
Drawing a rough sketch of the home can help engage kids and parents in a discussion of what to do in case of fire, as everyone, despite age, should have a home safety plan.
Key points of a home fire safety plan include:
Parents should teach children their home address, and how to call 911
- Never return inside a burning structure, call 911 from outside of the structure whenever possible.
- Remember to roll out of bed and crawl low under smoke. Standing up in the smoke can expose us to life threatening heat.
- “Close before you doze” All occupants should sleep with bedroom doors closed, and if awakened by a smoke detector, check the door for heat.
Homes with second or third story bedrooms are encouraged to obtain emergency egress ladders, deployable from windows.
On the tenth day of Christmas the Fire Marshal gave to me, ten USB flash drives to start preparing for 2019 Hurricane Season:
With Santa almost here, it may seem odd to start thinking about the 2019 Hurricane Season, however, June 1st is not far away!
The loss of critical data such as birth certificates, identification, marriage licenses, auto registrations, and insurance policies can be devastating after a disaster and delay getting assistance.
USB flash drives are an easy, cost-effective way to back-up personal data.
In addition, flash drives provide a quick method to protect photographs, which can become a casualty in a rapid evacuation.
Recommendations to be storm smart with data include:
- Store hard copies of important documents in one location.
- Scan critical documents and upload to a USB flash drive in a safe and secure alternative location.
Photographs can be scanned at many commercial locations and uploaded to a USB flash drive.
Evacuees may have little time, it is important to pre-stage all evacuation items to allow for prompt attention to Emergency Management Officials instructions.
Keep a list of current medications with you.
Complete a File of Life with all pertinent medical history and contacts.
On the eleventh day of Christmas the Fire Marshal gave to me, eleven pill organizers for my visiting older loved ones:
As we age, it is not unusual for us to take several medications a day, and it can become easy to forget a scheduled dose.
– If a loved one does not have a File of Life, get one!
– Assist loved ones with a list and dosage schedule for medications, and post it on the refrigerator in large print that can easily be referenced without reading glasses.
– Keep a personal list of current prescriptions with you.
These simple tips will help our loved ones in maintaining health and wellness for years to come!
On the twelfth day of Christmas, the Fire Marshal gave to me, twelve individual packs of sunscreen:
As we enjoy holiday festivities and the wonderful Florida winter, it is easy to forget to protect the largest organ in the human body, our skin!
– Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer diagnosed in America.
– Nearly 90% of melanoma is thought to be caused by exposure to ultra-violet light.
– Protect exposed skin at all times with at least an SPF 30 sunscreen.
– Use hats to shield sensitive skin on the nose, ears, and neck.
– Always protect your skin no matter the weather condition, even on cloudy days, the sun’s harmful rays can provide a serious burn to the skin.
Your Fort Myers Beach Fire Department Team is dedicated to Shaping Our Community Through Excellence. If you are interested in these services or any others offered by the Fort Myers Beach Fire Department, please call us at (239) 590-4200, email us at info@FMBFire.org, or visit us on the web at www.FMBFire.org. You can also subscribe to the Fire Chief’s “Scoop” to stay up to date on weekly activity!
Thank you for your support and make it a safe day!
-Matt Love
FMBFD Fire Chief