When a 54-year-old man collapsed during training at the Northwest Laborers-Employers Training Trust facility in Kingston this summer, three people acted quickly and decisively prior to our crews’ arrival to ensure the man’s survival.
We had the opportunity to join with the man in mid-September to recognize the trio’s willingness to act. While accepting their certificates of appreciation in a brief ceremony, all three encouraged the public to learn CPR.
The next opportunities to take a First Aid/CPR class at North Kitsap Fire and Rescue will be at 6 p.m., Oct. 18 and 19. Tuition is $40 per student, and must be paid in advance to reserve space in the class.
Breakfast a success
Thank you to the 120 people who joined us for our annual Sept. 11 breakfast this year. Your generosity was unprecedented, and we raised nearly $800 to benefit our Community Partnership Fund. The fund provides victim assistance as well as helps us to purchase safety devices.
Thanks so much.
Alarms save lives
National Fire Prevention Week is Oct. 3-9. Though we like to say that every week is a fire prevention week, we’ll take advantage of this national observance to remind you about some vital lifesaving devices because this year’s theme is “Smoke Alarms: A sound you can live with.”
Smoke alarms can mean the difference between life and death in a fire. Statistics from the National Fire Protection Association show that working smoke alarms cut the chance of dying in a fire nearly in half. But they must be working properly to do so.
The association’s data shows that many homes have smoke alarms that aren’t working or maintained properly, usually because of missing, disconnected or dead batteries.
We want everyone to know that the best protection comes from having smoke alarms on every level of the home, outside all sleeping areas and inside all bedrooms. Test smoke alarms once a month, making sure everyone in the home knows their sound. If young children are in the home, make sure they’ll wake up to the sound and treat every smoke alarm activation as an opportunity to exercise your fire escape plan.
If an alarm is “chirping,” it’s likely that the battery is low and needs to be replaced. Replace all alarms that are more than 10 years old. If you need help installing new smoke alarms or changing the batteries, call us at (360) 297-3619 to schedule an appointment; we’re happy to help ensure that you and your family are well-protected.
Escape planning
Annual Escape Planning Contest is under way. Children in participating classrooms at our local schools are working to update their families’ fire escape plans and return them to help earn a deluxe ice cream party for themselves and their peers. Complete escape plans — including two ways out of every room, one meeting place and practice — help ensure family members know exactly what to do when the smoke alarm sounds. Call us if you need an escape planning template.
Car seat checks
Free child seat checks are held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. second Saturdays at our Miller Bay Road station.
