OCR Text |
Show Fire safety for disabled Submitted by the Park City Fire Protection District It has been said there are as many disabilities as there are disabled people. Here are fire-wise tips useful to the broad spectrum of disabled Americans of all ages. Ambulatory Impairment. If you cannot move quickly, it's wise to live on the ground floor if you can. Special exit doors or ramps may be constructed to speed emergency escape. If the escape will be difficult, plan now to give yourself a head start. Call your fire department today and tell the dispatcher where you live and explain your handicap. This information can be filed for reference whenever firemen respond to your address. Buy an approved smoke detector and be sure it's properly installed and maintained. These steps give you extra minutes that could save your life if a fire starts at night. A bedside telephone is a must. Keep the fire department's number and your complete address handy. If you're trapped inside you can use the phone to call the fire department to tell them your exact location in the building -even if firefighters are already on the scene. Dispatchers will use two-way radio to guide rescuers to you. Blind. Many of the same cautions prevail. Have the fire department number in Braille near the phone or memorize it. Blind persons should plan on crawling to safety when the smoke detector sounds, on the assumption that smoke may be present. Practice this crawling escape and become familiar with the route. Hearing Impaired. The deaf and hearing impaired face two special problems when it comes to fire. They may not hear smoke detectors or cries of "Fire," and calling the fire department may be impossible. Technology has given us ingenious solutions to these problems. Smoke detectors are now available with strobe lights and other visual attention-getters. You can even equip your bed with a motorized shaker to arouse you when the detector goes off at night. Teletype and tape-recorder devices, available from the telephone company and through independent suppliers, help you report your emergency. Though there's a long way to go, tlviigs have never been better for the disabled than today. Consult with you doctor, social service worker, or lire department today for more inform, limn |