HARLINGEN — In an episode of “The Office,” after smoke begins to fill the room everyone panics and forgets the fire exit procedure.
Could that happen to your family?
Starting this month, the Harlingen Fire Department will be making sure homeowners have an excellent fire exit strategy in the event a house fire breaks out and the family needs to move fast.
At a recent city meeting, Harlingen Mayor Chris Boswell proclaimed Oct. 8 to 17 as Fire Prevention Week throughout the city.
“I urge all the people of Harlingen to develop a home fire escape plan,” Boswell said. “And practice it twice a year.”
For Fire Prevention Week 2017 “Every Second Counts,” the Harlingen firefighters will be out educating the public about the vital importance of developing a home fire escape plan.
Richard Alvarez, Harlingen fire prevention officer, accepted a resolution from the mayor proclaiming Fire Prevention Week this month.
“We will be out there starting on the week of the 8th teaching families and visiting schools,” Alvarez said. “We encourage families to practice with their child.”
The resolution states, today’s homes are built with lightweight material that burn faster than older homes. And many of today’s home finishing products make it impossible to see and breath within moments.
“People have as little as one to two minutes to escape from the time the fire alarm sounds,” Bowell said. “A home fire escape plan provides the skill set and know how to quickly escape a home fire situation.”
According to the resolution, a good home fire safety plan has two exits at each side of a home, a path to get outside the home, smoke alarms and a meeting place outside the home for everyone to meet upon exiting.
Boswell said Harlingen first responders are dedicated to reducing home fires and home fire injuries.
“A home fire escape plan should be practiced by all members of a household,” Boswell said.
