To date, Sapulpa has experienced more than 50 home fires this year. David Taylor, Fire Chief with the Sapulpa Fire Department, encourages area residents and families to attend a free Fire Safety and Prevention workshop in October.
“We will cover several topics, including Stop Drop and Roll, how to locate a fire exit in your home and setting a location of a meeting place in the event of a fire. We’ll also discuss basic fire safety, cooking fires, and general prevention tips.”
“We will also have forms available for free smoke alarms,” Taylor continued. “The Sapulpa Fire Department will make arrangements to properly install these in Sapulpa homes. The Sapulpa Fire Department will have a Fire Truck on location for children of all ages to tour,” he added.
This free Fire Safety and Prevention workshop is Thursday, October 22, 5:30pm in the Library Annex, 15 North Poplar Street in Sapulpa. This workshop is open to the public; children must be accompanied by an adult. Space is limited, to register, please call 918-224-9647.
“According to a ProLiteracy survey, most fire safety information is written at a 6th to 11th grade reading level,” said Melissa Struttmann, Executive Director for Creek County Literacy Program. “With approximately 90 million adults in the U.S. reading at or below Level 2 – they have very little chance of being exposed to appropriate fire safety information. This puts them at risk, as well as their families, neighbors, and the firefighters who serve their communities.”
Many families regularly check to ensure their smoke alarms work and replace the batteries as part of a yearly routine. They also regularly review and update the home escape plans their families will use in case of an emergency. However, for adults with low literacy in the United States, the informational materials that promote these basic safety measures may be too difficult to read, leaving those adults and their families at an alarmingly high risk of fire-related injury and death.
This Fire Safety and Prevention Presentation is a health literacy project of Creek County Literacy Program supported by the Oklahoma Department of Libraries with funds under the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. For more information or to register, call 918-224-9647.
