(NAPSA)—If you or someone you care about is among the approximately 47 million Americansover 65—or hopes to be someday—there could be good news for you. Many older Americans may live lon- ger, safer lives thanks to recent research indicating that elderly adults have the greatest risk of fire death and the subsequent grant awarded to the Electrical b A government grant wi ManagementAgencyto support fire prevention andsafety efforts, prioritizing ESFIwill distribute additional materials through Community Action Agen- help spreadthe word to older Americans about how to reducetheir risk of Grant comes from the Department of fire danger. Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Safety Foundation International (ESFI). This prestigious Fire Prevention & Safety programs aimed at high-risk popula: cies (CAAs) as well as various Rebuild- tion dedicated exclusively to promoting the importance ofelectrical safety. adults in places with the highest rates of fire deaths. “Raising awareness among the most at-risk populationsis crucial to preventing homefires, fire deaths and related tions, The ESFIis a nonprofit organi: With funding from the grant, ESET developed a new older adult safety campaign consisting ofvideo and radio pub- lic service announcements, infographics and brochures. This multifaceted home fire safety awareness program will equip at-risk older adults and their communities with knowledgeto help prevent the leading causes of homefires: cooking equipment, heating equipmentandelectrical equipment. For example, it advises everyone, especially older adults, to have both smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. Place the alarms inside each bedroom, outside each sleeping area andon everylevel of your home. Don't put alarms near windows or ducts, wheredrafts mightinterfere with their effectiveness, and keep thematleast 10 feet away from cooking appliances to minimizefalse alarms. Test the devices at least once a month and change the batteries at least once a year. Replace the device every 10years. If you have difficulty hearing, you can get alarms that give off low-pitched sounds or vibrations. ing Together affiliates to reach older injuries,’ said ESFIPresident Brett Bren- ner.“This year, we're working with CAAs that work directly with these populations to ensure that we educate even the hardest-to-reach groups and decrease their vulnerability to homefires” ‘This is the sixth year that ESFI has received the grant. In the past, ESFI used the fundsto directly affect more than 3.4 million children andtheir families by distributing classroom toolkits that were mailed to schools and given to ESFI’s nationwide networkofsafety advocates. ESFI engages in public education campaigns throughout the year to increase awarenessofthe steps that can be takento preventelectricalfires, injuries and fatalities in the home, school and workplace. Learn More To explore the resources created by this grant, and for furtherfacts and tips about ESFI andelectrical safety, visit wwwesfi.org.
