Divisions

Outreach

Fire and Fall Prevention for Seniors

Older adults, especially those 65 and over, face increased health and safety risks like fire-related injuries due to impairments and living conditions. Falls are a major concern, being the leading cause of injuries. Recovery challenges and financial burdens add complexity. Therefore, emphasizing safety and ensuring appropriate living conditions are crucial in reducing risks for seniors.

Facts

• At age 65, older adults are twice as likely as the population at large to be killed or injured by fires. By age 75, that risk increases to three times that of the general population—and to four times by age 85.
• One in three older adults will experience a fall, sending an average 1 in 17 to the emergency department each year in the US.
• There was a 35% increase in invalid assists (also known as lift assists) from 2014 to 2017. Fire service now attend more falls than fires among older adults.* (*NFPA Applied Research)

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Steps to Safety™ Prevent Fire and Falls at Home program was created by NFPA to educate older adults about home fire and fall safety. Steps to Safety™ is centered around 16 key safety messages—eight fire prevention and eight fall prevention—developed by experts from national and local safety organizations across the US and Canada.

Senior Fire Safety (VIDEO)

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This video covers safety measures seniors can take to prevent fires, falls and accidents. A 10-minute video illustrating household hazards and how to reduce them is shown. Presenter highlights several key issues on the video followed by a question & answer session designed to address the needs and concerns related to older citizens. Cinder helps emphasize and demonstrates some of these issues. (30minutes).

WATCH THE HCFMO SENIOR FIRE SAFETY VIDEO NOW

Additional Smoke Alarm Resources

NFPA.org

U.S. Fire Administration