Westport firefighters offer essential tips for avoiding dorm room fires ahead of fall semester
If your kids are still in grade school, Marsan has an assignment for your family, in the case of a fire emergency.
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As students prepare to move into colleges across the state soon, firefighters in Westport want to make sure they keep some things in mind.
"Every year, there's unfortunately 100 to 150 students that perish across the country due to fires in dorms and off-campus housing,” says Westport Deputy Fire Chief Nick Marsan.
So, if a fire breaks out, it’s important to have an evacuation plan.
"If you're on the second or third floor, there's more than one way out you could use if you have to get out of the building,” says Marsan.
Marsan also says students should be careful when using extension cords.
"It's really important to make sure there's enough electrical outlets for all of the students' electronics, because sometimes there can be fires when you overload extension cords,” says Marsan.
And when it comes to cooking and smoking, he says to look for housing that has rules that prohibit hot plates, open flames, smoking and vaping.
If your kids are still in grade school, Marsan has an assignment for your family, in the case of a fire emergency.
“Have a safe way out, a safe place to meet,” he says. "That goes as far as communicating with the adult partners to see who's going to get who if children can't get out of the house themselves."
Marsan also reminded that once you ’re out of a fire situation safely, do not go back in for anyone else — leave it to the fire department.
