Senator James Sanders Jr. Hosts Fire Safety Session with FDNY

Senator James Sanders Jr. partnered with the FDNY to host a one-hour fire safety education session via Zoom and Facebook to help constituents arm themselves with the knowledge to escape injury and death, especially with the abundance of fire incidents plaguing the community lately, one of which ended in a firefighter fatality - the death of Jesse B. Gerhard of Ladder 143 in Rockaway.

The event, which was held on Friday, Februsry 25, 2022 was co-hosted by Assembly Members Vivian Cook and Jenifer Rajkumar and the safety demonstration was conducted by Captain Gerald Rocco of the FDNY Safety Education Unit. Captain Rocco used a number of props to illustrate safety hazard as well as prevention tools.

Hazards included overloaded power strips, improperly placed space heaters, cooking grease fires, unattended candles and cigarettes, and more. While safety tools included smoke / carbon monoxide alarms (even vibrating ones that can be placed under the ,attress for the hearing impaired, fire extinguishers, and LED candles instead of traditional ones.

After the presentation, Captain Rocco took questions from the audience. One questions that kept coming up was where to put a fire extinguisher and how to use it. As far as placement, Capatian Rocco recommented mounting the fire extinguisher to a wall in a place where it is easily visible and accessible. For usage, Captain Rocco suggested the acronym PASS, which stands for Pull, Aim, Squeeze, and Sweep.

Pull the pin -  This will allow you to discharge the extinguisher.

Aim at the base of the fire  - If you aim at the flames (which is frequently the temptation), the extinguishing agent will fly right through and do no good. You want to hit the fuel.

Squeeze the top handle or lever - This depresses a button that releases the pressurized extinguishing agent in the extinguisher.

Sweep from side to side - until the fire is completely out. Start using the extinguisher from a safe distance away, then move forward. Once the fire is out, keep an eye on the area in case it re-ignites.

"I am determined to do something about the fires that have occurred in my district because keeping our citizens safe is my top priority," Senator Sanders said. "I have joined the American Red Cross for their Sound the Alarm campaign as they are installing free smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors and developing family escape plans in high-risk neighborhoods. Did you know seven people die every day in a home fire? It’s true."

If you do not have a working smoke alarm or carbon monoxide detector, please go to the link below and fill out the form to get a free smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector installed in your home. https://tinyurl.com/y28zx5fs

For those of you who do not have Internet access, you can call Senator Sanders' office at 718-523-3069 or 718-327-7017 and we will assist you in setting up an appointment to get a free smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector installed in your home.

 Home fires are so dangerous that they claim more lives in a typical year than all natural disasters combined, according to the Red Cross. However, working smoke alarms can cut the risk of dying in a home fire by half. The sooner an alarm alerts you to a fire, the sooner you can get out. This is critical because you may have as little as two minutes to escape a burning home before it is too late. Heating equipment is a leading cause of fires in U.S. homes, according to the National Fire Protection Association.