‘Fire Safety House’ Simulates Emergency for Farragut Houses Residents
The FDNY took fire safety education to the next level for NYCHA youth at Brooklyn’s Farragut Houses on October 24.
Simulating a dark, smoke-filled environment, the FDNY’s mobile “Fire Safety House” aims to teach youth and other residents how to act in the event of a fire in their home. With the guidance of fire safety professionals, those navigating the simulated smokehouse are instructed to take specific actions such as crawling on the floor, keeping one hand on the wall as they move, and checking doors for heat before exiting.
The safety house visit to Farragut Houses was presented by the FDNY education unit, in partnership with NYCHA’s new Fire Safety Department, as part of community awareness events held during Fire Prevention Month in October. In addition to the smoke trailer simulation, participants were provided with informational brochures on fire prevention and smoke alarms as well as other giveaways for youth.
“The educational goal of the Fire Safety House is to reinforce the teachings conducted at the schools,” said Captain Mike Kozo of the FDNY education unit. “The Fire Safety House introduces an environment filled with smoke, imitating conditions a person would confront during a fire.”
Along with smoke machines and darkness, the safety house experience features a kitchen with simulated flames on the stove and smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to teach participants how to differentiate between alarm sounds. Farragut Houses youth and seniors were among those invited to test out the fire simulation, as a key focus of the FDNY education unit’s prevention programs is on the city’s vulnerable populations.
NYCHA Director of Fire Safety Joe Terranova noted that the safety house is a teaching tool for residents which helps to reinforce training on how to behave and respond if a fire emergency occurs.
“The focus is really on identifying hazards in your home and what to do in case of a fire emergency,” he said. “This is a big push for fire prevention, and we want to keep promoting the message that the best fire to have is the one that never starts.”
Mr. Terranova added that as youth receive firsthand training through the interactive safety house experience, they can help spread that critical knowledge on how to safely escape from a fire to the wider community.
“We’re hoping they go home and tell their families what they did,” he said.
The Fire Safety Department will work with the FDNY education unit and partners to bring the mobile smokehouse trailer to other NYCHA community events in the future.
