(Slide 1)	Fire Safety Solutions for Oklahomans with Disabilities
Nancy Trench
Milissa Gofourth
(Slide 2)	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MN5C8taVqqI
(Slide 3) 	Facts
•	More people die in home fires than in tornadoes in Oklahoma 
•	More people die in home fires across the United States than in all other disasters combined
•	Physical disabilities are a factor in 14% of fire deaths in U.S.
•	Death rate is 15 per million population for people with disabilities
•	Death rate is 9 per million population 
(Slide 4) 	The Oklahoma Program
•	FEMA Funded (Assistance to Firefighter Grants)
•	Statewide
•	No income requirement
•	No cost to the consumer
•	$400 worth of equipment per household
•	Pay trained installers
•	Program does not install in licensed facilities
•	Program Contact Information should the equipment malfunction
(Slide 5) 	Serving People with Disabilities with Smoke Alarm Installations
•	Engage people with disabilities – what do you want to know about home fires and HOW?
•	It takes time to develop a true partnership in trustworthiness 
•	Once ASL Interpreters began to recommend the program
•	All materials in alternate formats, Braille, Audio, Large Print, ASL DVD, HTML, etc.
•	If requested always provided paid ASL interpreters
(Slide 6) 	Partnerships
•	Home Fire Safety Technical Partner(s)
•	Always inform the local fire department, the level of engagement varies community to community
•	State Fire Marshall 
•	State Fire Training Services
•	Disability Advocates/Organization
•	Assistive Technology Act program in your state
•	Rehabilitation agency
•	Center for Independent Living
•	Community-based organizations
(Slide 7) 	Building a Partnership for Success
•	Research Funding Sources – know the requirements
•	Federal and State Agency
•	Local Programs
•	Foundations and Insurance Providers
•	Red Cross 
•	Create a Compelling Story – Why do People with Disabilities need appropriate equipment
•	Plan the Doable
(Slide 8) 	Involve People with Disabilities
•	Nothing about Us Without Us – the Disability Partner formed Focus Groups 
•	Deaf/Hearing Loss
•	Blind/Low Vision
•	Mobility
•	Cognitive
•	Lessons Learned 
•	Modify common home fire safety messages - not all messages work for all
•	Created a DVD in ASL
(Slide 9) 		Marketing
•	News Release
•	Television/Radio Interview
•	Websites
•	Social Media
•	Events
•	Silent Dinners
•	Health Fairs
•	Conference Presentations/Booths
•	Satisfied Consumers
(Slide 10) 	Program Components
•	Traditional canvassing door-to-door smoke alarm installation does not work to serve people with disabilities 
•	Application based program
•	It provides programmatic information as to who is served
•	Eligibility determines proof of disability
•	Arrange for home installation appointment
•	Formal Agreements with paid trained installers
(Slide 11) 	Trained Installers
•	Serving people with disabilities (4 hours)
•	Social Etiquette 
•	People First Language
•	Working with ASL Interpreters & service animals 
•	Smoke Alarm & Alert Equipment Installation (3 hours)
•	The right alarm in the right place makes a difference
•	Bedside alert device set-up and sync
•	Home Safety Messages
(Slide 12) 	Program Evaluation
•	Critical to collect both qualitative and quantitative data
•	Change in behavior
•	Satisfaction level
•	Respond to feedback – especially if an alarm malfunctions
•	Regular Partner meetings 
•	Evaluate timeliness and effectiveness
•	Outreach
•	Installations
•	Changes and improvements
(Slide 13) 	Quality Assurance 
•	Install Alarms – Giving Away is NOT effective
•	One is Not Enough – NFPA Standards
•	Install 2 Types of Alarms
•	Photoelectric – smoldering or dense smoke fires
•	Ionization – fast flaming fires 
•	Prevent Nuisance Alarms – location, location, location
•	Replace Old Alarms - Smoke alarms are only functional for 10 years
(Slide 14) 	Fire Deaths Occur at Night
•	Smoke alarms save lives because they alert people to a fire
•	Smoke alarms are on duty detecting smoke 24/7
•	Deadly home fires occur while people are sleeping, so the primary emphasis is: Smoke alarms need to intercept smoke from a fire before the smoke reaches sleeping people
•	The smoke alarm must wake people. The standard smoke alarm sound does not wake some people. They need to be alerted with a low frequency sound and a bed shaker (tactile alert)
(Slide 15) 	Install Bedside Alert Devices
•	People who are deaf and people who are hard of hearing need an alert device to awake them
•	Alert devices are NOT smoke alarms, they listen for the smoke alarm alert sound to activate
•	The alert device makes a low frequency sound and a shakes the bed
•	Check for the UL or ETL listing
(Slide 16) 	Lifetone & SafeAwake
•	(Picture of a Lifetone)
•	Picture of a SafeAwake)
(Slide 17) 	Smoke Alarm for People Who are Deaf
•	(Picture of a Gentex)
(Slide 18) 	In the Home
•	Installers need to take the time to train the resident(s) on how to operate and test the alarm and alert device
•	Discuss and plan to practice the family fire escape
•	Provide additional Fire Safety information – How to Prevent a Home Fire
(Slide 19) 	Replicate the Oklahoma Program
•	Application
•	Home Fire Safety Materials
•	2 Training Program Curriculums 
•	Follow-up Survey 
•	2 DVDs
•	Home Fire Safety for YOU – Presented in American Sign Language
•	Meet Natalea – Retrofit Home Fire Sprinkler System
https://www.ok.gov/abletech/Fire_Safety/index.html
(Slide 20) Contact
Nancy Trench
ntrench@osufpp.org
Milissa Gofourth
milissa.gofourth@okstate.edu