Hispanic Firefighters Win FEMA Grant To Protect Older Adults.

Adults over 65 are more than twice as likely to die in a fire, making fire prevention and education essential to their safety. But the lack of fire safety materials in Spanish leaves Hispanic seniors especially vulnerable.

The International Association of Hispanic Firefighters (IAHF) has received a major grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to address this problem. IAHF will work with Fireproof Children/Prevention First, an international injury prevention center, to develop a training program for caregivers and community agencies working with older adults in Hispanic communities.

“Many older adults are isolated, due to living alone or to reduced mobility,” says Ron Morales, President of IAHF and Senior Inspector of the Fire-Arson Investigation Bureau of the Bridgeport, CT Fire Department. “Safety messages must be accessible where older adults already congregate, such as senior centers in their neighborhoods.”

Maria Figueroa, Director of Public Education for IAHF and a Fire Rescue Captain with the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, has conducted research on older adults at public assistance centers in Hispanic neighborhoods in ten major cities. The most prevalent fire-related problems were: unattended cooking; careless smoking; lack of properly maintained smoke alarms; bars on windows; and lack of family escape plans.

“Our training program will emphasize fire safety, and incorporate information on avoiding falls, which is another major safety issue for this age group,” explains Figueroa.

Through previous support from FEMA, IAHF has developed the Spanish language fire safety video “Mas Vale Prevenir” especially for Hispanic older adults. The video, take-home safety messages, and smoke alarms will be distributed in three cities with large Hispanic communities. The program is expected to reach 100,000 older adults.

For more information at http://www.fireproofchildren.com