An increasing number of fire department’s have been trying to include the deaf, hard of hearing and deaf/blind communities in their fire prevention and safety plans. Many have applied for 2010 Fire Prevention and Safety Grants through FEMA. This will ensure that accessible smoke alarms are distributed to those that need them. Tragically, there continue to be fire fatalities involving these underserved populations. Accessible smoke alarms will curb this trend, but these devices are very costly when purchased individually and they are only part of the solution. Education and training programs continue to be a highly effective way to provide fire prevention and safety information to these individuals, but few fire education professionals know how to provide a truly accessible program. CEPIN (Community Emergency Preparedness Information Newtork) has been a FEMA training partner since 2004, developing and delivering DHS-approved workshops on emergency and disaster preparedness for the deaf, hard of hearing and deaf/blind. These workshops are run with the cooperation and participation of fire, police, emergency management and EMS personnel. These responders take away a better understanding of the unique issues facing the deaf, hard of hearing and deaf/blind communities when it comes to fire emergencies and disasters. Custom tailored Advisory function |
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NEW ! Fire Fatalities and the Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Deaf/Blind |