The Douglas County Fire Department is excited to announce the newest addition to its fleet of equipment to help save lives. The latest, state of the art, fully equipped, portable Fire Safety House has arrived.
The 2016 SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) referendum funded the new house and was one of the items recommended by the Citizen Committee when the referendum was under consideration. Douglas County Fire Department’s Fire Safety Educator Sherri Yearta said, “The Fire Department wishes to offer a sincere thank you to the SPLOST committee, and especially to the citizens of Douglas County who approved this measure.”
The new Fire Safety House is much more than just a fire safety education tool and is not just for children. Features of the new house include many of the traditional fire safety features found in the recently retired fire safety house, as well as a new set of options to simulate severe weather conditions. All of the training features are fully automated so that they can be started and stopped at the touch of a button.
The new apparatus can simulate multiple fire scenarios in the kitchen and bedroom, and also reproduces conditions common to a tornado, flood, earthquake, and hurricane events. There is even a simulated television and weather radio announcement for the severe weather scenarios.
The new apparatus also has many necessary upgrades, including full accessibility for individuals in wheelchairs or with mobility issues. Everything is contained in a single level structure, so those with mobility issues can experience the entire scenario, including exit drills under simulated smoke/fire conditions.
Outside the house, there is a wide-screen television connected to the security cameras inside, allowing those waiting their turn to practice the opportunity to see what is going on inside. This is also a great tool to let parents and caregivers understand how their family members respond to the emergency scenarios.
For more information on the Fire Safety House, or to schedule a program, please contact the Douglas County Fire Department’s Fire Prevention Bureau, at 770-920-7484.
