Hudgens Urges Fire Safety For Older Adults

Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner Ralph Hudgens is urging Georgians to be fire resilient following multiple fatal house fires involving our older adult residents over the last several days.

Hudgens said the state has had four older adults die in separate house fires in Georgia since May 28, and all of the victims were over age of 69.

He said his office is asking families, friends and neighbors to keep an eye on older residents in their community, especially regarding fire safety.

The four deaths, included, an 87-year-old woman in DeKalb County and two sisters ages 69 and 73 in Cobb County on May 31. In Gwinnett County, a 71-year-old man died on May 25.

So far, fire has claimed the lives of 67 Georgians in 2016.

Hudgens said older adults make up a disproportionate number of the state’s fire victims for a variety of reasons.

According to Hudgens, they may lack the mobility to escape a fire.

Also, he said many older people are security-conscious, and install burglar bars around windows and doors, decreasing the likelihood of a break-in, but also making it more difficult to exit the home, and making it harder for firefighters to get inside to battle a fire.

The Commissioner said smoke alarms are especially essential for older adults and reminds people to make sure that the batteries are checked and replaced regularly.

Finally, Hudgens said each household should have a well-rehearsed family escape plan, with at least two exit paths for every room. Older adults need to plan an escape route that they can easily utilize in case of an emergency.

He said anyone with questions about how to create a fire escape plan can contact their local fire department or call Commissioner Hudgens’ Fire Safety Education Division at 800-656-2298.