Page 8 - October - December, 2018 CityLine

Look. Listen. Learn.
by Tanja Tanner, City of Goodyear Community Education Coordinator
Today’s home fires burn faster than ever. In a typical home fire,
you may have as little as one to two minutes to escape safely from
the time the smoke alarm sounds. Knowing how to use that time
wisely takes planning and practice.
The Goodyear Fire Department is teaming up with the National
Fire Protection Association (NFPA)—the official sponsor of Fire
Mindful Recycling Makes a Prevention Week™ for more than 90 years—to promote this year’s
Measurable Diff erence Fire Prevention Week campaign: Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware. Fire
by Laila Amerman, Waste Management can happen anywhere™, which works to educate the public about
basic but essential ways to quickly and safely escape a home fire.
When it comes to recycling, going green is great. Striving to be
greener is even better. NFPA statistics show that the number of U.S. home fires has been
steadily declining over the past few decades. However, the death
Last year, Litchfield Park’s recycling program diverted approximately rate per 1000 home fires that are reported to fire departments was
10 percent of the community’s overall waste, or 600,000 pounds 10 percent higher in 2016 than in 1980.
of materials from going to landfills. This is a commendable
feat, but there’s potential to recycle so much more. Conservative LOOK for places fire could start. Take a good look around
estimates suggest that 30 percent of the waste stream from homes your home. Identify potential fire hazards and address them. If
is recyclable. necessary, have a qualified professional correct hazards.

Consider if you and your neighbors increase your recycling efforts LISTEN for the sound of the smoke alarm. You could have only
by 5 percent during 2019 to divert 15 percent of your waste. This minutes to escape safely once the smoke alarm sounds. Go to your
would keep an additional 300,000 pounds of material out of outside meeting place, which should be a safe distance from the
landfills and save 720,666 gallons of water, which is enough to home and where everyone should meet.
meet the daily needs of 9,608 people. LEARN two ways out of every room. Make sure all doors and

All it takes is a mindful effort. Focus on placing all your empty windows leading outside open easily and are free of clutter.
bottles, cans, paper, and cardboard loosely (not bagged) in your Working Smoke Alarms Save Lives
curbside cart. Be sure everyone in your home, including holiday
visitors, knows the recycling rules, so all can contribute. • Smoke alarms detect and alert people to a fire in the early
stages. Smoke alarms can mean the difference between life
Holiday shopping and shipping offer more opportunities to recycle and death in a fire.
right. Remember:
• Working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in a home fire in half.
• Remove any plastic wrap or foam packing materials before
recycling empty cardboard boxes. • Install smoke alarms in every sleeping room, outside each
separate sleeping area, and on every level of the home,
• Return plastic bags to a grocery store for recycling or reuse including the basement.
them on your next trip. Keep plastic bags and bagged materials
out of your curbside cart. • Test smoke alarms at least once a month using the test button.

It all adds up. Interested in recycling but not sure where to start? • Make sure everyone in the home understands the sound of
Choose one household item to recycle – something you dispose of the smoke alarm and knows how to respond.
frequently. For example, commit to recycle all your plastic water
bottles or every metal soup can.
Every one of us makes a difference when we recycle an aluminum
can, plastic bottle, cardboard box, or yesterday’s newspaper. If we
all become mindful and recycle a little bit more in 2019, it will
make a measurable difference for the entire community. Waste
Management appreciates the opportunity to be a part of your
community. Together, we can accomplish great things.
For more information, visit: https://recycleoftenrecycleright.com.

8 | Oct-Dec 2018 Issue litchfi eld-park.org