Smoke Alarm Day! Smoke detectors save lives

fire preventionNov. 13, 2015 is Smoke Alarm Day, the U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart Directorate of Emergency Services Fire Department will be onsite all day at the Exchange on Panzer Kaserne to answer questions and give out information on fire prevention and safety.

As even just a few inhalations of smoke from a fire can be fatal, a smoke detector is the best lifesaving device you can have in your home. Two thirds of all victims of fires have been surprised at night while asleep. The loud smoke detector alarm therefore warns you of a fire even if you are sleeping so that you can get yourself and your family to safety and call the fire brigade.

Since January 1, 2015 Smoke Alarms are required by Law in all residential occupancies, all housing on-post is equipped with fire alarm systems that are tested regularly. In most German states, owners and landlords are legally obliged to fit their homes with smoke detectors.

Emergency number: 112

The fire brigade and rescue services (ambulance/emergency doctor) can be called around the clock on the
emergency number 112. The police can be called on 110. If you hear an automatic recorded message, do not hang up; someone will be on the line in a moment. What language do I need to speak when I call 112?

If you do not speak German, you can also provide the necessary information in English. Please learn or write down the most important sentences for an emergency call if there is a fire in your home or on the stairwell:

There’s a fire … Es brennt …
… in my home … in der Wohnung
on the stairwell … im Treppenhaus
There are people injured … Es gibt Verletzte
I live at … (address) … Ich wohne … (Adresse)

Help to prevent fires and their consequences!
Most fires in homes can be prevented by observing a few important rules:
• Never leave candles or open fires unattended
• Never smoke in bed
• Do not store flammable items, pushchairs or similar in stairwells or cellar corridors as these are popular with arsonists
• Never conduct work on electrical cables or similar without proper knowledge of what you are doing
• Never cover lamps or electric heaters with fabric items – these can burn
• Tell your family what to do in the event of a fire
• Install smoke detectors as warning devices. In most German states, the installation and maintenance of smoke detectors in private households is now required by law
• Never park on fire brigade access routes or in areas for the fire brigade

Click here to download the Fire Safety Information guide.

For more information, call DSN: 430-2065/civ. 0711-680-2065, or visit www.rauchmelder-lebensretter.de.