With support from the Westfield Fire Department and The Westfield News, the Westfield Council on Aging is once again launching its annual “Retire the Fire!” fire prevention and safety campaign for the city’s older adults. During the entire month of March, city residents are reminded that fire safety for Westfield’s older adults is a personal, family, and community effort.

The following checklist might be helpful in assessing an older adult’s overall basic safety.

• Are there house numbers on the home that are easily visible to first responders in case of an emergency? Are there smaller house numbers on the mailbox?

• Are there smoke and carbon monoxide detectors on each level of the home?

• Are rooms in the home free of excessive clutter which create a fire hazard and hinder clear pathways for first responders?

• Are the stove and oven used only for cooking and not storage of kitchen items and the display of knickknacks?

• Are electrical outlets used properly without overload?

• Does each older adult in the home have a completed and updated “File of Life” packet prominently displayed on the refrigerator?

• Has a FRIEND form been completed and submitted to the Council on Aging staff for any older adult living in the home who is physically or cognitively compromised?

File of Life packets are available at the Westfield Senior Center. The File of Life is a personal medical home file prepared for emergency first responders and is meant to provide quick and easy access to an individual’s basic medical information. It is a red magnetic plastic folder that can be kept on the refrigerator for speedy access in the event of an emergency. The file contains important personal information regarding health and emergency contacts in the event that the person in need is unable to give that information to first responders. The Westfield Senior Center File of Life packet also contains a smaller, non-magnetic size that should be carried in a purse or wallet for use when away from home.

For those who already have a File of Life, it is important to update the information contained in the packet. Medications, medical providers, street address, telephone number, medical history, or emergency contacts might have changed since the File of Life information card was originally completed. In an emergency, seconds count. An accurately completed File of Life packet could save an older adult’s life.

Westfield’s First Responder Informative Extra Needs Directive, or FRIEND, provides information to first responders about the person in need, prior to their arriving on the scene. It is helpful for first responders to know ahead of time if the person in distress has Alzheimer’s disease, a dementia diagnosis, memory loss, or cognitive limitations as well as hearing, visual or mobility challenges. Completed FRIEND forms are given to Westfield’s public safety departments so that information on the form can be entered into the 911 data system. FRIEND forms are available at the Westfield Senior Center greeter’s desk.

Educating the public about fire prevention and safety specifically geared toward older adults is crucial to the success of the Retire the Fire! program. Toward that end, The Westfield News will publish a series of articles throughout the week on those topics that are most pertinent to this unique population.

The effectiveness of the Retire the Fire! program is also dependent upon community involvement. Take the time to check on your older relative, friend or neighbor. Volunteer to pick up a new smoke detector for them and help to install it. Any smoke detector that was installed more than 10 years ago must be replaced. Make gift-giving practical with new smoke and carbon monoxide detectors for birthdays, anniversaries, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. If we work together, we can all help to “Retire the Fire!”

This is the first in a series of five “Retire the Fire!” articles to be printed daily this week in The Westfield News. Tina Gorman is the executive director of the Senior Center at 45 Noble St., Westfield. To reach the Senior Center, call 413-562-6435.

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