The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 2014 Remembering When™: A Fire and Fall Prevention Program for Older Adults conference will be held June 4-6 at the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas, Nev. NFPA will award scholarships to teams from up to 25 communities to attend. These teams of two will be made up of representatives of fire departments and home visit agencies across the United States and Canada and will discuss best practices regarding outreach to older adults through group presentations and home visits. Fire departments are asked to partner with an agency whose main outreach to older adults is through home visits.
According to NFPA statistics, adults aged 65 and older are twice as likely to be killed in a home fire compared to the general population, and falls are the leading cause of death from injuries to those in the same age group. NFPA hosts this conference annually as part of its ongoing effort to help reduce fires and falls among older adults.
The Remembering When program was developed by NFPA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to help older adults live safely at home for as long as possible. Together, NFPA and CDC created 16 key safety messages – eight fire prevention and eight fall prevention – to help educate and protect the most vulnerable of older adults.
Each year, NFPA awards scholarships to establish partnerships between fire departments and home visit agencies for the implementation of Remembering When at the local level. To be considered for a scholarship award to attend this conference, submit an application no later than March 10. Teams who are awarded the scholarship will receive air travel, lodging at the Luxor, meals during the conference, and training all free of charge. The program now includes updated statistics and trivia questions, a modern look to appeal to younger, active seniors, and is also available as a free download at www.nfpa.org/rememberingwhen.
During the conference, participants will be trained to perform group presentations for older adults to teach them about fire and fall risk reduction strategies, along with tips on how to include Remembering When components into home visits. The home visits allow the program to be personalized for each client’s unique safety needs in the home.
NFPA is a worldwide leader in fire, electrical, building, and life safety. The mission of the international nonprofit organization founded in 1896 is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating consensus codes and standards, research, training, and education. NFPA develops more than 300 codes and standards to minimize the possibility and effects of fire and other hazards. All NFPA codes and standards can be viewed at no cost at www.nfpa.org/freeaccess.
