High-Risk Audiences
West Virginia Fire Safety Resource e-Guide Available Online
West Virginia consistently ranks among the top fifteen states in the nation for fire deaths. But many of these fires—and fatalities—don’t have to happen. To address this issue, the West Virginia State Fire Marshal's Office developed the West Virginia Fire Safety Resource e-Guide. This project was made possible by a Community-Based Initiatives (CBI) grant awarded by the West Virginia DHHR Office of Epidemiology and Health Promotion.
The e-Guide has been developed as a training tool to provide resources and guidelines to keep West Virginians safe and to create awareness around the need for fire safety and related emergency preparedness. The e-Guide addresses the specific needs of people with disabilities and older citizens.
In collaboration with the WV State Fire Marshal’s Office, the e-Guide is available on the Mountain State Centers for Independent Living’s Website www.mtstcil.org/eguide as part of their on-line skills trainings for people with disabilities. The website is also a valuable resource for families and caregivers.
Fire safety information ranging from basic everyday fire prevention to smoke alarm placement can be found on the website, along with downloadable home safety assessment checklists.The e-Guide has been developed to be maximally accessible for use by all people with disabilities by Nancy Massey of www.masseynet.com.
The e-Guide is dedicated to Joseph J. Szilvasi, one of nine people who died from smoke inhalation during the Emmons Jr. Apartment fire in Huntington, West Virginia on January 13, 2007.