Prevention

Firefighters In Safety Education (FISE)

The Fire & Burn Foundation has teamed with the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation to bring their in-school program, FISE, to the Inland Empire. The goal of FISE is to bring burn prevention to "each child, each year" in schools and in the students' native languages. The FISE program is a 30-minute presentation taught by firefighters who volunteer to be trained and to bring lifesaving information to their communities.  

The FISE curriculum teaches 7 key skills:

  • Stop, Drop & Roll - the most effective method of extinguishing a fire on the body.
  • Cool-A-Burn - corrects misinformation learned by children in many households. Burns are best treated by cool water for 3-5 minutes. 
  • Crawl Low & Go - teaches kids to drop under the smoke of a fire to find an exit.
  • Hug a Firefighter - teaches students what a firefighter looks like in full gear, including facemask and oxygen tank. During a fire, young children have exhibited fear when approached by a firefighter and have been shown to run from emergency personnel and hide.
  • Smoke Alarm - a demonstration and reminder to change batteries, as well as, current requirements for households. 
  • Toys vs. Tools - encourages students to consider matches and lighters as adult tools rather than toys.
  • 9-1-1 - Students are taught when and how to dial 9-1-1 from their home phones and to stay on the line with the dispatcher. 

If you are an elementary school educator or parent, please call us at 909-580-6339 to schedule a FISE visit today!

 

Volunteer Opportunity:

We are accepting volunteers for the FISE program. If you are a member of a fire agency within Riverside, San Bernardino, Mono or Inyo Counties, please contact Jessica Marquez at 909-580-6339. 

Honey Oil Danger

California Fire Departments, the Fire & Burn Foundation and burn prevention organizations in the state, are hoping to publicize the growing danger of so-called, “Honey Oil.”

Honey Oil, (also called BHO/Butane Hash Oil, Weed Oil, and Dab among other names) is a residue created when parts of the marijuana plant are soaked in a solvent, or blasted with butane gas. The result is a substance consumed by smoking, eating, or vaporizing. It produces an extremely potent high but the process of making it is extraordinarily dangerous. 

The solvents and gases used to produce Honey Oil are extremely flammable. Clothing becomes saturated with the vapors and can easily ignite, causing severe and fatal burns. Only 300 milliliters of ignited butane vapors can reach 3,500-degrees Fahrenheit. About 10-ounces has enough explosive force to blow up a room. Fumes from the processing can cause a blast capable destroying a 3-bedroom home. Neighboring homes are obviously at risk.

While the health and safety risks of smoking marijuana are debatable, there is NO safe method for producing Honey Oil.  Unfortunately, the paraphernalia necessary to create it are legal, and easily obtained.

In Colorado, in 2014, there were 32 explosions from the manufacturing of Honey Oil. The Sacramento Bee reports that Shriners Hospital for Children in Northern California has treated nearly 70 victims for Honey Oil related burns and the average child was burned on nearly 30-percent of their body.  Reports tell us in one recent 14-month period, some 20 “cooks” and bystanders were treated at burn centers in Southern California for catastrophic injuries, a toll worse than from meth labs.

You need to be aware of the risks, and be on the lookout for materials that indicate Honey Oil manufacturing. For example, 300 ML cans of refined butane in any quantity. These are marketed for the refilling of cigarette lighters. Look for canisters in bedrooms, and E-cigarette vapor pens which are used to smoke Honey Oil. PVC pipe and glass tubes are used for extraction. A Pyrex-type dish is used to capture the product.  

Even if family members are not involved, someone close by could be. Laws have been proposed that would make manufacturing the drug in residential neighborhoods an aggravated felony. Butane is odorless; a requirement to add a smell could tip off residents that it’s being made. Limiting its sale and possession could help stall manufacturing. Unfortunately, legislative efforts have stalled in Sacramento. Public pressure on the Governor’s Office, State Senate and Assembly could help turn that legislation into law.

 

See our Quick Reference Flyer below!

HoneyOilFL.pdf

Smoke Alarm Safety

Working smoke alarms can make a life-saving difference in a fire. The Fire & Burn Foundation, along with firefighters and safety advocates nationwide, is always working to remind local residents about the importance of having working smoke alarms in the home and testing them monthly. 

According to the latest NFPA research, working smoke alarms cut the chance of dying in a fire by half. Meanwhile, almost two-thirds of home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.  In a fire, seconds count.  Roughly half of home fire deaths result from fires reported at night between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. when most people are asleep. Home smoke alarms can alert people to a fire before it spreads, giving everyone enough time to get out.

Click on the flyer below to learn how to use smoke alarms to protect your family and home.   

SmokeAlarms.pdf

Public Education Programs

Preventing a burn injury is less expensive than treating a burn injury. Therefore, fire and burn prevention education remains at the forefront of the Fire & Burn Foundation's overall mission. Each year, the Foundation provides fire and burn prevention literature in English and Spanish to thousands of children and adults. All materials are available at no charge to schools, businesses, service clubs, senior citizen groups, childcare classes and parent groups.

For more information on available literature call the Fire & Burn Foundation at (909) 580-6339.

About Us

The Fire & Burn Foundation is a 501 (c) 3 California nonprofit health agency. The agency is governed by an all-volunteer Board of Directors, all elected by the process stated in agency by-laws.

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