Unless you've ever lost a loved one to an unexpected tragedy, you cannot relate to the traumatic impact of a house fire. On top of the extreme personal loss of loved ones comes the added burden from loss of housing, memories, financial resources and family legacies. Each year, Kentucky suffers 8.5 deaths per every 1000 fires. This is 39.3% higher than the national average of 6.1; an appalling number. 

To address this problem in Letcher County, the Extension Office teamed with the Sandlick Fire Department, the local government channel and Kentucky Farm Bureau to increase public awareness, offer practical solutions that will improve the survivability for residents, and offer resources that could save a home and a life. 

Participants learned how little time they have to evacuate, the importance of having multiple escape routes, preventative steps like smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, fire extinguishers and steps to reduce the risk of fires beginning. The program targeted the public at-large through airing on the government channel, where it reaches nearly 90,000 viewers. 

In-person participants and those who viewed it on TV who commented reported that they had no idea how little time it took a fire to incapacitate occupants (2 minutes) and how important a back-up exit was to survivors. Programs like this show that Extension cares for Kentuckians.