Kare11
How to make a fire safety plan for your family
Saint Paul Deputy Chief Roy Mokosso says it starts with having smoke alarms.
SAINT PAUL, Minn. — The St. Paul Fire Department typically responds to more than 60,000 calls a year.
But officials say that 2024 has gotten off to a difficult start. In January alone, five people died following fires.
Four of those people – all of whom were young children – died after a house fire in St. Paul in early January. We first reported it on KARE 11 Sunrise.
Investigators believe an unattended candle started the fire. Crews that responded to the scene that day say they’re still processing what happened.
“They’re going to say they’re good, right? We’re good. We’re fine. We’re ready to go again,” said St. Paul Fire Chief Butch Inks. “But it’s something they will think about the rest of their career.”
Officials say if there’s a fire at your home, you only have about 3 minutes to get out, so you must have a well-thought-out escape plan.
“Some people are doing it, some people are not doing it, and so that creates a challenge,” Inks said.
Inks has been with the fire department for almost 30 years. He said he can remember multiple situations when having an escape plan saved lives.
“I remember one particular fire had a pretty large family, a mom, dad, probably four or five kids. And I remember them talking about how what they talked about or what they planned worked, and they were all out,” Inks said. “It was a significant fire. A fire that would have harmed them if they didn’t get out.”
So, what does a good plan look like?
St. Paul Fire Deputy Chief Roy Mokosso said it starts with having smoke alarms.
“Not only having them but testing them on a regular basis. And letting your kids know – if you have children – what that sounds like because folks will hear it and be scared,” Mokosso said.
When you make your plan, gather your family and draw a map of your home that includes all doors and windows. And then work to find two ways out of every room.
“Every room should have two exits. One is most likely a door, and the other one could possibly be a window,” Mokosso said. “If that window is on the second floor, there needs to be a way in that room that, whether it’s an escape ladder or something like that, that you can safely get out of that room.”
Know that the path you plan out could get blocked by flames, so you should always have a backup plan.
“There are scenarios you could run,” Mokosso said.
Your plan should also include an outside meeting place.
“So, you know, they’re not going to different locations. Some to their friend’s house, some to the neighbor,” Mokosso said.
Most importantly, don’t just have an escape plan, but practice the escape plan, too.
For those who live in an apartment, Mokosso recommends getting familiar with your closest stairwell exits since elevators may not work.
“We’re all busy, and having that structured plan in place is for some people another thing to do today, right? But, you know, we would love that to be a priority. Love that to be practiced, rehearsed,” Inks said.
The department also highlighted its program called Project Safe Haven. It’s where St. Paul homeowners can get free smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors and StoveTop Fire Stops, which are devices that can put out a fire on your stove in seconds.
WATCH MORE ON KARE 11+
Download the free KARE 11+ app for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV and other smart TV platforms to watch more from KARE 11 anytime! The KARE 11+ app includes live streams of all of KARE 11’s newscasts. You’ll also find on-demand replays of newscasts; the latest from KARE 11 Investigates, Breaking the News and the Land of 10,000 Stories; exclusive programs like Verify and HeartThreads; and Minnesota sports talk from our partners at Locked On Minnesota.
Watch the latest local news from the Twin Cities and across Minnesota in our YouTube playlist:
Sigma Alpha Epsilon hosted a special drive to sign up students.
MINNEAPOLIS — University of Minnesota fraternity Sigma Alpha Epsilon is working to sign up hundreds of college students to become bone marrow and stem cell donors.
The frat has been partnering with NMDP, a global nonprofit leader in cell therapy. For years it has helped register around 1,000 students.
“A big thing for us is just trying to show people fraternities aren’t just like partying and drinking and stuff like that like we actually like to give back to the community,” said Axel Arnold.
The 20-year-old joined the registry last fall through his fraternity. In the spring, he learned he was a match for a 54-year-old man and decided to donate his stem cells.
“I didn’t really think it was like too heroic or anything,” Arnold said. “If I was in that same position, I’d want somebody to do the same thing for me.”
His experience compelled him to organize the special drive at his fraternity Wednesday night. In a few hours, they registered 75 people.
“These student groups really want to make a difference. They care about their culture, they care about their society,” said Keesha Mason with NMDP, formerly Be The Match.
Mason said it’s important to get young people connected with their mission, so they’ll want to become donors. Her words inspired Arnold to sign up last fall.
“Most people think young men are disconnected but on health stance young 18–35-year-olds their stem cells, I don’t want to say are fresher, but their stem cells when they’re put into a patient that needs a match gives those patients better outcomes,” she said.
Studies of stem cell transplants have shown young donors, between the ages of 18 and 30-year-olds lead to the highest survival rates. Young men are ideal donors because they can donate a larger volume of cells, leading to higher survival rates.
Currently the stem cell registry includes about 9 million people, but the percentage of 18-24-year-olds is low.
It’s why NMDP is working to change that, meeting young people where they are at. Laney Bay was walking home when she saw NMDP in Sigma Alpha Epsilon’s front yard.
“I’ve had a lot of friends who have struggled through different medical issues in the past and it’s very interesting to me, and I want to make sure I can do what I can,” she said.
Arnold is hopeful more young people will sign up to become donors and said he would donate again if he got the call.
“It was pretty quick. I would say like actual effort I had to put into it was like probably about a half day of work towards doing it and I mean a half a day of work for a life is insurmountable,” Arnold said.
The Minnesota State Patrol says 18-year-old Sam Dutcher of West Fargo was driving when his Honda Pilot malfunctioned, accelerated and could not be stopped.
WEST FARGO, N.D. — An 18-year-old from West Fargo is alive, with a wild story to tell, thanks to a Minnesota State Trooper and other law enforcement personnel who stepped in when he needed them most.
Minnesota State Patrol spokesman Sgt. Jesse Grabow says the saga unfolded on Tuesday, Sept. 17 when 18-year-old Sam Dutcher was driving in the Fargo area when his 2022 Honda Pilot malfunctioned and refused to stop. Dutcher called 911, telling dispatchers the SUV was continuing to accelerate despite his trying to turn it off, put the transmission in neutral, and slow it with both the braking system and the emergency brake.
“Nobody is expecting a car to be coming at them 113 miles per hour on a 55 mile-per-hour road,” said Trooper Zach Gruver, who helped save Sam. “My only thought to get him stopped was to get in front of him.”
Clay County Deputy Zach Johnson joined the effort, talking with Sam on the phone and trying to troubleshoot as the SUV tore eastbound on a county road doing between 80 and 90 mph.
Trooper Gruver knew there wasn’t much time, as the road would soon come to a T and the teen driver would most certainly crash. The trooper once again sped in front of Sam, and communicating with Deputy Johnson, told the teen to run into the back of his squad. Trooper Gruver paced the approaching SUV, was struck, and firmly applied his brakes until both vehicles came to a stop.
“There was a lot of factors that were not in our favor and all of them worked out, fortunately,” said Trooper Gruver.
Clay County Sheriff Mark Empting told KARE 11 how proud he was of the responding deputies and Trooper Gruver.
“Would I call them heroes? Definitely,” said Sheriff Empting. “The work they do out there every day, I think is heroic and they need to take their five minutes of fame right now.”
Sam and his mom got to meet Trooper Gruver a few days after the incident, thankful for his bravery.
“I walked up and he went to stick his hand to shake my hand and I’m like, ‘No, seriously you’re getting a hug,'” said Catherine Dutcher. “You saved my kid.”
Sam is seeing a chiropractor for some lingering pain and a counselor for trauma as he’s experiencing nightmares from it all.
“I’m very thankful that they stopped me,” said Sam. “I felt a sense of relief, but I also started to freak out then.”
Catherine is even more thankful Trooper Gruver put his life on the line as the 30-year-old is about to become a father for the first time any day. His wife’s due date was Tuesday.
“I did what every single other officer, deputy or trooper would have done in this situation,” said Trooper Gruver.
Gov. Tim Walz signed an emergency executive order following the destruction left behind by Hurricane Helene.
ST PAUL, Minn. — Several state agencies and first responders are sending emergency response teams to North Carolina, while the Minnesota National Guard is providing two cargo helicopters to help transport people and resources throughout the areas devastated by Hurricane Helene.
The assistance comes after Gov. Tim Walz signed an emergency executive order Wednesday following the destruction caused by Hurricane Helene in parts of the Carolinas, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee and Virginia.
“Those recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Helene are not alone,” said Gov. Tim Walz in a press release. “Minnesota will be there to support the region however we can. As communities rebuild, I am grateful for the dedication of Minnesota’s first responders in answering the call to travel east to help impacted areas.”
More than 180 people have been confirmed dead, and many more are unaccounted for after the hurricane made landfall last week in the southeastern United States. The storm caused massive destruction in several areas with more than a million people still without power.
As part of Walz’s emergency order, the St. Louis County mobile command post is heading down to North Carolina, while the Minnesota State Patrol and Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office have also assembled teams with general law enforcement, according to the release. The Minnesota State Fire Marshal is also working with local fire departments to send equipment and personnel to some of the areas that were hit the worst.
Along with the two helicopters, the Minnesota National Guard has activated 11 soldiers, who are expected to arrive on Friday to help for at least one week.
“The Minnesota National Guard is ready to assist the state of North Carolina and help support people and communities impacted by Hurricane Helene,” said Maj. Gen. Shawn Manke, Minnesota National Guard Adjutant General. “We take pride in being able to answer the call when another state requests support.”
Xcel Energy is also sending employees to help restore power in the region.
