October is fire prevention month and the Emporia Fire Department is reaching out to the community to help citizens become aware of preventable causes of fire, and safety plans in case preventive efforts fail.
Emporia Fire Chief Jack Taylor said this year’s national theme for Fire Prevention Week, which runs from Oct. 4 to Oct. 10, is “Stay Fire Smart: Don’t Get Burned.”
Taylor said the first thing people need to do is practice fire prevention in the home. As the weather gets cooler, one of the first orders of business should be inspection and cleaning of wood-burning fireplaces and stoves and making sure the flues are cleaned out by qualified chimney sweeps. Furnaces should be serviced by qualified service personnel, Taylor said.
“They may be a fire danger or carbon monoxide danger,” Taylor said.
Overuse and misuse of extension cords is another fire hazard and should not be done, Taylor said. Smoking is another common cause of fire. Smoking materials should be disposed of properly. Other common causes of house fires are unattended cooking and portable heating units. Portable heating units should be kept far away from combustible materials, Taylor said. Portable heating units should not be used with extension cords or should be used with heavy-duty extension cords because they draw a lot of power. Fireplace and wood stove materials should be disposed of in a non-combustible container and should be stored away from any structure or building.
“We’ve had people put ashes in cardboard boxes behind the house and the next thing we know we have a fire burning the outside of the structure,” Taylor said.
Fireplaces also should have a screen in front of them to prevent sparks and ash from coming out of the front, Taylor said.
In the event of a fire, families need an escape plan. They should have two ways to get out of any room and a designated meeting place outside. One person should go to a next-door neighbor’s house and call 911. Family members should not go back into the home for pets or other items, Taylor said.
“Leave that up to us,” he said.
Taylor also reminded the public that at the end of the month it will be time to set clocks back an hour, which also is the recommended time to change smoke detector batteries.
In observance of Fire Prevention Week, the Emporia Fire Department will have an educational event at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Lyon County Fairgrounds. The fire department will give demonstrations, including how to properly put out a grease fire, and there will be an automobile accident scenario where extrication equipment will be demonstrated. Kids in the audience will be quizzed on fire safety and prizes will be awarded to those with the correct answers. In addition, the Emporia High Spartan Educational Theatre will be doing a number of skits for the audience. The event is free and open to the public. In case of rain, the event will be on Oct. 14.
For questions on fire safety call the Emporia Fire Department, 343-4230.
Tips for keeping kids safe from fire and burns:
• Set water heater thermostat to 120 degrees. Consider installing water faucets and shower heads with anti-scald technology.
• Keep matches, gasoline, lighters and all other flammable materials locked away and out of children’s reach and teach them never to touch these items.
• Never leave a burning candle unattended. Place candles in a safe location away from combustible materials and where children and pets cannot tip them over.
• Keep children away from cooking and heating appliances and never leave the kitchen while you are cooking. Use back burners and turn pot handles to the back of the stove when cooking.
• Place space heaters at least 3 feet away from curtains, papers, furniture and other flammable materials. Always turn space heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.
• Install smoke alarms on every level of the home, outside every sleeping area and in each bedroom. Test them every month and change the batteries once a year.
• Consider a home sprinkler system. The combination of smoke alarms and sprinklers can reduce your chance of dying in a fire by 82 percent.
Source: Safe Kids Kansas