ARE YOUR KIDS PLAYING WITH FIRE? By: Brian Parker Each year many children are injured or killed by playing with fire. If your kids are playing with fire they are at high risk of being injured, killed or damaging property. Early intervention is the key to prevent an accident before it happens. It is normal for a child to have curiosity about fire but when that curiosity is allowed to progress to playing with fire the outcome can be devastating. Here are some ways to help keep your children safe. Always keep matches and lighters out of reach of children, educate your kids on fire and what the effects of fire can be, consider having a camp fire to demonstrate how fire burns and the damage it can do. If you would like more information or have questions about keeping your kids safe please contact the Summit Fire Department at: 526-9537 Prevent Home Fires The leading causes of fires in the home are cooking, heating equipment, and electrical. Fires caused by smoking materials and heating equipment are the leading cause of home fire deaths. The best way to prevent fires in your home is to make fire safety part of your daily life. Be careful when you cook. Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, broiling, or grilling food. Unattended cooking is the leading cause of kitchen fires. To extinguish a small pan fire, slide a lid over the pan and turn off the burner. Allow the pan to completely cool before removing the lid. If you have a small stovetop or oven fire and don’t feel comfortable trying to extinguish it, get out of the house and call 911 for help. Stay safe and warm. Space heaters account for one-third of home heating fires. Failure to clean chimneys is the leading cause of chimney fires. Have your central heating equipment serviced every year by a professional. Have your chimney cleaned and inspected before each heating season. Keep space heaters at least 3 feet from anything that can burn. Turn off your space heaters when you leave the room or go to bed. Some other safety tips throughout your home: Make sure your electrical cords are in good condition- not frayed or cracked. Install a smoke alarm in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area, and on every level of your home. Test your smoke alarms monthly. Have your electrical wiring inspected to make sure that it meets code requirements. Have a home escape plan. Make a plan that your whole family knows and practices twice a year. Talk about the best ways to get out quickly in the event of a fire. Thank you for taking the time to read about simple ways that you and your family can prevent fires in your home. If you have any questions please fell free to contact us or stop by any of your fire stations. October 5 -11 is Fire Prevention Week. If you would like more information on how you can make your home safe stop by Fire Station 32 on Koch Field Road and pick up some literature. Your Summit Fire Public Education Team, Charles, BJ, John and Tara |