Community Safety Day Faire Saturday, Oct. 12, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Scotts Valley McDonalds Parking Lot
Fire Prevention Week 2013
By Battalion Chief Dave Futch, Zayante Fire District
It’s time for Fire Prevention Week, and from October 1–18, The San Lorenzo Valley Fire Districts (Boulder Creek, Ben Lomond, Felton, and Zayante) are joining forces with the nonprofit National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to remind local residents to ‘Prevent Kitchen Fires.’ During this year’s fire safety campaign, firefighters and safety advocates will be spreading the word about the dangers of kitchen fires–most of which result from unattended cooking—and teaching local residents how to prevent kitchen fires from starting in the first place.
According to the latest NFPA research, cooking is the leading cause of home fires. Two of every five home fires begin in the kitchen—more than any other place in the home. Cooking fires are also the leading cause of home fire-related injuries.
“Often when we’re called to a fire that started in the kitchen, the residents tell us that they only left the kitchen for a few minutes,” said Battalion Chief Dave Futch. “Sadly, that’s all it takes for a dangerous fire to start. We hope that Fire Prevention Week will help us reach folks in the community before they’ve suffered a damaging lesson.”
Among the safety tips that firefighters and safety advocates will be emphasizing:
Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling, broiling, or boiling food.- If you must leave the room, even for a short time, turn off the stove.
- When you are simmering, baking, or roasting food, check it regularly, stay in the home, and use a timer to remind you.
- If you have young children, use the stove’s back burners whenever possible. Keep children and pets at least three away from the stove.
- When you cook, wear clothing with tight-fitting sleeves.
- Keep potholders, oven mitts, wooden utensils, paper and plastic bags, towels, and anything else that can burn, away from your stovetop.
- Clean up food and grease from burners and stovetops.
Fire Prevention Week is actively supported by fire departments across the country. Fire Prevention Week is the longest running public health and safety observance on record.
If We Can’t Find You, We Can’t Help You
Time is our enemy. In an Emergency, locating the caller’s address as soon as possible is the first step in saving lives and property. Improper or nonexistent addressing frustrates emergency responders, and the results can be catastrophic because of the delays that result. Time spent searching for the proper address is time many 911 callers do not have.
Since many people do not have them, the Fire Districts of The San Lorenzo Valley are promoting Reflective Address Signs. Together, we can minimize if not eliminate this chronic addressing problem. If We Can’t Find You, We Can’t Help You.
The San Lorenzo Valley Fire Districts will be visiting the students of San Lorenzo Valley Elementary and Boulder Creek Elementary school’s during the month of October to promote Fire Prevention Week “Prevent Kitchen Fires.”
A Community Safety Day Faire is planned for Saturday, October 12, 2013 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the McDonalds of Scotts Valley parking lot area. Through these educational, family-oriented activities, residents can learn more about the importance of fire escape planning and practice, as well as the power of prevention.
To find out more about Fire Prevention Week programs and activities in San Lorenzo Valley please contact the San Lorenzo Valley Fire Districts (Boulder Creek, Ben Lomond, Felton, and Zayante). To learn more about ‘Prevent Kitchen Fires’ visit NFPA’s Web site at www.firepreventionweek.org.
Remember! We Need Your Help, So We Can Help You!
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For more information, contact Chief Futch at (831) 335-5100 or [email protected]