Base to hold Fire Prevention Week Oct. 4-10

Published Sept. 24, 2009
Tinker Fire Department

TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Fire Prevention Week 2009 -- set for Oct. 4-10 -- focuses on ways to keep homes fire safe and prevent painful burns. By following simple safety rules, you can "Stay Fire Smart!"

· Keep hot foods and liquids away from tables and counter edges so they cannot be pulled or knocked over.
· Have a 3-foot "kid-free" zone around the stove, open fires and heaters.
· Never hold a child in your arms while preparing hot food or drinking a hot beverage.
· Be careful when using things that get hot such as curling irons, oven, irons, lamps and heaters.
· To avoid scalds, set the water heater thermostat no higher than 120 F.
· Remember young children and older adults skin burns more easily. Test the water before placing a child or yourself in the tub.
· Never leave young children alone in the tub, shower or near a sink.
· Be careful about scalding water. The water should feel warm, not hot.
· The leading cause of fires in the kitchen is unattended cooking. Pay attention to what you are cooking.
· Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling or broiling food. If you must leave the room even for a short time, turn off the stove.
· If you have young children, use the stove's back burners whenever possible.
· When you cook, wear clothing with tight-fitting or short sleeves.
· Open microwaved food slowly. Hot steam from the container can cause burns.
· Use a fireplace screen to keep sparks inside the fireplace.
· Turn portable space heaters off when you go to bed or leave the room.
· Keep things that can burn, such as paper, bedding or furniture, at least 3 feet from heaters.
· Have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected each year by a professional.
· Make sure your portable space heater has an auto shut-off so if it is tipped over, it will shut off.
· Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home. For the best protection, interconnect all smoke alarms throughout the home. When one sounds, they all sound.
· Test smoke alarms at least once a month using the test button.
· Replace smoke alarms every 10 years.
· Make sure everyone can hear the sound of the smoke alarms.
· Have a home fire escape plan. Know at least two ways out of every room, if possible, and a meeting place outside. Practice your escape plan twice a year.
· When the smoke alarm sounds, get out and stay out.

Join Tinker Fire and Emergency Services and the National Fire Prevention Agency in celebrating Fire Prevention Week, Oct. 4-10. Stay tuned for events scheduled throughout the week to raise awareness of things that cause fires and the steps people can take to prevent fires in the home and at work.