Fire prevention and safety

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ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --  Once a child touches a hot stove, he learns his lesson: stay away from a hot stove. This cliché doesn't take into account the pain and suffering from burn.

The Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson Fire Department is teaming up with the National Fire Protection Association for Fire Prevention Week Oct. 4-10, urging JBER residents to, "Stay Fire Smart! Don't Get Burned." The campaign focuses on ways to keep homes fire safe and prevent burns. Additionally, fire safety educators will be teaching residents how to plan and practice escape routes.

Each year roughly 3,000 people die as a result of home fires and burns. More than 200,000 people are seen in emergency rooms for burn injuries.

"The most common types of burn injuries result from fire or flame burns, scalds, and contact burns," said Ford Brooks, 3rd Civil Engineer Squadron Fire Department assistant fire chief. "Burns are painful and can result in serious scarring and even death."

When extra precautions are taken in the home, like putting the curling iron out of a child's reach or turning pot handles away from the stove's edge, injuries are prevented. Remember young children and older adults' skin burns more easily.

Be careful about scalding water. The water should feel warm, not hot. Before children are put into the tub, test the temperature with wrists, elbows, or even the back of the hand.

Don't rely on a tub with a temperature indicator, such as a drain plug that changes color to indicate too hot, too cold, and just right. If using a thermometer with a read-out, infant bath water should be no more than 100 degrees. Even when using a thermometer, use wrists, elbows or the back of hands as a main guide.

Parents must teach children that burns hurt. However, if a child receives a burn treat it immediately. Put the burn in cool water for three to five minutes and cover it with a clean, dry cloth. If the burn is bigger than a fist, seek medical help right away. Remove all clothing, diapers, jewelry and metal from the burned areas. Keeping homes safe from fire and prevent devastating burn injuries is a healthy change that can happen.
Fire Prevention Week 2009 focuses on ways to keep homes fire safe and prevent painful burns. Following these safety rules, everyone can stay fire smart:

Don't Get Burned
 Keep hot foods and liquids from table and counter edges so they can't be pulled or knocked over.
 Have a 3-foot "kid-free" zone around the stove.
 Never hold a child while preparing hot food or drinking a hot beverage.
 Teach children that hot things hurt.
 Be careful when using things that get hot such as curling irons, oven irons, lamps and heaters.
 When using heating pads, only use for 15-20 minutes at a time and don't lie, sit or place anything on the pad.


Cooking with Caution
 The leading cause of fires in the kitchen is unattended cooking.
 Pay attention to what is cooking. Stay in the kitchen when frying, grilling, or broiling food.
 When simmering, boiling, baking, or roasting food, check it regularly, stay in the home, and use a timer.
 If leaving the room, even for a short time, turn off the stove.
 With young children, use the stove's back burners whenever possible.
 Keep children and pets at least 3 feet away from the stove.
 When cooking, wear clothing with tight-fitting or short sleeves.
 Allow food cooked in a microwave oven to cool before taking it out.
 Open microwaved food slowly. Hot steam from the container can burn.


Just Right?
 To avoid scalds, set the thermostat setting in your water heater to no higher than 120 F.
 Consider having "anti-scald" devices on tub faucets and shower heads to prevent scalds.
 Test water before placing a child or yourself in tubs.
 Never leave young children alone in the tub, shower or near a sink.


The heat is on ...
 Have a 3-foot kid-free zone around open fires and heaters.
 Use a fireplace screen to keep sparks inside the fireplace.
 Turn portable space heaters off when going to bed or leaving the room.
 Keep things that can burn, such as paper, bedding, or furniture, at least 3 feet from heaters.
 Have a professional clean and inspect heating equipment and chimneys each year and before each heating season.
 Ensure portable space heaters have an auto shut-off, so if it's tipped over, it will shut off.


Take it Outside
 Ask smokers to smoke outside.
 Give smokers deep, sturdy ashtrays.
 Never smoke if tired, have taken medicine, drugs, or alcohol.
 Keep smoking materials away from things that can burn, like bedding, furniture, and clothing.


Stay Grounded
 Keep lamps, light fixtures, and light bulbs away from anything that can burn, such as lamp shades, bedding, curtains and clothing.
 Replace cracked and damaged electrical cords.
 Use extension cords for temporary wiring only. Consider having a qualified electrician install additional circuits or receptacles.
 With young children have tamper-resistant electrical receptacles.
 Call a qualified electrician or landloard for recurring problems with blowing fuses or tripping circuit breakers, discolored or warm wall outlets, flickering lights or a burning or rubbery smell coming from an appliance.


Fire-Safety Basics
 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 monthly.
 Make sure everyone can hear the sound of the smoke alarms.
 Have a home fire escape plan. Know at least two ways out every room, if possible, and a meeting place outside. Practice the escape plan twice a year.
 When the smoke alarm sounds, get out and stay out.

For any additional information regarding Fire Prevention Week or any other fire safety issues call, the Fire Prevention Office at 552-2620.
(Information courtesy of 3rd CES and www.nfpa.org)