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Joint Fire District gives holiday fire safety tips
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Neighbors | Abby Slanker.Bill O’Hara, Western Reserve Joint Fire District fire prevention officer, offered holiday fire safety tips for the residents of Poland. The fire district will provide a smoke detector, like the one O’Hara is holding, to anyone who does not have one in their home.
By ABBY SLANKER
The Western Reserve Joint Fire District wants everyone to be safe this holiday season and offered some tips on fire safety.
Bill O’Hara, fire prevention officer, wanted to remind everyone to be especially careful during this season which has seen senseless tragedies.
“It is a joyous time and it can be a sad time if a fire does occur that could have been prevented,” O’Hara said.
Some tips O’Hara shared were:
Keep your candles out of reach of children and only let an adult light them.
Check that all tree lights are approved by UL.
Choose a tree that is green, not dry and water it daily.
Use a safe screen on the fireplace.
Hang stocking out of the way of the fire in the fireplace.
Throw wrapping paper in the trash, not the fireplace.
Keep extension cords out of the way, but not under rugs.
O’Hara especially wanted to remind people to check their cords on small appliances such as toasters and coffee makers.
“It’s something people usually don’t think about, but it can be very dangerous if a cord is frayed or worn,” O’Hara said.
O’Hara also wanted to remind people to be very careful in the kitchen when cooking for the holidays.
“Sometimes people get in a hurry in the kitchen, with their families there and maybe kids running around, and they get distracted. It is important to not get careless in the kitchen. Remember to turn the pot handles inward so no one gets burned or so the pot doesn’t get knocked off the stove. Also, don’t leave hot pads on the stove. They could catch on fire very easily,” O’Hara said.
O’Hara also said it was important to check smoke detectors this time of year.
“Smoke detectors should be checked once a month and the batteries should be changed at least once a year,” O’Hara said.
The Western Reserve Joint Fire District will provide a smoke detector to anyone who does not have one in their home. Contact O’Hara at 330-757-8268 to receive one free of charge from the department.
“It takes 30 seconds for a fire to spread and it doubles in size every minute it burns,” O’Hara said.
O’Hara also wanted to caution people that too many plugs plugged into an outlet could cause a short and it is very important to follow the directions on light sets.
Cleaning your chimney at least once a year is also imperative in fire prevention and O’Hara said it is important to burn dry wood.
“We want people to follow fire safety all the time, but we would like them to be especially careful during the holidays,” O’Hara said.
Call O’Hara at the Western Reserve Joint Fire District at 330-757-8268 for more information or with any questions you may have about fire safety.