ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, TENN. -- It's time for Fire Prevention Week, from Oct. 6-12, and the Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC) Fire & Emergency Services is 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 will be spreading the word about the dangers of kitchen fires, most of which result from unattended cooking.
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. 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 AEDC 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 period of 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 feet 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.
If a fire, police, or medical emergency occurs on Arnold Air Force Base (AFB), all personnel should know how to report a fire; the process couldn't be easier, simply dial 911. When dialed from a base phone, the call goes directly to the Emergency Communications Center (ECC) located in bldg. 251. If dialed from a personal cell phone, or from the military family housing area, the call goes to the County 911 Call Center and the information is then relayed to the AEDC ECC operator and a response is initiated.
Fire Prevention Week is actively supported by fire departments across the country and is the longest running public health and safety observance on record.
If you have questions or would like additional information about fire safety, please call the AEDC Fire Prevention Staff at 454-5425 or 454-5569.