Lake County to recognize Fire Prevention Week, Oct. 4-10
TAVARES, FL – September 30, 2009 – (RealEstateRama) — As part of the Annual Fire Prevention Week (Oct. 4-10), the Lake County Department of Public Safety, Fire Rescue Division, is stepping up its public-education efforts to remind residents how to keep homes fire safe and prevent painful burns.
During this year’s fire safety campaign, firefighters and safety advocates from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) are spreading the word on how to “Stay Fire Smart! Don’t Get Burned.” Additionally, fire safety educators will be teaching local residents how to plan and practice escape from a home in case a fire occurs.
According to the NFPA, each year about 3,000 people die because of home fires and burns, and more than 200,000 individuals are seen in the nation’s emergency rooms for burn injuries.
“The most common types of burn injuries result from fire or flame burns, scalds and contact burns,” said Jack Fillman, Assistant Fire Chief of the Lake County Fire Rescue Division. “Burns are painful and can result in serious scarring and even death. When we take extra caution in our homes to ensure that the curling iron is out of children’s reach or pot handles are turned away from the edge of the stove, such injuries are entirely preventable. Keeping our homes safe from fire and preventing devastating burn injuries is a healthy change we can make happen.”
Other tips include:
• 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.
• 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, heaters.
• Install tamper-resistant receptacles to prevent a child from sticking an object in the outlet.
• Never leave a child alone in a room with a lit candle, portable heater, lit fireplace, stove or a hot appliance.
• Wear short or close-fitting sleeves when cooking.
• Set your hot water temperature no higher than 120 degrees.
• Install anti-scald valves on showerheads and faucets.
For more information about fire prevention, call the Lake County Department of Public Safety, Fire Rescue Division, at (352) 343-9458.
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Media contact:
Christopher Patton
Public Information Coordinator
Office: (352) 343-9609; Cell: (352) 455-0445
cpatton (at) lakecountyfl (dot) gov
