NFD Promotes Fire Prevention Week
The Newberry Fire Department is teaming up with the National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®) — the official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week (FPW) for more than 100 years — to promote this year’s FPW campaign, “Cooking safety starts with YOU. Pay attention to fire prevention.” The campaign works to educate everyone about simple but important actions they can take when cooking to keep themselves and those around them safe.
According to NFPA, cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries in the United States. Unattended cooking is the leading cause of cooking fires and deaths.
“Year after year, cooking remains the leading cause of home fires by far, accounting for half (49 percent) of all U.S. home fires,” said Lorraine Carli, vice president of outreach and advocacy at NFPA. “These numbers tell us that there is still much work to do when it comes to better educating the public about ways to stay safe when cooking.”
“The Newberry Fire Department encourages all residents to embrace the 2023 Fire Prevention Week theme, ‘Cooking safety start with YOU,’ said Gene Shealy, fire chief. “A cooking fire can grow quickly. I have seen many homes damaged and people injured by fires that could easily have been prevented.”
The Newberry Fire Department offers these key safety tips to help reduce the risk of a cooking fire.
- Watch what you heat. Always keep a close eye on what you are cooking. Set a timer to remind you that you are cooking.
- Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove. Always keep a lid nearby when cooking. If a small grease fire starts, slide the lid over the pan and turn off the burner.
- Have a “kid- and pet-free zone” of at least three feet (1 meter) around the stove or grill and anywhere else hot food or drink is prepared or carried.
During Fire Prevention Month in October, the Newberry Fire Department will be visiting local schools and childcare facilities to provide community outreach and public education on fire safety. Shealy said he felt it was important that the fire department taught students about the hazards they could encounter daily.
“This year’s message focuses on cooking safety, and this is always a concern with young people,” he said. “Small kids should understand the hazards of playing in the kitchen while their parents are cooking. Furthermore, teenagers are often left at home alone and are sometimes cooking.”
Shealy said any time their department does fire prevention the message is tailored to their target audience, as each demographic may have a different risk associated with the subject matter being addressed.
“Our firefighters train on fire prevention, just as they train on suppression and rescue, to ensure we are giving good information,” he said.
To get involved with the Newberry Fire Department, contact them at 803-321-1030. For more general information about Fire Prevention Week and cooking safety, visit www.fpw.org. For fire safety fun for kids, visit sparky.org.
The Newberry Fire Department is teaming up with the National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®) — the official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week (FPW) for more than 100 years — to promote this year’s FPW campaign, “Cooking safety starts with YOU. Pay attention to fire prevention.” The campaign works to educate everyone about simple but important actions they can take when cooking to keep themselves and those around them safe.
According to NFPA, cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries in the United States. Unattended cooking is the leading cause of cooking fires and deaths.
“Year after year, cooking remains the leading cause of home fires by far, accounting for half (49 percent) of all U.S. home fires,” said Lorraine Carli, vice president of outreach and advocacy at NFPA. “These numbers tell us that there is still much work to do when it comes to better educating the public about ways to stay safe when cooking.”
“The Newberry Fire Department encourages all residents to embrace the 2023 Fire Prevention Week theme, ‘Cooking safety start with YOU,’ said Gene Shealy, fire chief. “A cooking fire can grow quickly. I have seen many homes damaged and people injured by fires that could easily have been prevented.”
The Newberry Fire Department offers these key safety tips to help reduce the risk of a cooking fire.
- Watch what you heat. Always keep a close eye on what you are cooking. Set a timer to remind you that you are cooking.
- Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove. Always keep a lid nearby when cooking. If a small grease fire starts, slide the lid over the pan and turn off the burner.
- Have a “kid- and pet-free zone” of at least three feet (1 meter) around the stove or grill and anywhere else hot food or drink is prepared or carried.
During Fire Prevention Month in October, the Newberry Fire Department will be visiting local schools and childcare facilities to provide community outreach and public education on fire safety. Shealy said he felt it was important that the fire department taught students about the hazards they could encounter daily.
“This year’s message focuses on cooking safety, and this is always a concern with young people,” he said. “Small kids should understand the hazards of playing in the kitchen while their parents are cooking. Furthermore, teenagers are often left at home alone and are sometimes cooking.”
Shealy said any time their department does fire prevention the message is tailored to their target audience, as each demographic may have a different risk associated with the subject matter being addressed.
“Our firefighters train on fire prevention, just as they train on suppression and rescue, to ensure we are giving good information,” he said.
To get involved with the Newberry Fire Department, contact them at 803-321-1030. For more general information about Fire Prevention Week and cooking safety, visit www.fpw.org. For fire safety fun for kids, visit sparky.org.
