Monroe County Fire Rescue will be doing outreach programs for Fire Prevention Week, Oct. 4-10, in Monroe County schools and daycares. Last year, Monroe County Fire Rescue and Sparky the Fire Dog joined students at Ocean Studies Charter School in Tavernier (Proper precautions, like washing hands and wearing masks, will be adhered to while visiting schools this year.)

MONROE COUNTY FIRE RESCUE AND SPARKY THE FIRE DOG REMIND CHILDREN TO ‘SERVE UP FIRE SAFETY IN THE KITCHEN’

MONROE COUNTY, FL – Monroe County Fire Rescue is teaming up with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) — the official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week for more than 90 years — to promote this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign, “Serve Up Fire Safety in the Kitchen!” The campaign works to educate everyone about simple but important actions they can take to keep themselves and those around them safe.

Monroe County Fire Rescue will be doing outreach programs for Fire Prevention Week, Oct. 4-10, in Monroe County schools and daycares. The Monroe County Fire Marshal and crews will visit seven schools to help students and children practice how to cook safely in the kitchen, as well as have a meet and greet with Sparky the Fire Dog, and a fire truck tour.

“Children need to know how quickly a fire can grow in the kitchen,” Monroe County Fire Marshal RL Colina said. “I have seen many homes damaged and people injured by fires that could easily have been prevented.”

According to NFPA, cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries in the United States. Almost half of reported home fires started in the kitchen and two-thirds of home cooking fires start with the ignition of food or other cooking materials.

Safety tips for preventing a cooking fire:

  • Never leave cooking food unattended. Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, grilling or broiling. If you have to leave, even for a short time, turn off the stove.
  • If you are simmering, baking, roasting, or boiling food, check it regularly, remain in the home while food is cooking, and use a timer to remind you to check your food.
  • Stay alert while cooking. Avoid cooking when you are sleepy, have taken medicine or drugs, or consumed alcohol.
  • Always keep an oven mitt and pan lid nearby when you’re cooking. If a small grease fire starts, slide the lid over the pan to smother the flame. Turn off the burner, and leave the pan covered until it is completely cool.
  • Have a “kid-free zone” of at least 3 feet around the stove and areas where hot food or drink is prepared or carried.
  • Make sure pots and pans have handles pushed over where little hands can’t reach up and pull them off, or where it can accidently be knocked off the stove.

Smoke Alarms

  • Install smoke alarms in every sleeping room, outside each separate sleeping area, and on every level of the home.
  • Test smoke alarms at least once a month using the test button. Change batteries twice a year when the clock “falls back” and “springs ahead.”
  • Make sure everyone in the home understands the sound of the smoke alarm and knows how to respond. Have a plan on where to meet outside of the home in case of an emergency.

For more general information about Fire Prevention Week and cooking fire prevention, visit www.fpw.org.

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