SMOKE DETECTORS
Over 6,000 deaths occur each year as a result of house fires. Most people die from breathing in the smoke and toxic gases rather than the fire itself.

Many of these deaths were preventable. Protect you and your family by:

• Purchase one or more smoke detectors for your home.
• Install your detectors properly.
• Identify fire escape routes and have fire drills on a regular basis.
• Maintain your smoke detectors.

Smoke detectors can be purchased from the fire department for a fee of $5.00

If you need assistance in installing your smoke detector contact the fire department and we will come to your home and assist you.

Daylight Savings Time ends the last Sunday of October at 2:00 a.m. The Valdese Fire Department reminds you change your batteries in your smoke detectors when you change your clocks.

KITCHEN SAFETY
Unattended cooking continues to be one of the leading causes of fires throughout the country. Every year more and more people are injured or killed in fires in the home. Here are a few tips to keep you from becoming a statistic.

If you are cooking with oil or grease and it ignites, DO NOT throw water on the fire and DO NOT attempt to remove the pan.

• Put a lid on the pot or pan to smother the fire.
• Turn the burner off if it can be reached easily.
• If an ABC fire extinguisher is within reach and you know how to use it, use it to extinguish the fire.
• Keep from wearing loose clothing while cooking. Your clothes may catch fire.
• Remember to keep pot handles turned in to prevent small children from turning over hot water or grease on them.
• Keep the area around your stove clean and uncluttered. This keeps combustibles (dish rags, etc) from getting too close to a burner and catching on fire.
• If you leave the kitchen while cooking, turn the stove off or take a utensil or timer with you to remind you that you have something on the stove.
• If you have a microwave never put metal pots, bowls, or utensils inside. These items cause sparks and could result in a fire.
• Create a “Kid Free Zone” around your stove. This is a three-foot area around your stove where kids are not allowed thus lowering risk of injury.

ELECTRICAL SAFETY
On average there are over 38,000 residential home fires each year associated with wiring, outlets, extension cords, breaker boxes, and other equipment involved in distributing electricity around the home. Of these fires approximately 350 people are killed and over 1,300 are injured. Keep your homes safe by following these simple tips.

• Replace any appliance or electrical device with a loose or damaged cord.
• Avoid running extension cords over doorways and under carpets.
• In homes with small children, plug outlets should have plastic safety covers.
• Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for plugging an appliance into a plug outlet. Most outlets have only two plugs. As an added precaution consider plugging only one high wattage appliance into a single outlet.
• In the kitchen, push back cords for counter top appliances to keep young children or pets from pulling them off the counter.
• Place lamps on level surfaces and away from anything that will burn.
• Use bulbs that match the lamps recommended wattage.

HEATING SAFETY
Heating fires are the second leading cause of residential home fires. During the months of December, January, February heating is the leading cause of home fires. Most of these fires involve space heaters not central furnaces. Space heaters installed too close to combustibles (curtains, furniture, etc.) are major causes of space heater fires.

• Space heaters need space. Heaters should be at least three feet away from walls, curtains, and anything that will burn, including people and pets.
• Have chimneys and heating systems checked at least once year and cleaned, if needed, by trained professionals. (Fires in wood burning heating equipment are often caused by the build up of creosote, a deposit of unburned fuel.)
• Always use the proper fuel for your heater. Example; never use gasoline as a fuel in a heater designed for kerosene or oil.
• Portable space heaters should be turned off every time you leave the room or go to sleep.
• Have a sturdy screen on your fireplace. A metal screen or built-in glass doors will keep sparks from flying into the room or on the carpet resulting in a fire.

If you have any questions about the information above or have a question of your own call the Valdese Fire Department and speak with a fire professional.