As they gear up for Fire Prevention Week, Missouri City’s Fire & Rescue Service has some lifesaving lessons to help families extinguish fires: Install smoke detectors and make sure the batteries are in working order, prepare and practice an escape plan and participate in education and awareness programs.
“Our commitment to keeping citizens safe fits well with this year’s theme: ‘Protect Your Family’,” said Fire Chief Russell Sander. “We are proud to partner with the National Fire Protection Association from October 9th to October 15th to remind residents to avoid household hazards that can start a fire.”
Sander added that cooking, heating, electrical equipment, candles and smoking are the leading causes of home fires that result in nearly 13,000 people being injured every year.
He shared these simple safety rules that can shield your loved ones from harm:
• Never leave frying, grilling or broiling food unattended
• Keep children away from open fires and space heaters
• Check electrical cords regularly; replace or repair damaged or loose ones
• Do not smoke inside the house
• Blow out all candles before going to bed or leaving a room
• Keep flammable items away from heating equipment such as furnaces, fireplaces, wood stoves or portable space heaters
• Make extinguishers handy; have at least one or more and check the gauge to see if it needs to be replaced or recharged. Remember that fire extinguishers are not designed to fight large or spreading fires.
• Talk “Prevention” with your kids; teach your children to never play with matches, lighters, candles, electrical cords or sockets. Also, let them know to “stop, drop and roll” if their clothes catch on fire.
Additionally, to help save lives and protect area property, the Fire & Rescue Service provides a free “Home Fire Safety Survey” for residents. The program identifies potential risks that may exist in homes and offers citizens lifesaving solutions.
There is no enforcement component of the program. To schedule a survey, residents can call 281-403-4304.
To learn more about “It’s Fire Prevention Week. Protect your Family from Fire!” visit NFPA’s website at www.firepreventionweek.org.