TFD Serves Up Safety Tips During Fire Prevention Week
October 02, 2020
This weekend, the Tallahassee Fire Department (TFD), along with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), kicks off Fire Prevention Week, which runs from Sunday, Oct. 4, through Saturday, Oct. 10. The theme for this year is “Serve Up Fire Safety in the Kitchen.”
“Cooking is the number one cause of home fires and home fire injuries,” Tallahassee Fire Chief Jerome Gaines said. “Especially as we head into the holiday season and look forward to preparing special meals, education is key to help residents learn about how to prevent, prepare and respond to a cooking fire event.”
Throughout Fire Prevention Week, residents are encouraged to help share educational information that will be posted on the TFD and the City of Tallahassee social media sites and online at Talgov.com/Fire. Information will include helpful tips such as this video that explains the importance of properly placed and maintained smoke alarms. Smoke alarms can provide the early warning necessary to escape a deadly fire. TFD will provide two residential smoke alarms at no cost to homeowners who are either physically or financially unable to purchase or install their own smoke alarms. Requests can be made online here or by calling 850-891-6600.
Home fires caused by cooking typically peak at Thanksgiving and Christmas, and in 2018, fire departments nationwide responded to an average of 470 home cooking fires per day, according to the NFPA. Small actions can help prevent cooking fires, such as never leaving cooking unattended and keeping anything that could catch fire at least three feet away from your stovetop.
Fire Prevention Week is observed the week of Oct. 9 each year in remembrance of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, which killed 250 people and destroyed more than 2,000 acres of property.
For more information about the Tallahassee Fire Department, please visit Talgov.com/Fire. You can also stay up-to-date with the department by liking its Facebook page at Facebook.com/COTFire or following on Twitter at Twitter.com/COTFire.
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