Shelton FD provides prevention tips

SHELTON -The Shelton Fire Department, consisting of members of Echo Hose, Huntington, Pine Rock Park, and White Hills volunteer fire companies, are currently involved in fire safety activities that will continue through October.
These programs are part of an effort to reduce the chances of residents being injured or killed by fire in addition to preserving property.

To encourage greater care when cooking and an awareness of kitchen fire dangers, the National Fire Protection Association is promoting “Prevent Kitchen Fires” as the theme for this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign.

In an effort to better educate everyone about fire safety, the Shelton Fire Department encourages everyone to have safe kitchen habits with stoves, microwaves and other appliances.
Ted Pisciotta, Assistant Chief-Fire Prevention, states “remaining attentive while cooking and managing how close children and pets are to anything hot will help keep families safe.”  
Use these important kitchen safety tips:

·         Be alert! If you are sleepy or have consumed alcohol don’t use the stove or stovetop.

·         Keep an eye on what you fry! Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, grilling, or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen for even a short period of 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 that you are cooking.

·         Keep anything that can catch fire – oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels, or curtains – away from your stove top.

·         Have a “kid-free zone” of at least three feet around the stove and areas where hot food or drink is prepared or carried.

·       Turn pot handles away from the stove’s edge.

·         Keep a lid and oven mitt nearby when you’re cooking to use in case of a grease fire. If you have a grease fire, slide a lid over the pan. Turn off the burner and leave the pan covered until it is completely cool. 

In conjunction with making every effort to prevent a fire from ever happening, be prepared by maintaining working smoke alarms throughout the entire home. Follow these tips for making sure smoke alarms are maintained and working properly:

·         Test smoke alarms at least once a month using the test button, and make sure everyone in your home knows their sound.

·         If an alarm “chirps,” warning the battery is low, replace the battery right away.

·         Replace all smoke alarms, including alarms that use 10-year batteries and hard-wired alarms, when they’re 10 years old (or sooner) if they do not respond properly when tested.

·         Never remove or disable a smoke alarm.

Pisciotta is encouraging businesses, organizations, and individuals throughout the city to visit the Fire Prevention Bureau site by clicking on “Public Safety” at www.cityofshelton.org.
Easy to print and post fire safety tips are available. In addition, information may be copied and pasted into newsletters, etc.


This is a press release from the Shelton Fire Prevention Bureau.