Holiday Safety

Holiday Season Fire Safety Tips

Holiday Greetings and Blessings to you and your families, in this season of celebration and family gatherings. The pleasure, joy and well being of our families are foremost in our minds. To ensure this atmosphere of caring, we need to raise our levels of awareness to the many underlying hazards that can arise in a moment and place our loved ones in jeopardy and danger.

By being cautious and attentive with our cooking we lessen the chance of a kitchen fire or a mishap or injury to a child. Not leaving cooking unattended, having the area near the stove clear of flammable items (towels, napkins, boxes, etc.) having pan handles turned in and away from inquisitive little hands.

Check electrical appliances and their cords/wiring to ensure it is in proper working order and removing defective equipment. Sparking and shorting switches and plugs should be reported and repaired immediately. Christmas lighting brings a festive spirit to our homes and offices but only use properly designated indoor – outdoor lights and don’t overload circuits or run extension cords under rugs where they are subject to foot traffic.

When using small electric heaters use a type with a ceramic enclosed heating element if possible (not the kind that have an glowing red element). It should have an automatic shut off tip over switch and be placed at least 36” from furniture or drapery. Proper installation and maintenance of hot water heaters, gas and wood burning stoves are critical to ensure our homes are safe from uncontrolled fires. Equally important is the proper disposal of the ashes, which must be put in a metal bucket that is placed on a fireproof surface and allowed to cool for at least 3 days.

Candles are an intricate part of the Holidays ambiance of light and fragrance, but never leave them unsupervised or within reach of small children or animals. Candles must be placed in sturdy fireproof holders away from flammable materials where they can be enjoyed and not become a source of endangerment to our families. As endearing as candles are they should be used sparingly or not at all thereby eliminating one frequent source of devastating fires.

A un-welcomed, un-intended fire can change a joyous celebration into a harrowing, frightening and heartbreaking situation faster then we ever thought possible.

That is why each and every one of us must be ever vigilant, safeguarding our families in our homes, our places of work, and our communities. Make certain your homes has a working smoke detector, preferably one in each bedroom and hallway on each level. Place a fire extinguisher in the kitchen area of your home and learn how to use and maintain it. Develop a family escape plan and practice it with your children.

If there are smokers in the home have them smoke outside or at least make sure they don’t smoke in bed and always dispose of cigarettes in metal container. Positively absolutely make sure all lighter and matches are always out of reach and site of reaching little hands, Children and Matches never mix.

Be aware of any suspicious activities in your community, intentionally set fires cause great amounts of damage and increase the exposure of injury and death to our families.

We all have a very important role in “KEEPING OUR FAMILIES SAFE FROM FIRE” and it is a role we should not take lightly. The Holiday season is just a short time of the year, but FIRE SAFETY is something we should practice every single day because our families are important to us every single day.

C O L V I L L E T R I B A L S A F E T Y P R O G R A M

Introduction Standards Training Schedule Questions & Info	Holiday Season Fire Safety Tips Holiday Greetings and Blessings to you and your families, in this season of celebration and family gatherings. The pleasure, joy and well being of our families are foremost in our minds. To ensure this atmosphere of caring, we need to raise our levels of awareness to the many underlying hazards that can arise in a moment and place our loved ones in jeopardy and danger. By being cautious and attentive with our cooking we lessen the chance of a kitchen fire or a mishap or injury to a child. Not leaving cooking unattended, having the area near the stove clear of flammable items (towels, napkins, boxes, etc.) having pan handles turned in and away from inquisitive little hands. Check electrical appliances and their cords/wiring to ensure it is in proper working order and removing defective equipment. Sparking and shorting switches and plugs should be reported and repaired immediately. Christmas lighting brings a festive spirit to our homes and offices but only use properly designated indoor – outdoor lights and don’t overload circuits or run extension cords under rugs where they are subject to foot traffic. When using small electric heaters use a type with a ceramic enclosed heating element if possible (not the kind that have an glowing red element). It should have an automatic shut off tip over switch and be placed at least 36” from furniture or drapery. Proper installation and maintenance of hot water heaters, gas and wood burning stoves are critical to ensure our homes are safe from uncontrolled fires. Equally important is the proper disposal of the ashes, which must be put in a metal bucket that is placed on a fireproof surface and allowed to cool for at least 3 days. Candles are an intricate part of the Holidays ambiance of light and fragrance, but never leave them unsupervised or within reach of small children or animals. Candles must be placed in sturdy fireproof holders away from flammable materials where they can be enjoyed and not become a source of endangerment to our families. As endearing as candles are they should be used sparingly or not at all thereby eliminating one frequent source of devastating fires. A un-welcomed, un-intended fire can change a joyous celebration into a harrowing, frightening and heartbreaking situation faster then we ever thought possible. That is why each and every one of us must be ever vigilant, safeguarding our families in our homes, our places of work, and our communities. Make certain your homes has a working smoke detector, preferably one in each bedroom and hallway on each level. Place a fire extinguisher in the kitchen area of your home and learn how to use and maintain it. Develop a family escape plan and practice it with your children. If there are smokers in the home have them smoke outside or at least make sure they don’t smoke in bed and always dispose of cigarettes in metal container. Positively absolutely make sure all lighter and matches are always out of reach and site of reaching little hands, Children and Matches never mix. Be aware of any suspicious activities in your community, intentionally set fires cause great amounts of damage and increase the exposure of injury and death to our families. We all have a very important role in “KEEPING OUR FAMILIES SAFE FROM FIRE” and it is a role we should not take lightly. The Holiday season is just a short time of the year, but FIRE SAFETY is something we should practice every single day because our families are important to us every single day.