Good evening --
Well, we've just about made it through another polar vortex, and winter's just getting started. Please don't forget to observe driving safety. Drive carefully and keep your speed down on icy roads -
having all- or four-wheel drive does not guarantee the ability to stop. No matter how nice the day is, don't go anywhere without at least a jacket in your car (and preferably gloves and other cold
weather gear). Keep at least half a tank of gas in your car. And if you do get stuck in a snowdrift or ditch, stay in your car - you're much safer there for much longer than you will be on foot.
You're also a lot easier to find.
Now is also a great time to check and change your smoke detector batteries, if you haven't done so already.
It's a tad early, since we're still about two weeks away from Thanksgiving, but I thought I might just share a few holiday safety tips now. Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires.
Not really a surprise, is it? The second and third highest days? Christmas day and Christmas Eve, respectively. The average number of home fires on Thanksgiving Day is 230% higher
than the average number of fires in homes on all other days.
Help keep yourself, your family, and your friends safe this holiday season by following and sharing these safety tips. We want everyone to enjoy happy and safe celebrations!
* Stay in the kitchen when you're cooking (whether frying, broiling or boiling) so you're able to quickly catch hazardous conditions before they worsen. Make sure to use a timer when roasting a
turkey or baking those delicious desserts. That way, you can get as involved in family celebrations as you like without having to worry about overcooking the turkey (or worse, setting it on
fire!).
* Make your cooking area safe. Move anything that can burn (packaging, paper towels, dish cloths) away from the stove. Clean up spills as they happen. Turn pot handles toward the back so they can't
be bumped.
* Keep a large pan lid or baking sheet handy in case you need to smother a pan fire. Also, if a pan starts smoking, or the grease in it starts to boil, turn the burner off.
* Prevent burns. Wear short sleeves when you cook, or roll them up. Don't lean over the burner. Use potholders and oven mitts to handle hot cookware.
* Be very very careful if you're frying your turkey this year. Turkey fryers can easily tip over, spilling hot cooking oil over a large area, and a partly frozen turkey will cause oil to
splatter when put in the pot. Even a small amount of cooking oil spilled on a hot burner can cause a large fire. To fry safely, use a fryer with a thermostat control to keep the oil from
getting overheated, thaw your turkey completely, don't overfill the pot with oil, keep children and pets at least three feet from the fryer, and of course, fry outside.
* Thanksgiving is a time for family, but please keep young children out of the kitchen when you're cooking or at least monitor them closely. Little hands are invariably curious and hot pans are
strangely attractive.
We, your volunteer fire department members and fellow community members, are thankful for you and your support. We appreciate your trust in us and your assistance in all we do. Thank you.
Happy Thanksgiving!
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