Quincy Fire Department celebrating Fire Prevention Week Oct. 8-14

QUINCY — The Quincy Fire Department is teaming up with the National Fire Protection Association® to promote Fire Prevention Week. The campaign works to educate everyone about simple but important actions they can take when cooking to keep themselves and those around them safe.

According to the NFPA, cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries in the United States. Unattended cooking is the leading cause of cooking fires and deaths.

In a press release, Lorraine Carli, vice-president of outreach and advocacy at the NFPA, said, “Year after year, cooking remains the leading cause of home fires by far, accounting for half (49 percent) of all U.S. home fires. These numbers tell us that there is still much work to do when it comes to better educating the public about ways to stay safe when cooking.”

The Quincy Fire Department encourages all residents to embrace the Fire Prevention Week theme, “Cooking safety starts with you.”

“A cooking fire can grow quickly. I have seen many homes damaged and people injured by fires that could easily have been prevented,” fire chief Bernie Vahlkamp said.

The Quincy Fire Department offers these key safety tips to help reduce the risk of a cooking fire:

• Watch what you heat. Always keep a close eye on what you are cooking. Set a timer to remind you that you are cooking.
• Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove. Always keep a lid nearby when cooking. If a small grease fire starts, slide the lid over the pan and turn off the burner.
• Have a “kid- and pet-free zone” of at least three feet (one meter) around the stove or grill and anywhere else hot food or drink is prepared or carried.

The Quincy Fire Department is hosting a series of events in support of this year’s FPW campaign, including an open event from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 8, at the Broadway Hy-Vee site. There will be rappelling, a vehicle extrication demonstration and a burn cube demonstration (sprinklered versus non-sprinklered fire rooms).

For more general information about Fire Prevention Week and cooking safety, visit www.fpw.org. For fire safety fun for kids, visit sparky.org.

If you need new smoke detectors, contact the Quincy Fire Department at 217-228-4459 to scheduled an appointment for the fire department to come out and install up to three free smoke detectors.