Clearwater Fire & Rescue Invites Citizens to Open House 2009

9/30/2009 12:27:29 PM

Contact: Elizabeth Watts

Don't miss this opportunity to meet the men and women of Clearwater Fire & Rescue and get life-saving fire prevention information. Clearwater Fire & Rescue will host its 4th Annual Open House on Saturday, October 10, 2009. The Open House event is part of Fire Prevention Week 2009: "Stay Fire Smart! Don't Get Burned." This year's campaign focuses on ways to keep your home fire safe and prevent painful burns. Firefighters will also teach local residents how to plan and practice escape from a home in case a fire occurs.

Each year roughly 3,000 people die as a result of home fires and burns, and more than 200,000 individuals are seen in the nation's emergency rooms for burn injuries, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). By following simple safety rules, you can "Stay Fire Smart! Don't Get Burned."

· Keep hot foods and liquids away from tables and counter edges so they cannot be pulled or knocked over.

· Have a 3-foot "kid-free" zone around the stove.

· Never hold a child while preparing hot food or drinking a hot beverage.

· Use extreme caution with curling irons, ovens, irons, lamps and heaters.

· Install tamper-resistant receptacles to prevent a child from sticking an object into an outlet.

· Never leave a child unattended around a lit candle, portable heater, lit fireplace or stove, or where a hot appliance might be in use.

· Wear short or close-fitting sleeves when cooking.

· Set your hot water temperature no higher than 120 degrees.

Citizens are invited to stop by their neighborhood fire station between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on October 10, 2009. To find your neighborhood fire station go to: http://www.myclearwater.com/gov/depts/fire/stations.asp