CSFA Community Risk Reduction

Serving Gratitude and Grace this Thanksgiving

With a Side of Safety and Manners!

Thanksgiving signifies the beginning of the Holiday Season. Many will be spending more time in the kitchen preparing for the holidays. On any given day, we respond to reports of a kitchen fire. Often, it is “food on the stove” and we cancel incoming resources. However, on Thanksgiving day, Kitchen fires increase over fifty percent compared to any other day. Part of your Community Risk Reduction program should educate your community on holiday safety, so start let’s start now.

So let’s start serving up those cooking safety tips. After all – Thanksgiving is the single worst day for residential fires! Below are some safety tips to share with your community.

Cooking Safety:

• Be careful wearing loose clothing around open flames on the stove
• Use a timer and use “post it’s” to remind yourself of cooking times in the oven
• Be careful using candles at the dinner table (especially if toddlers are present)
• Use oven and mitts when handling hot pots and pans
• Do not cool hot pans with water if grease is in them
• Have a fire extinguisher near-by and know how to use it.
• Stay alert. If you are sleepy or have consumed alcohol, do not use the stove or stove top.
• Is that smoke detector properly working?

If you have a cooking fire

Just get out! When you leave, close the door behind you to help contain the fire!

Nothings goes better with Turkey than manners!

Whether with the family at home or at the fire station kitchen, bad manners can make a delicious meal bad.

Here are some things to help maintain civility:

Don’ts

• Do not talk politics or bring up other “hot topics.” Often the urge is to help family members “understand” your position or understand why their position is irrational and wrong. Too often, this ends with slamming doors and someone crying in the car.
• Do not be sarcastic, critical or give subtle jabs. These can cause emotions to escalate quickly, and feelings can get hurt.
• Do not try to fix each other’s problems over one meal. Also, do not discuss the problems of other family/department members who are not there. The Thanksgiving meal is not the time to suggest someone get out of a relationship, sell a house, move to a different station, be a better parent, firefighter, or start exercising.
• Do not take things personally. Some family members are “pricklier” than others but choose not to get defensive. If someone does start fishing for a reaction, do not take the hook.

Do’s

• Take charge of seating. Set the table for success by separating conflicting personalities. Set the conspirators near you so you can put out fires and guide the conversation.
• Ask others about their lives. Do not talk about yourself extensively.
• Give kids responsibilities but then turn them loose. Kids simply are not going to enjoy being trapped at a table for long periods of time. They often get restless and whiny. It is OK if they run off after trying most of the foods. Do not turn it into a battle. Have something for them to do after the meal.

Most importantly, remind yourself why you are doing this. You love your community and the members of your organization. These safety tips and manners apply to both you and your community.

Remember with manners; “people are more important than problems!”

Editor’s note: California State Firefighters Association is honored to help your agency with Community Risk Reduction articles for you to use for your agency’s social media, press releases to local media, cable tv, or presentations to community organizations etc. These articles are intended to reduce fires, accidents, and injuries by sharing these within your community. This week’s article is designated for Flashflood Safety during our summer monsoon months. This article and its content can be used at your discretion at any time you feel is appropriate for your community. Do you need other resources for Community Risk Reduction, or do you have questions on how to best use these resources? Feel free to contact [email protected]

Sam DiGiovanna is a 40-year fire service veteran. He started with the Los Angeles County Fire Department, served as Fire Chief at the Monrovia Fire Department, and currently serves as Chief at the Verdugo Fire Academy in Glendale. He is Director at Large with the California State Firefighters Association, Associate Director for the California Training Officers Association and a consultant for www.Lexipol.com