Four to Watch Out for Your Community!

The holidays are fun, I love this time of year. However, they are also a time of stress, rushing around and changes in routine. From driving home from late-night parties to cooking up a feast, many of us find ourselves doing things we don’t normally do. And we all know what Gordon Graham says about low-frequency, high-risk events!

That’s why there’s no better time than now to start spreading the word throughout your community. Everyone in your department — suppression personnel, public information officers, prevention bureaus and chief officers have a role in spreading the message. And don’t stop there. Share the information with local newspapers, news websites, social media, cable TV, PTAs, senior citizen groups and community services groups.

But what exactly should you say? During the busy holiday season, it can be difficult to grab people’s attention. Simple, clear messages are key. I call this one, “Four to Watch Out For.” It outlines four key dangers found in many homes during the holiday season, with tips on how to mitigate the risks.

1. Christmas Trees
   According to the NFPA, fire departments responded to over 200 home fires started with Christmas trees per year. And Christmas tree fires are more deadly than other fires. One of every 32 reported home fires that began with a Christmas tree resulted in a death, compared to an average of one death per 143 total reported home fires.
   • Consider an artificial tree. They’re not only safer, but more environmentally friendly — and you can select color, size and decorations easily.
   • Water fresh trees daily. Regular watering makes a huge difference. But don’t take my word for it. Check out this video NFPA made showing a how a dried-out tree progresses to flashover in less than a minute, while a regularly watered tree burns at a much slower rate.
   • Inspect tree lights, cords and other electrical equipment carefully before using them on or near a tree. Electrical distribution or lighting equipment was involved in 40 percent of home Christmas tree fires.
   • Keep heat sources far away from Christmas trees. In 26 percent of the Christmas tree fires and in 80 percent of the related deaths, some type of heat source, such as a candle or equipment, was too close to the tree.
2. Holiday Decorations
   Decorating the house is a family tradition for many of us, but it can be deadly. Fire departments responded to an average of 840 home structure fires per year that began with decorations, excluding Christmas trees.
   • Choose flame-resistant decorations.
   • Keep decorations far away from heat sources such as space heaters and candles. Nearly half of decoration fires happen because the decorations are too close to a heat source.
   • Hang lights with clips, not nails, to reduce damage to the cords.
   • Don’t use indoor-only lights outdoors.
   • Hang decorations securely, and ensure they are out of the way of highly trafficked areas in your house. Decoration-related falls or trips accounted for over 7,000 ER visits every year.
   • Use extra caution in the kitchen. Decorations don’t mix well with the range. More than 20 percent of decoration fires start in the kitchen.
   • Unplug all lights and electrical decorations before going to bed or leaving the house.
3. Candles
   Candles are a risk any time of year, but the danger increases during the holidays, most likely because people are more likely to light them. More than 55 percent of the December home decoration fires were started by candles, compared to 32 percent in other months.
   • Use flameless candles. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: if you frequently burn candles, it’s time to consider the flameless variety. They come in all sorts of styles and sizes, they last longer and they give you something priceless: The peace of mind that you’re not going to inadvertently cause a home fire with a candle.
   • If you must use traditional candles, locate them on sturdy surfaces using proper candleholders or plates to capture falling wax.
   • Always extinguish candles before going to bed or leaving the house. Don’t leave candles unattended.
   • Ensure decorations, drapes and other things that can burn cannot come in contact with candles.
   • Keep matches and lighters in a cabinet children cannot access.
4. Holiday Cooking
   A couple weeks ago we looked at some of the dangers associated with Thanksgiving cooking. The December holidays pose similar risks. Cooking equipment causes an average of more than 500 civilian deaths per year.
   • Keep decorations away from the range. Cooking equipment was involved in 19 percent of home decoration fires. This can happen when a decoration is left on or too close to a stove or other cooking equipment.
   • When you’ve started cooking, stay in the kitchen. Unattended cooking is by far the leading contributor to cooking equipment fires.
   • Keep young children out of the kitchen or ensure they’re closely supervised. From cords to open flames to knives, there’s just too much that can go wrong unless you’re able to closely watch children in the kitchen.
   • Check food regularly and use a timer to remind you when dishes may be nearing completion or need to be checked.

So, there you have it: “Four to Watch Out For.” You can share all this information with your community at once or build an awareness campaign around each of the four areas.

Maybe even create a contest to see whether community members can guess what “the four” are. It doesn’t matter how you do it — just spread the word and make it a point to share the most valuable gift to your community: the gift of safety. Your community depends on you!

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 Wildfire Preparedness Day which is May 4th . 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 and Associate Director for the Calif Training Officers Assoc. He also is a consultant for Lexipol www.Lexipol.com