Fire prevention program enters 17th campaign

SCHUYLER COUNTY--As the region moves into the holiday season, Schuyler County Emergency Management, along with all the fire departments in Schuyler County and the Schuyler County Volunteer Ambulance Corps., want to remind citizens to be safe and practice fire prevention this year. The 17th annual "Keep the Wreath Blue" safety reminder helps to highlight the yearly danger during the heating season and holiday.
Participating agencies placed a wreath in front of their stations starting the day after Thanksgiving (Nov. 27) and it will remain there until Dec. 31. The wreaths will be lit with blue lights. Whenever a structure fire occurs in the county, a blue light bulb will be replaced with a red bulb.
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the top sources for indoor fire are cooking, heating, electrical, smoking and candles.
Lack of supervision is one of the key factors in many fires. When frying, boiling, grilling, or broiling food stay in the kitchen and pay attention to what is being cooked. For longer term items that use simmering, baking, or roasting, stay in the house and set a timer to remind you there is something in the oven.
For heating, the group recommends keeping a three-foot buffer from anything that gets hot. Having a professional install the equipment, performing yearly maintenance and turning off portable heaters when leaving a room or going to bed are among the recommendations.
Having and testing both smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors are also required.
Half of home heating fires are reported during December, January and February.
Schuyler County Emergency Management asks that citizens use this as a reminder that fire safety starts at home and to be vigilant for fire safety.
For more information on fire safety contact your local fire department or Schuyler County Emergency Management at 607-535-8200.