Fire House Facts
Date:
10/13/2009Summary:
Sunday October 4, 2009 through Saturday October 10, 2009Contact:
The Yuma Fire Department responded to 227 emergency calls for service
- 9 Commercial Assignments
Including: 1 for food left cooking in the microwave too long and setting off a smoke alarm, a fire in an apartment building that turned out to be in the county, and various alarms - 26 Motor Vehicle Crashes (73 total patients)
Including: 1 involving a pedestrian, 1 rollover, 1 head on collision, and 3 involving 3 vehicles - 4 Hazardous Materials Responses
Including: 4 calls for the smell of gasoline outside - 1 Mutual Aid Assignment
Including: The deployment of the wild land strike team to California - 175 Other Medical Emergencies (serious to minor)
Including: 6 for difficulty breathing, 11 for chest pain, 21 fall victims, 8 unconscious people, 2 seizure cases, 3 diabetic emergencies, 4 possible strokes, 1 allergic reaction, 13 patients with mental problems, and misc. other illnesses and injuries - 12 Special Duty, Public Assistance, and Residential Assignments
Including: A small cooking fire that was contained to the stove, a small grass fire, a trash can fire, some burned food on an electric grill that set off a smoke alarm at an apartment complex, a smoke alarm activation at a home due to burned food in the kitchen, and various alarms
Cooking Safety
Cooking fires are the number one cause of home fires and home fire injuries. Just last week the Yuma Fire Department responded to four separate fire calls that involved cooking. Every year hundreds of Americans die, thousands more are injured, and roughly half a billion dollars in property damage results from cooking fires. Unattended cooking is a major reason these fires occur.
If you are simmering, baking, boiling, or roasting food, check it regularly, remain in the home while food is cooking, and use a timer to remind you the stove or oven is on. Even boiling water can lead to a fire if left unattended and the water boils away.
Have a kid free zone at least 3 feet around the stove/oven. Keep handles turned in so small children won’t pull on them, dumping hot food, oil, or water on top of them. If your stove has knobs that children can reach, get safety covers for them. If older children are allowed to help in the kitchen, always supervise their activities.
Always stay in the kitchen when frying, grilling, or broiling food. If you must leave the kitchen, for even a short time, turn off the stove. Be mindful of unexpected distractions (phone calls, visitors, etc.) that take your attention away from your cooking.
The Yuma Fire Department wants your family to follow this recipe for safety! Stop kitchen fires before they start!
Follow the Yuma Fire Department on Twitter
Follow the Yuma Fire Department on Twitter. The address is www.twitter.com/YumaFireDept. (This link will take you to an external website that is not part of the City of Yuma official website.)
