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Winter Fire Safety
Discussed At 69th Pct. Community Council Meeting
With winter approaching, residents will warm their homes with various methods and appliances that, if not handled properly, could result in a fire. Those who attended the October 69th Precinct Community Council meeting at St. Alban's Church were informed about the importance of fire safety as well as preventing hazardous conditions during the cold months. Guest speaker Anthony Mancuso, a lieutenant with the New York City Fire Department Safety Division, made a presentation on the safest ways to heat one's home. "A lot of people want to keep warm but don't realize the hazards involved," said Mancuso. "For example - you should never turn on and open your oven to heat your home. Your oven should only be used for cooking, no matter how careful you think you are. "And when it comes to using heaters, make sure of several things - that they are placed far away from anything that can catch fire, such as window curtains and furniture," said Mancuso. He displayed two types of heaters, one which was an older model. Newer models turn off automatically if they are not upright. "In addition, make sure the units are plugged directly into the wall and not into an extension cord or power surge outlet, and look for products that are UL (underwriters laboratory) approved. UL approved products ensure that it's been tested for safety," he added. Mancuso also displayed two types of power surge protectors - one which was not UL listed - and said any appliance that cools or heats should not be plugged into these devices. "It's fine if you have entertainment and electronic units powered through the strip. But you can overheat the power surge if you plug things such as heaters into surge protectors." Another recommendation was the use of flameless candles, which run on batteries. The lieutenant also reminded everyone of the importance of changing batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. "You should replace batteries twice a year," he said. "The easiest way to remember to change them is to do so when you change your clocks from Daylight to Eastern Savings Time and vice versa." | |||||
