Fire Prevention during the Holiday Season and Always

Editor’s Note: WFWP New Jersey Hackensack invites guest speakers monthly to share his/her expertise on various topics.  

On December 5, 2021, eight  participants heard advice from Mr. T.J. Higgins, Fire Captain of Jersey City, NJ about keeping one's house safe during the holiday season.

First of all, invest in at least two fire extinguishers and learn how to use them. Keep one in the kitchen and one by your clothes drier.

Secondly, do not overload the electric outlets. Many fires start from too many plugs in one socket.

Keep your drier free of lint build up. Captain Higgins suggested you clean your dryer vents frequently and turn off the dryer when you leave the house .

Fire feeds off of oxygen. If a fire starts in a room in your home, shut the window, leave the room and close the door behind you. Then call the fire department or 911 immediately.

Do you see smoke coming from your car? Pull your car over to a safe spot so you will not be hit by ongoing traffic and call 911. The fire department will know how to extinguish the fire effectively.

Finally talk to your house mates and decide on a meeting place outside that people can meet up after they have left the house. This is important so you know everyone is safe and out of the house.

When leaving for vacation, turn all appliances off and if possible unplug them. Not many house fires start from a vacant house but it is best to be as safe as possible.

Always monitor your stove cooking and candle burning. Use common sense and stay safe!!

The talk was a wonderful reminder of safe practices to avoid a disaster. Also, it is always good to take some time to know what to do if a fire breaks out, so if the unexpected does occur, instead of panic we default to a well prepared plan.