2023 Fire Prevention Week

PUBLIC INFORMATION RELEASE:

September 5, 2023

MEDIA CONTACT:

Lieutenant Jim Roberts

850-391-6905

LTRoberts@mpvfd.org 

As Fire Prevention Week approaches, Mount Pleasant Volunteer Fire Department reminds residents:

“Cooking safety starts with YOU. Pay attention to fire prevention.”

September 5, 2023 - The Mount Pleasant Volunteer Fire Department (MPVFD) is teaming up with the National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®) - the official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week TM (FPW) for more than 100 years - to promote this year’s FPW campaign, “Cooking safety starts with YOU. Pay attention to fire prevention TM.” The campaign works to educate everyone about simple but important actions they can take when cooking to keep themselves and those around them safe.

According to the NFPA, cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries in the United States. Unattended cooking is the leading cause of cooking fires and deaths.

“Year after year, cooking remains the leading cause of home fires by far, accounting for half (49 percent) of all U.S. home fires,” said Lorraine Carli, vice president of outreach and advocacy at NFPA. “These numbers tell us that there is still much work to do when it comes to better educating the public about ways to stay safe when cooking.”

“The Mount Pleasant Volunteer Fire Department encourages all residents to embrace the 2023 Fire Prevention Week theme, Cooking safety start with YOU,” said Fire Chief Clay Fallis. “A cooking fire can grow quickly. I have seen many homes damaged and people injured by fires that could easily have been prevented.”

MPVFD offers these key safety tips to help reduce the risk of a cooking fire.

1. Watch what you heat. Always keep a close eye on what you are cooking. Set a timer to remind you that you are cooking.

2. Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove. Always keep a lid nearby when cooking. If a small grease fire starts, slide the lid over the pan and turn off the burner.

3. Have a “kid- and pet-free zone” of at least 3 feet (1 meter) around the stove or grill and anywhere else hot food or drink is prepared or carried.

The 2023 Fire Prevention Week will be held October 8-14, 2023. The Mount Pleasant Volunteer Fire Department is supporting this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign, “Cooking safety starts with YOU. Pay attention to fire prevention,” which will include social media messaging via the department’s Facebook page (@MPVFD) daily during the week. At the conclusion of the week the Mount Pleasant Volunteer Fire Department will host their 4th Annual Open House in support of this year’s FPW campaign. This year’s Open House will take place on Saturday, October 14, 2023, from 10:00am to 3:00pm at the Mount Pleasant Fire Station located at 2875 Mount Pleasant Road in Quincy.

To find out more about the Fire Prevention Week Open House, visit the Mount Pleasant Volunteer Fire Department’s website at www.mpvfd.org, follow them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mpvfd (@MPVFD), contact the station at (850) 856-8151 or by email at mpvfd@mpvfd.org.  For more general information about Fire Prevention Week and cooking safety, visit www.fpw.org. For fire safety fun for kids, visit sparky.org.

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