EMFD Commrs. Urge Residents to Cook With Caution this Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving and the joy of cooking a holiday meal with all the trimmings brings family and friends together and can make lasting memories. Fire safety experts, including the Board of Fire Commissioners of the East Meadow Fire District, caution that cooking is one of the leading causes of home fires and related injuries and offer the following safety tips to help prevent fires and injuries.

“Cook With Caution”

• Be alert! If you’re sleepy or have consumed alcohol, don’t use the stove or stovetop.
• Avoid wearing loose clothing that can catch on fire while cooking.
• Have a “kid- and pet-free zone” of at least three feet around the stove and in areas where hot food or beverages are prepared or carried.
  
• Stay in the kitchen when frying, boiling, grilling or boiling food. If you leave the kitchen, even briefly, turn off the stove.
• Face pot and pan handles away from the edge of the stovetop where they may be accidentally knocked into.
• If you’re simmering, baking or roasting food, check it regularly and remain in the house while cooking. Using a timer to remind you that you’re cooking is a good idea.
• Keep anything that can catch fire — oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels or curtains — away from your stovetop.
• If you have a small (grease) cooking fire and decide to fight the fire…
  

If you have a small (grease) cooking fire and decide to fight the fire…

• For a pan fire, smother the flames by sliding a lid over the pan and turning off the burner. Leave the pan covered until it has thoroughly cooled.
• For an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the oven door closed.

If you have any doubts about fighting a small fire…

• Just get out! When you leave, close the door behind you to help contain the fire.
• Call the East Meadow Fire Department from outside the home. The direct number is 516-542-0576.

The use of turkey fryers

Turkey fryers using large amounts of cooking oil are not safe. These fryers use oil at high temperatures that can cause severe burns. The Board of Fire Commissioners joins leading safety agencies, including the National Fire Protection Association and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, to strongly discourage the use of turkey fryers.

“On behalf of the Board of Commissioners, we wish our residents a safe and happy Thanksgiving,” said Commissioner Carey A. Welt, who also notes that East Meadow’s volunteer firefighters and emergency medical staff are always ready to respond to emergencies at any time of day or night, including holidays.

The East Meadow Fire Department, which covers East Meadow and parts of Levittown and Westbury (Salisbury), always looks for new members to join their ranks as firefighters or emergency medical personnel; no experience is necessary. The fire department provides the training required. There are numerous benefits associated with volunteering, including tax breaks, college scholarships, annual health checkups, life insurance, and a service award pension program, all at no cost. For more information on volunteering with the East Meadow Fire Department, visit www.eastmeadowfd.com or call 516-542-4565.