SCRANTON — About 50 senior citizens of Scranton recently enjoyed an evening meal while learning safety tips for the upcoming holiday season.
"You need to make fire prevention a way of life," said South Lynches Fire Department Administrative Assistant for Public Relations Debbie Altman.
"Regardless of saving property, our first job is to save a life," she said Nov. 12 at Scranton Town Hall.
Altman said always change the batteries in your smoke defectors regularly. A good time to do this, she said, is when you're changing your clocks for daylight saving time.
She said to never leave food unattended on stoves. If you do have to leave the kitchen while cooking, Altman said, take an eating utensil with you as a reminder that you're cooking in the kitchen and need to return soon.
Altman said cooking is the leading cause of house fires and that stoves are the most dangerous area in kitchens. She said many house fires are caused by pots left unattended on stoves. She said to always keep stove areas clean and to avoid hanging items such as cloths on the stove.
The months of December, January and February are when the most house fires occur, Altman said. She said this is because of the usage of heat.
Space heaters need to be kept away from your walls, magazines, curtains, etc., Altman said. People who use electric blankets should make sure they are in good working condition, she said.
Altman also said to never run extension cords underneath rugs or carpets because that can cause a fire.
Also during the meal, residents learned precautions to take while shopping during the upcoming holiday season.
Scranton Police Chief Larry W. Rogers said to park in well-lighted areas when shopping during the holiday season. He told residents not to place packages in their cars and return to the store for more shopping. Instead, he said, shoppers who have placed packages in their car should move the vehicle to another section of the parking lot and go into another entrance of the store. By doing this, the shopper is preventing someone who could have been watching him or her and waiting to break into the car, Rogers said.
Rogers told residents to try not to go shopping alone, but in groups.
He told them not to be afraid to report suspicious activity in their neighborhoods during the holiday season.
Scranton Mayor Terry Knotts said senior citizens are the foundation of Scranton.
"We have one of the best towns around," said Knotts, who added that he has lived in Scranton for 48 years and that it is the only home he will ever know.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement