Fire Chief gives disaster prevention tips
The National Fire Service is not only charged with the responsibility of fighting fires, but the department also works hard to prevent them from occurring. This they do through educational campaigns. Today News Five visited the fire station headquarters to find out what we can all do to make our homes a safer place to live.
Jacqueline Woods, Reporting
Every year properties are destroyed due to fires and scores of people are left homeless. Sadly, some have even died due to smoke inhalation or were just burnt alive. But did you know such catastrophes could be avoided if we take simple precautionary measures to ensure our homes are fireproof? Fire Chief, Henry Baizar says too often in our rush to get chores done or to work, we forget to turn off or unplug appliances that quickly start a blaze.
Henry Baizar, Fire Chief
“They left the TV on, they left the iron on, they left their stove on and go out and forget that it’s on. Those are the common causes of fire. You light a fish and leave it in your house and you go out and it is just left there. You light a candle and leave it next to the window and you go out and the breeze blow the curtain onto the window and fire starts. It’s negligence and carelessness.”
While fires occur throughout the year, it is usually during the summertime that things begin to heat up. Presently children are home on vacation from school. Baizar says a number of them are left without any kind of adult supervision and quickly they begin to explore and touch things that ignite.
Henry Baizar
“Well the first thing, children at a certain age should not be left at home alone. We do understand situations with some homes…probably the mother is the only person, or the father and mother and they may have to leave their children in the home. But simple safety precautions, like if you have matches, ensure that it is out of the reach of children. If they have to use other appliances in the home ensure that some safety precautions or teach them to use it and use it properly. The thing is, with children, children are very inquisitive and they are very lively and you cannot leave things, matches and other things around without an adult in the house. My advice is if you have to go out, ensure that if there are matches make sure they are out of the reach of children.”
Another dangerous practice that is common in many households is having gas tanks placed inside the home instead of outside. Baizar says many people do this because they are scared someone might steal their tank, but isn’t it far better to lose a cylinder than a home or even maybe your life?
Henry Baizar
“It is a dangerous practice. Gas tanks should never be placed in homes because if there is a fire, not even if there is a fire, if there is a leak, if this thing leaks out in your home for your health it is bad and if it catches fire it is in your home and it will explode especially if it is leaking, it might explode or some part of it will give way. If it gives way within the home you lose everything.”
As the National Fire Service implores the general public to play it safe, the department as well has been strengthening its capabilities to better serve the public.
Henry Baizar
“We have just ordered a lot of hoses, we are in the process of ordering more breathing apparatus. The reason why we are using things like breathing apparatus, is that it protects the firefighter from smoke when going into a building and it protects their health likewise. Because most of the wooden houses are burning out, people are building concrete structures, so you will find out that most of the fires that you will go and fight presently, the fires will be in the building and our people must go in the buildings to get to the fire and if people are trapped in these buildings we have to go in that is why we need to equip our people with the proper equipment for them to go and do their jobs.”
If you are in need of the fire service, incase of any emergencies that number to call is 90.
