Taree fire station is throwing open its doors this weekend for an open day and the chance to meet your local firefighters and learn how to keep homes safe during winter.
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From 10am till 2pm this Saturday, May 11, Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) Taree will be staging the event to connect with the community and provide strategies for avoiding fires and keeping people safe.
"We'll be showing the general public through the station, the fire trucks, equipment, and talking to people about home fire safety," Taree fire station captain, Anthony Shoesmith said.
"Especially with winter coming up, so smoke alarms, electric blankets, heaters; all the things that make houses catch fire in winter."
On the day there will be a barbecue and free give-aways for the kids, such as fire helmets and activity books.
Taree fire crew will even be staging a demonstration of a road crash rescue, however, Captain Shoesmith said the primary focus of the day would be helping people to understand importance of home fire safety and the simple things they can do to keep their loved ones from harm.
"Ensure that you have a working smoke alarm, and having it tested before the season comes upon us, and if they need it checked we can come out and do that free of charge," he said.
"Also, it's important to have an evacuation plan, and with electric blankets, if they're rolling them out for the first time this season, making sure they are in good condition before they use them."
In the case of electric blankets, it is advised to run your hands over them to check there are no bare wires, and plug them in and check for particular "hot spots" before fitting to the bed.
It is also advise that when storing electric blankets, to ensure they are always rolled and not folded.
While summer is synonymous with fire due to the ever present threat of bush fires, the elevation of home fires during winter is higher, primarily due to the use of heaters and electric blankets.
FRNSW also recommends that the flues of home wood fires are cleaned before winter, and remembering the general rule of heater safety being to always keep everything "a metre from the heater".
Also, it's important to have an evacuation plan, and with electric blankets, if they're rolling them out for the first time this season, making sure they are in good condition before they use them.
- FRNSW Taree station captain, Anthony Shoesmith
Another threat to home fire safety has occurred due to incorrect charging of devices equipped with lithium-ion batteries, such as mobile phones, iPads, power tools, e-bikes and e-scooters to name a few.
"It's critical not to overcharge these devices such as leaving them charging overnight," captain Shoesmith said.
"Charging should be on a hard surface and away from any flammables; definitely not on bedding, such as leaving an iPad on charge laying on a bed - and never charge overnight when it's unoccupied."
