The Delta fire department is looking for a little help from local school kids during National Fire Prevention Week.
Typically, firefighters are preparing to visit elementary schools across the city for their annual fire safety presentations but that won’t be happening next week due to COVID-19.
“We are going to be sending out e-brochures to all the schools. We’re also going to use Instagram and Twitter for a seven-days-of-safety campaign where every day there will be a new spin on kitchen fire safety. That’s how we will try and get the message out to the community this year,” explained Delta deputy fire Chief Dave Wood.
In addition to their safety tips, Delta will also be running a contest through schools to name its new mascot. The winning class will get its own pizza party courtesy of Panago.
Wood said they are hoping for some innovative entries.
“We want the kids to be involved and try to be pro-active in their education of fire prevention,” he said. “We happen to have a new fire dog mascot that doesn’t have a name yet, so we are going to put a promotion together where the kids can try and come up with something to name the dog. Hopefully we get some good videos of class rooms trying to be creative or even some plain old applications.
“Don’t come up with the name Sparky. That’s already the name of the mascot with the (National Fire Protection Association). That’s my tip to the kids.”
This year’s theme on kitchen safety reflects today’s busy lifestyles and what can happen when multi-tasking.
“Normally it’s because people are so busy that get their dinner going then they leave it and come back and find it on fire,” added Wood. “Also the type of cooking that is happening. When you are cooking with grease one of the worse things you can do is trying to put it out with an extinguisher or water. Hit it with extinguisher and you are just pushing that grease fire all over the kitchen cabinets. With water it just throws that hot grease up and you have a huge flame ball.
“The best thing to do is just put a lid on it. Or if it’s in the oven just turn it off and keep the door shut. What you think would be too simple where most people try to be pro-active in trying to put it out when actually they are just spreading it.”
