As I am sitting in the office of the Missouri State Fair Fire Department all I can say is wow, how different this is. We are working with half crew sizes and equipment, and the streets only have a few people walking around. There are some that stop by to say thank you for all we do.
The 2020 Missouri Youth Livestock show will be one for the record books. We have made many improvements to the station. A big shout out to Evan, Emily, Kyler, Chris, and anyone else that helped with a massive upgrade to our communication and dispatching capabilities. During the fair, we also held a Basic Firefighter class for members that didn’t already have the training. For the members that have the certification, or higher, it was a great training refresher and great team building.
With the youth livestock show in the books, it means that school will be starting which leads to the fall season and fire prevention. This year has been a year with the convention being canceled and the challenges of getting posters to the Fire Prevention Committee to be judged. We did have a few that we were able to get submitted. For those that were not able to submit your posters this year, I hope you can join us in Kearney in 2021 and get your posters turned in.
For the posters that were submitted, congratulations to all the winners. With the fair being canceled the Fire Prevention Committee and the Missouri State Fair Fire Department extend an invitation to this year’s winners to come next year and receive your day at the fair for you and your immediate family.
And now to the good stuff the following are the winners of the 2019 Poster Contest: Plan and Practice Your Escape.
1st-2nd Grades
1. Chase Kriete, Washington FD
2. Marissa Gildehause, Washington FD
3. Aubrey Miller, Johnson County FPD#2
3rd-4th Grades
1. Carley Brueggemann, Washington FD
2. Kendal Son,s Little Dixie FPD
3. Madison Rada, Washington FD
5th-6th Grades
1. Delilah London, Washington FD
2. Hailey Struckhoff, Washington FD
3. Lydia Van Schnydel, Little Dixie FPD
Special Needs
1. Evie Sexton, Little Dixie FPD
2. Clayton Friedrich, Little Dixie FPD
3. Andrea Long, Little Dixie FPD.
Congratulation to all the winners I hope you’ll come to the 2021 Missouri State Fair and be our guest.
The 2020 Fire Prevention theme is Serve Up Fire Safety in the Kitchen.
Just a friendly reminder to go to the FFAM website under fire prevention to be up to date with the rules and regulations on the poster contest, and I hope we have many entries from across the great state of Missouri.
In closing Fire Prevention week will be October 4-10. Let’s all practice fire prevention because an ounce of prevention is worth a ton of protection so go out and spread the word.
Important Fire Prevention Tips Everyone Should Know
Do you practice good fire prevention? Many homeowners don’t know what to do in an emergency. Here are some common-sense fire prevention tips everyone should know and practice.
Create a Fire Escape Plan
The best thing you can do for your family is to make sure everyone knows what to do in case of a fire. Create an escape plan and practice it. Everyone needs to know the best ways to exit the home from any room.
This is especially true of young children. Teach them took get low when there is smoke because smoke is toxic.
Make Sure Your Smoke Alarms Work
Smoke alarms are only effective if they work. Take the time at least once a month to make sure each alarm in your house works properly. We recommend installing smoke alarms that feature a 10-year battery.
Leave Your Home Immediately
Make sure your family understands that in case of a fire, every single person needs to leave the house immediately. Don’t waste valuable time trying to grab cherished possessions. Once everyone is safely outside, call 911.
Properly Store Flammable Materials
The best way to prevent fires in your home is to be proactive. Be aware of household items that are flammable. Keep these items away from space heaters and out of reach of small children. And make sure space heaters are turned off when you leave the room.
If you have any gasoline-powered devices, always store gasoline containers in locked locations where children cannot access them.
Don’t Overload Electrical Outlets
Believe it or not, one of the biggest fire hazards in your home is an overloaded electrical outlet. Plugging multiple appliances into a single outlet is a bad idea. And use a power strip for multiple plugs only when absolutely necessary.
Never Leave Candles Burning
Candles certainly make a home smell nice, and can add to the atmosphere of a room, but never leave them unattended. Be sure to keep candles at least 12 inches away from anything flammable, and blow them out before going to bed or when leaving a room. This simple habit can save you from a huge nightmare.
An Ounce of Prevention
This list of fire safety tips can go a long way toward keeping your family safe. Most fire prevention tips might seem obvious, but you’d be amazed at how many people simply ignore them.
Keeping a list of fire safety tips for kids on your refrigerator where they can be easily seen on a daily basis. Always remember that it’s the little things that make a big difference, especially when it comes to safety.
FFAM
