Michael Hines, Fire Official
Phone: 732-449-9433 ex. 118
firemarshal@springlakehts.com
FOLLOW THE RECIPE FOR FIRE SAFETY AND
STOP KITCHEN FIRES BEFORE THEY START!
More home fires start in the kitchen than any where else. In 2011, cooking was involved in an estimated 156,300 home fires that caused 470 deaths, 5,390 injuries, and $1 billion in property damage. These numbers could be greatly reduced if people paid more attention when they cooked and practiced simple fire safety behaviors.
Unattended cooking is the leading cause of kitchen fires. Keep an eye on what you fry.
- Stay in the kitchen when frying, grilling, or broiling food.
- When simmering, baking, roasting, or boiling food, stay in the home, check food regularly, and use a timer to remind you the stove/oven is on.
- If you must leave—even for a short time, turn off the stove/oven.
Stay alert to avoid stirring up trouble in the kitchen.
- Don’t use the oven or stovetop if you are sleepy, have consumed alcohol, or are using drugs.
Hot tips for preventing and treating scalds and burns.
- Keep pot handles turned in.
- When you microwave food, open the container slowly to let steam escape and let food cool before eating.
- Cool a burn under cool water for 3 to 5 minutes and cover it with a clean dry cloth.
Make sure flammable objects aren’t near the stove.
- Keep anything that can burn a safe distance away from the stove.
- Clean up food and grease from burners and the stovetop.
- Wear short or tight-fitting, or tightly-rolled sleeves. If clothing catches fire, stop, drop, and roll over and over or back and forth to put the fire out. Get medical help.
Be ready to react fast to a cooking fire.
- When in doubt, just get out.
- If you try to fight the fire with a fire extinguisher, be sure others are leaving the home, someone is calling the fire department, and you have a clear exit path.
- If a small grease fire starts, slide a lid over the pan, turn off the burner, and leave the pan covered until it is completely cool.
- For an oven fire or microwave fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed.
A vital part of the responsibility of the BFP is that of education. Each year, in early October, the BFP and Independent Fire Co. #1 provide a fire prevention program for all students in our elementary school and the three preschools in the borough. A brief educational talk is presented to each grade, Preschool through 5, and supplementary fire education materials are provided to the teachers to reinforce the fire safety content in their educational curriculum. One activity is the annual Fire Prevention Poster Contest. This activity is conducted by the Art teacher in the elementary school. Students are asked to create a poster that illustrates the fire prevention theme for the year. After judging, winners in each category have their posters advanced to the county for judging and then on to the state for the final judging and selection of the best poster in the state.
Go to any of the following links to find games and activities teaching about fire safety. Many have pictures that can be printed out and colored.
www.sparky.org Fire prevention and safety activities for kids aged 5 to 9, fire safety quiz, games, etc.
www.smokeybear.com Official website for Smokey Bear fire prevention information and literature. Wildfire information. Games and 40+ pictures that can be downloaded for coloring activities.
www.kfst.net/ Simple fire safety tips for children utilizing cartoon characters. Excellent for primary students.
www.scottiesfirehouse.com Scottie the Firefighter leads 3rd and 4th grade student through fun learning about fire safety.
www.geocities.com/EnchantedForest/Dell/5811/ Boots the Clown Fire Safety Page. Fun music and animation, information, games, photos, links for more info.
www.usfa.fema.gov/kids/ General fire prevention information and activities for kids from the US Fire Administration.
The Bureau of Fire Prevention (BFP) is charged with the enforcement of the NJ Uniform Fire Code. This is the law that provides for a fire safe environment in your place of assembly, work, shopping or recreation. The BFP is managed by the Fire Official who is certified in his position by the Division of Fire Safety of the NJ Department of Community Affairs.
The BFP is available to any group or organization who wish to have the Fire Official attend their meeting and discuss fire prevention, or any related topic. If you would like to have the FO attend your meeting, contact him through the Borough Office or at 732-882-3574.
Private homes are exempt from the state fire safety inspection requirement, but the Fire Official will provide a complimentary, non binding home fire inspection at the request of any home owner.
If at any time you have a question of concern about fire safety, please do not hesitate to contact the Fire Official and get an answer to your question of concern.
Each business in the Borough must file a yearly Registration form with the BFP. The BFP is responsible for conducting a fire safety inspection of every business, office or store registered in the Borough. Some businesses, because of their type of work setting, are classified as Life Hazard Uses, and must be registered with the state. Several of our LHU’s require quarterly inspections. Some of the items inspected during the annual inspection include fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, sprinklers, Exit lights and Emergency lights, and storage areas.