Safe season: MLFD pros give tips to prevent tragedy at home during the holidays

MOSES LAKE — Last winter, the Moses Lake Fire Department responded to numerous calls related to falls in and around the home, said MLFD EMS Chief Todd Schanze. Additionally, fire risks are increased during the holidays due to overtaxed outlets, neglected fireplaces and unmaintained seasonal décor, added MLFD Fire Marshal Derek Beach.

Those issues are all preventable, Beach said.

“(Inspect) your Christmas decorations and make sure that, electrically, they’re safe and in good repair. No frayed wires or staple holes or whatever in the string of lights, and not plugging them into a single outlet, overloading the system,” Beach said.

With the holidays comes the cold weather, as well, and Beach said residents should be thoughtful and aware of how the cold might impact their day-to-day lives. With the chill comes the need to heat homes and Beach suggested residents be cautious while using wood or pellet stoves, space heaters and other methods to warm the home.

Anyone using a gas stove to warm their home should ensure they have an unexpired carbon monoxide detector with good batteries in it, Beach said. The devices are only good for about seven years, he added.

He recommended space heaters have a feature that turns the device off if it is tipped over. Additionally, space heaters should be turned off whenever a room is left empty. Ensuring the power cords for heaters are placed away from natural walking paths in the home is also important to prevent tripping, he said.

Schanze agreed with Beach and said falls during the wintertime are common.

“Trips and falls are one of the most common things that we go on and it’s one of the more common reasons for folks to get admitted into the ER, as well because of fractures in their hips,” Schanze said.

To prevent falls in and around the home, especially with soon-to-be-icy driveways, Schanze recommended residents keep salt or other snowmelt products conveniently located and pay attention to outdoor steps and walkways.

Indoors, Schanze said being mindful of oxygen tubes and ensuring cables and other hazards are away from natural walking traffic pathways, especially in homes occupied by anyone with a mobility concern, is important. Walking aids can catch easily on cables, area rugs and general clutter.

Making sure to use mobility aids to help prevent falls is vital, as well, Schanze said.

“A lot of folks don’t like using them because it kind of restricts your mobility, but in reality, without them, they just aren’t sturdy enough to walk,” Schanze said.

Schanze also advised the elderly or disabled who live alone to keep some sort of emergency alert device on them. He added family members and neighbors checking in on those with mobility impairments who live alone can help identify when a fall has occurred.

Being careful around stoves is important, as well, Beach said. With the holidays, families have fireplaces and kitchen stoves going and being mindful of safety is important. When cooking, at-home chefs should make certain pot and pan handles are turned away from where children can reach them. He also suggested anyone interrupted while cooking take a cooking utensil with them to keep them from forgetting what they were doing. Additionally, anyone deep frying a turkey should make certain the bird is dry before dropping it in the deep fryer.

Beach said having a fire extinguisher, which is properly serviced, is important, as well. Keeping an exit available and using the extinguisher safely is important, too, he said.

“The big thing with (extinguishers) is not to just pull the pin out, squeeze the trigger and empty the whole thing. It’s really kind of short blasts in a sweeping method – spray and sweep through it, but (then) kind of reevaluate and see if the fire’s out or if it’s moving,” Beach said.