Tips to Stay Safe

Home Cooking Fires was the topic of our October safety article, highlighting Fire Prevention Week. Why then does Thanksgiving get singled out specifically, as a topic in November? Thanksgiving has three times the amount of home fires, more than any other day of the year. Home cooking fires are responsible for almost 50 % of these fires. Unattended cooking is the most common cause of Thanksgiving Day Fires. We will look at keeping the cooking area safe, turkey fryer fires and keeping children and pets in mind while cooking.

National Fire Protection week is celebrated annually in the United States and Canada. The specific week is chosen to highlight the date of October 9. Whatever week starting on Sunday and ending on Saturday that includes October 9 is designated as National Fire Protection Week.

September’s safety topic is about falls, specifically fall prevention. Falls can occur at any age and consequences may be severe at any age. Statistically however, seniors have the highest percentage of falls of any age group. One third of seniors fall annually, and 50 % of these falls represent repeat falls.

As residents of Southern Arizona, we are fortunate to have a choice of multiple hiking trails. Our National Parks offer additional beautiful trails, and opportunities for hiking and backpacking worldwide are plentiful. This month’s article will review how to prepare for a hike that meets individual abilities and prepares you to deal with the challenges of the great outdoors.

Once again, we review our desert pests, and some of the concerns we have living in the southwest. While there are many animals that fit this definition of “pest”, we’ll talk about those which are native to the Arizona desert, and how to avoid injury if encountered. Where in our Arizona desert would we find these desert critters? What actions provoke injury to perceived foes? What toxins are released and how do they affect us? What should we do if bitten stung or otherwise injured?

“Wildfires”, defined as a large destructive fire that spreads quickly over woodland and brush that are typically uncontrolled and unplanned. Wildfires have escalated greatly in the recent past and have destroyed millions of acres of land and caused millions of dollars in property damage. The southwest states of Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico are at great risk states for wildfires because of recent drought conditions and the extreme temperatures they experience.

This month let’s review common causes of kitchen fires and review the safety measures to prevent these fires: Do we take the dog for a walk and leave the oven on? Do we get caught up with a task and forget to keep an eye on the stove? Are the beautiful cotton hand crafted oven mitts left lying next to the stove safe?