Miami Student

Issue date: 10/12/07 Section: Community

With National Fire Prevention Week almost over, the Oxford Fire Department, located at the corner of West Spring and South Elm streets, has taken measures to inform students of important safety procedures.

In honor of the past week being National Fire Prevention Week, the Oxford Fire Department (OFD) spoke with students of all grades from the Talawanda School District about fire safety.

Yet in the past, one class has proven to be the most effective at reaching.

"We normally target third grade classes because they are the ones that go home and bug their parents about it," said Oxford Fire Chief Len Endress.

The third graders will also take part in a coloring contest, with the winner getting to ride in the Miami Homecoming Parade. The OFD also provided preschool classes with tours of the firehouse and talks about fire prevention safety.

In relation to fire safety in the city itself, Endress said calls relating to fires and fire mishaps have been down so far this school year.

"Our actual fire runs are down," Endress said. "(But) we still get called for strange smells and things like that."

But this isn't a frustration for the department-they would rather be safe than sorry. Endress said, for example, when the furnaces light up for the first time, they might make a little smoke, but chances are it is only the dust that settled there while it was being inactive.

"We have not had any fire calls this year," Endress said. "If you have a fire, call the fire department first before you look to put it out. Fire tends to double in the first three and four minutes."

The biggest problems with fire safety, Endress said, are the lack of electricity sockets and people using extension cords. If an extension cord gets put into a direct socket, it will get hot enough to start a fire. Endress suggests getting a power strip with a circuit breaker and plugging the extension cord into it.

Bobbe Burke, Miami University's coordinator for off-campus affairs, stressed the importance of smoke detectors in homes and apartments.

"We certainly want to make sure smoke detectors are working correctly," she said.

When it is time to change the time on clocks, check the fire detectors as well, Burke suggested. And never disable the smoke detectors.

Continued...

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