The holidays are supposed to bring joy and smiles, but can also bring accidents and fires if people aren’t careful.
“Calls tend to rise during the holidays,” said Matt Grantz of the SBM Fire Department.
For some it’s the happiest time of the year, yet for others it can be downright sad.
The SBM fire department hopes everyone enjoys this special time of year and has some tips on how to stay safe this season.
One precaution North Metro residents can take is to check on co and smoke detectors in their apartment or house.
“Twice a year when you change your clocks, change your batteries,” Grantz said. “Make sure all the batteries are up to date and the alarms aren’t expired. Fire alarms you want to change every five years and co alarms every seven to 10 years so they’re up to date.”
Kitchen caution
According to Grantz lots of mishaps start in the kitchen.
“Obviously a big one is cooking,” Grantz said. “When the family is over for the holidays and you’re cooking and you take a moment to go watch the Cowboys, make sure somebody is still there watching the food. Stay close by the food that you’re cooking and make sure that when you’re done everything’s turned off and you’re ready to enjoy the holidays and the dinner that you made.”
Grantz also recommends taking proper care of Christmas trees so they don’t dry out.
“Make sure it’s a fresh one,” Grantz said. “You want to keep ’em watered. When you light ’em up and you have the lights on, make sure the lights aren’t frayed and the wires are good and the bulbs are all attached.”
Holiday light displays are popular in the Twin Cities and Grantz has suggestions on how to put those up the right way.
“Make sure that the wires are all in good condition, you’re not overloading the outlets,” Grantz said. “Same with the extension cord, Make sure that you have the right amount of plugs plugged into it.”
Grantz also wants to remind everyone to be careful on the roads – especially when there is ice, snow or rain – and to use caution when putting up holiday lights at your house.
