GOSPORT
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October 28, 2016
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Fire Prevention Month: Focus on cooking safety From Fire Prevention Office Fire & Emergency Services Gulf Coast
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ooking for me is a pure joy, especially on Saturday mornings where I love cooking up a western omelet, bacon, grits and toast. On the flip side, I must say that cooking fires are the No. 1cause of home fires and injuries, with “unattended cooking” being the leading cause of fires in the kitchen. I have listed some items for you to consider while you’re in the kitchen to keep the experience a joyful one. • Always be alert to your surroundings. If it is late and you are tired, consider not cooking – try a snack to satisfy your urge. • Keep the cooking area clear of combustibles such as paper towels, kitchen towels and oven mitts; don’t wear loose long-sleeve clothing that could snag a handle or get too close to the burner. • Keep young children three feet away from the stove – teach older children how to safely cook.
• Keep pot handles turned in so they don’t get bumped and spill. • When you fry, keep a lid for the pan near in the event you have a grease fire – if you do, slide the lid over the pan and turn off the burner (no peeking) – let it cool for at least five to 10 minutes. • When you bake – try and prevent spills in the oven. If you have a spill and a fire starts, close the oven door and turn the oven off. The heat goes down and the fire goes out
– ovens are sealed. Remember, when your selfcleaning oven is on the temperature gets upwards to 550 degrees, so you are safe. • Cooking temperatures – when frying, bring your pan and oil up gradually. If you see a light haze of smoke start to appear, lower your temperature and remove the pan from the burner to cool for a few minutes then adjust your temperature and continue. Remember, unattended cooking is the leading
A montage of cooking fires and the aftermath. Inattention and unattended cooking are the leading causes of kitchen fires.
cause of fires and injuries. If you must leave the kitchen, turn off and remove the pan from the burner – a second is all it takes for a disaster with a hot frying pan. • Finally – with the various holidays fast approaching be mindful of how you cook, whether it
be deep frying a turkey, frying fish, baking or grilling – be safe, use common sense and take your time. We all multi-task, but always remember to be fire safe. • 9-1-1 – In the event of a fire or medical emergency this is the number (911). The information
Navy updates limited duty tracking system From Navy Personnel Command Public Affairs
MILLINGTON, Tenn. (NNS) – The Navy is changing the way it tracks limited duty (LIMDU), according to NavAdmin 218/16 released Oct. 17. The LIMDU Sailor and Marine Readiness Tracker System (SMART) is replacing the Med-
ical Evaluation Board System (MEDBOLTS) in managing the tracking of Temporary LIMDU (TLD). According to NavAdmin 218/16, to access the new system deployability coordinators must complete an online computerbased training course. The course can be accessed at http://edqtest. med.navy.mil/cbts/. After com-
pleting training, deployability coordinators can then access LIMDU SMART by contacting their patient administration office at their command's servicing medical treatment facility. The transition to LIMDU SMART is scheduled to be completed by Sept. 30, with the exception of U.S. European Command (EUCOM) and U.S.
Africa Command (AFRICOM) medical training facilities. For more information, read the message at http:// www. npc. navy. mil/. For more information, visit www.navy.mil, www.facebook. com/usnavy, or www. twitter. com/ usnavy. For more news from NPC, visit http://www.navy.mil/local/npc/.
you must give is: Location, address or building number, where in the facility: kitchen, bedroom and floor; the nature of the fire – electrical fire, cooking fire, and any injuries such as a fall or chest pains. Contact: provide a good call back number and answer all the questions to the best of your ability. • Never hesitate to call 911 – we would rather respond to something that turns out to be nothing more than a cloud of smoke, than for you to delay and we arrive to an active fire with flames showing. We at Fire and & Emergency Services Gulf Coast wish you a safe and enjoyable holiday season.