Fire and Life Safety Tips
The South Brazos County Fire Department would like to offer some helpful information to the community on a few items that are a part of everyday life. Below you will find some helpful tips and information on one of our services.
The South Brazos County Fire Department will provide FREE smoke detectors to residents of the South Brazos County area. The smoke detectors are battery powered and can be installed by a South Brazos County Firefighter if you are unable to install them yourself. Please contact us to obtain your smoke detector(s) free of charge, or to schedule an appointment for smoke detector installation at no cost to you.
Smoke Alarms Save Lives
In the event of a fire in your home, a properly installed and maintained smoke alarm is the best defense against serious injury from fire.
- Alarms should be installed on every level of the house, including an alarm inside and outside of every sleeping area.
- Smoke alarms should be tested once a month and batteries changed twice a year. SBCFD suggests changing the batteries when changing your clocks to and from daylight savings time.
- Smoke alarms should be replaced every 10 years.
- Vacuum over and around smoke alarms to keep then free of dust.
- Follow the manufacturer's instructions for installation of smoke alarms.
Cooking Fire Prevention
- Do not leave cooking unattended.
- Wear short or close-fitting sleeves Loose clothing can catch fire.
- Clean cooking surfaces to prevent food and grease build-up.
- Keep curtains, towels and pot holders away from hot surfaces.
- Turn pot and pan handles inward to prevent spills.
To Extinguish a Cooking Fire:
- CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY!
- Slide a lid over flames to smother a grease or oil fire, then turn off the heat and leave the lid in place until the pan cools. Never carry the pan away from the stove.
- Extinguish other food fires with baking soda. Never use water or flour on cooking fires.
- Ovens are designed to hold heat; for a fire in the oven, keep the door shut and turn off the heat to smother the fire.
- Keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen.
