Mitchelstown Fire Brigade - on call 24/7 for Christmas
This year, Mitchelstown Fire Brigade members will all be on-call on Christmas Day - past records shows that most years, they will be called out to action, and they will most likely be called to a situation on St Stephen’s Day too. With that in mind, station officer Bob Dalton spoke to The Avondhu and gave a few tips that everyone should follow, to help ensure a happy and safe Christmas and, hopefully, not require their services!
First, though, Bob would like to wish everyone a happy holiday period, at the end of a busy year.
“First, we all want to wish everyone a happy and peaceful Christmas. It’s been a busy year for Mitchelstown Fire Brigade, with people staying at home and staycations, so we want to wish everyone well, and to please take care of themselves and their friends and neighbours this Christmas.”
SIMPLE STEPS
First on the list - don’t overload plug sockets. Just because it has space for another socket, does not mean the extension lead can take the voltage. High energy appliances like toasters and kettles can easily overload an extension lead or block, so check the voltage to calculate how much it can take. If you’re not sure, use an online ‘overload calculator’ to check.
Another common Christmas mistake is taking the batteries out of fire alarms for a new toy. While the good intention is there no doubt to replace them ASAP, invariably it doesn’t happen.
“We’ve seen the results of it, and it’s very sad, and very avoidable,” Bob noted.
One of the most important things you can do to keep the house safe from fire is to charge phones and laptops the way they’re meant to be charged: not overnight, and not on beds. The unit can overheat, or a cheap charger can cause a fire.
Outdoor Christmas decorations are not usually a cause for concern, as long as the extension lead is fully unwound, and the unit, again, is not overloaded.
Chimney cleaning is extremely important, but at this time of year is generally done by now, to get the entrance ready for Santa of course!
Bob also stresses the importance of having a meeting point in case of a fire. It might sound like overkill, but it means that if the fire brigade are needed, they don’t waste time and risk danger by looking for people.
Lastly, Bob asks people to check in on their neighbours, and make sure everyone has everything they need to have a happy and healthy Christmas.