BURRILLVILLE – With the cold weather season upon us it is very important to teach our kids about fire safety and burn prevention in our apartments and houses. Heat sources such as space heaters are often utilized during this time of year to help keep homes warmer.
Space heaters definitely have a purpose but also come with hazards that need to be addressed in order to keep kids and families safer until they are no longer needed in the springtime. All space heaters should be kept away from any room and building exits or doorways. Space heaters should be kept a safe distance from walls and areas where they cannot work properly or distribute heat safely throughout a room. Nothing should obstruct their purpose.
Never dry wet clothes on space heaters and never decorate space heaters during the holidays. Kids should never play near space heaters. The safest distance for a child and any space heater is at least three feet away. This will help prevent unintentional burns and also help prevent potential fires. Kids should never touch a space heater for any reason whatsoever. Never retrieve a toy that happens to end up near, or stuck under, a space heater.
Help keep kids burn-free and away from space heaters during the cold winter months and holiday season. Please share with family and friends for safety’s sake.
Jim Weicherding is a Burrillville resident, and the founder and creator of an award-winning traffic safety effort Seasons of Safety. Weicherding contributes kids’ coloring cartoons, which can be printed and used to help parents discuss safety issues with their children. He has a long list of police officers and firefighters in his family and has worked with law enforcement and firefighters in a creative public safety capacity for more than two decades.
