KANNAPOLIS ó The Kannapolis Fire Department and Blackwelder Park Baptist Church will host the Kannapolis Fire Safety House, as well as a Kannapolis fire truck, on Saturday from 10 am until noon. Children from Kannapolis and surrounding areas are invited to take a tour and learn about burn safety. The visit is timed to coincide with the last day of National Burn Awareness Week
“Making our citizens aware of the cause and prevention of accidents in the home is one of the goals of our department,” said Kannapolis Fire Educator Maria Bostian. “We hope children of all ages will get involved.”
The focus of this year’s national burn prevention week theme is the proper storage of gasoline. The Shriner’s Hospitals for Children has treated more than 800 children since 2002 for acute burn injuries resulting from ignition of highly flammable materials such as gasoline. Kids ages 13 and older are in the highest at risk group for gasoline and other flammable substances.
Burns are also one of the leading causes of death in children ages 4 and under. The Kannapolis Fire Department recommends the following tips to help keep homes safe:
– Keep children 3 feet away from burners in the kitchen and turn pot handles toward the back of the stove.
Check the temperature of your water heater. The safest temperature range is from 120-125 degrees Fahrenheit. Most water heaters come pre-set at temperatures higher than this safe range. From a heater set at 150 degrees, a burn injury can occur in as little as 2 seconds, compared to 10 minutes from a water heater set at 120 degrees.
Blackwelder Park Baptist Church is located at 2204 Summit Ave., Kannapolis. For more information about the program, please contact Maria Bostian at 704-920-4282.