GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (KSNB) – With winter still hanging on, Grand Island fire officials are reminding residents to use space heaters safely and to make sure smoke detectors are ready in case of an emergency.
Battalion Chief Justin Ferris with the Grand Island Fire Department said smoke alarms are one of the most important tools in giving families time to escape a fire.
Many newer smoke detectors come with a sealed 10-year lithium-ion battery, which means they don’t need regular battery changes. But Ferris said placement is just as important as the type of alarm you have.
“Basically, we recommend putting one in each bedroom of the home and one in the hallway,” Ferris said. “We want one on every floor. If you have a basement, you want one designated in a common area down there. If you have any bedrooms in the basement, you also want them in there.”
Ferris also warned that space heaters can be a serious fire risk if they’re not used correctly. He said they should always be plugged directly into a wall outlet.
“Space heaters should always be plugged into an outlet, never into an extension cord or a power cord,” he said. “You want that power coming directly from the outlet which would be grounded, and it’s just a lot safer.”
Fire officials also recommend keeping anything that can burn at least three feet away from space heaters, and turning them off before leaving the room or going to bed.
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