AT HOME WITH KAYLA PRICE 12/9: Christmas safety reminders

Safety Reminders

After recently spending a couple of hours with six very nice firemen, I thought I should share a few simple safety reminders with you.   Here are some situations that could occur during the holidays.

Carbon Monoxide:   This is what caused two fire trucks and crew to visit me.  We think that exhaust from a recently installed outside generator went into my attic and filled my house with high levels of carbon monoxide.  Thank goodness for the CO detector going off and for my alarm company calling the fire department.

We are all reminded not to run generators in the house or to leave our cars running in the garage, but my family and I thought we had followed all the rules with our generator.  We now know that the best thing to do is to have a properly functioning CO detector and to heed its warning.

Thanks to the help of others, I am able to share this with you.  I am sincerely grateful to the six Sulphur Springs firemen who jumped into action and stayed at the house until all was safe.

Christmas Lights:  This was an issue for me two years ago.  We had lights installed around the roofline on the outside of the house.  While we were away, stress on a power cord which was sandwiched between a metal gutter and the brick house caused the cord to catch on fire.  It burned itself out, but we are very aware of how easily the results could have gone the other way.  If the flames had have been just a bit bigger, the wood trim could have caught fire.

My takeaway for this topic is to always unplug lights when not at home.  Ours were on a timer and looked so nice, but our home and our safety are much more important than festive decorations.

Turkey Fryers:  We have all seen the photos of the turkey frying disasters.  Folks, they really aren’t that good.  The smoked turkey we had at Thanksgiving was a lot less work (actually no work except to carve) and much more flavorful.

If you are the turkey chef in your family, you need to know that a smoked turkey doesn’t need any work from you on the big day.  This year was our first year to serve a Greenberg turkey.  In advance, I watched a video to make sure I did everything correctly.  Mr. Greenberg’s video said to serve at room temperature for maximum flavor, and he was correct!

Fireplaces:  Make sure your chimney is cleaned and inspected each year and that it is properly vented if it is a wood burning fireplace.  For those with a gas fireplace, same thing.  Make sure that it isn’t leaking, you have a working CO detector or two, and it is in good working order.

To have a professional look over the fireplace once a year does cost money, but it is much cheaper than losing your entire house and contents.

Space Heaters:   Don’t leave these running while away from the house or out of the room.  Make sure they are not too close to draperies, fabrics, or flammables.  And remember that they should never be plugged into an extension cord.  I find that they are best used to remove the chill from a room, but not a great answer to a permanent heating solution.  Be sure to keep an eye on them.

The most important part of the holiday season, as with any season, is the health and happiness of our families.  With just a bit of diligence and thought, we can keep our families and ourselves safe from harm’s way.  Wishing you a Merry, and safe, Christmas!