ORLANDO, Fla. – Firefighters across Central Florida are kicking off Fire Prevention Week with new programs and demonstrations to promote fire safety.
The theme of the campaign this year is “Serve Up Fire Safety in the Kitchen.”
In Orange County on Monday, firefighters held a side-by-side demonstration to illustrate how properly installed sprinkler systems can reduce the acceleration of a fire.
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“The number one cause of residential fires occurs in the home of cooking and it’s very easy to get distracted in this technology age,” Fire Marshal David Kilbury said.
During the exhibit, fires began in simulated kitchens from an unattended pot on a stove. The fire spread throughout one room while sprinklers were triggered in the other and the flames were quickly extinguished.
“We want to encourage that in kitchen safety here today as well as throughout the home, sprinklers absolutely save lives,” Kilbury said.
The National Fire Protection Association encourages staying in the kitchen while cooking and warns against anything flammable near the stovetop.
In Orlando, firefighters have launched a new program designed to save lives from fire or carbon monoxide.
Through a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Orlando Fire Department is the first fire department in Central Florida to offer free carbon monoxide and smoke detectors to residents.
Anyone who lives in the city can request one free detector per household. Firefighters would then come to residents' homes and install one device free of charge based on time availability.
“It will alert you that there’s a problem, so that you can escape and allow us to come in and deal with a problem,” Chief Benjamin Barksdale said.
To request a carbon monoxide and smoke detector from the City of Orlando, visit Orlando.gov/fire.