- Holly Grove Fire Department -

• Is your local emergency phone number on your telephone?  

​• Can your house number be seen from the street so that emergency vehicles can find you?  

• Do you have a smoke detector in your home?  

• Do you test it monthly? Helpful hint: Change the batteries when you change your clocks- in the spring and fall.  

• Do you practice Operation EDITH (Exit Drills In The Home) at home?  

• Do your parents talk to your babysitters about the family EDITH plan?  

• Is there a fire extinguisher in your home? Does everyone know where it is and how to use it?​

• Are matches and lighters kept in a safe place away from children?  

• Do you know that you should never run if your clothes catch on fire and that you should "STOP - DROP - ROLL"?  

• Do you have a screen on your fireplace? Is it closed at all times?  

• Is your yard clear of old tree branches, litter, and weeds?  

​• Do you sleep with your bedroom door closed to prevent the spread of fire?

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How would you and your family get out of your home if there were a fire?   How would they escape from the second or third floor?  What would you do after everyone is out of the house? Hershey wants all kids and adults to know 2 WAYS OUT of every room in your home.  Here's how to do your own Operation EDITH Plan: First you must have a plan. Hershey wants every member of the family involved in developing your own Operation EDITH Plan. Appoint a Fire Chief. The Fire Chief can be your father, mother, teen-aged brother or sister, or even the babysitter. The family visits each bedroom and picks 2 WAYS OUT- one the normal way out and the emergency route, through a different door or window. Plan how each member of the family can reach the ground using the emergency route. Decide on a meeting place outside the house such as near the mailbox or driveway. Draw a picture of each floor in your home. Show where the rooms, doors, windows, and halls are. Then color the regular escape routes black and the emergency routes red. Copies should be placed where everyone can see them and be reminded of what to do in a fire emergency.

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• Everyone decides what the "signal" will be to start the drill. 

• Everyone takes their place in their own bedroom. 

• The "Chief" gives the signal and the drill begins! 

• Another family member repeats the signal. 

• Everyone then closes the doors between their rooms and the main exit. 

• Each person checks their emergency exit. 

• Everyone leaves the house. 

• The "Chief" brings the family together again. He/she stresses the importance of being calm, closing doors, and testing doors to closed rooms for heat before opening them. ​

• Review the EDITH picture that you drew of your house with 2 WAYS OUT of each room. Check with everyone to make sure that they are the best ways out. Double check! Make sure the copies of the EDITH picture are where everyone can see them. 

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What kind of stove do you have in your home? Did you know that the stove is the #1 fire hazard in your kitchen? I'll bet that many of you do know this important fact, but do you know why? Burners on electric stoves stay hot a lot longer than those on gas stoves. The electric burner gets so hot that even after it has been turned off, it holds so much heat that it can cause a towel, or a pot holder, or worse yet your clothes to catch fire before it cools off. Even though the gas burner does not stay as hot for as long as an electric burner, until it cools off it can be very dangerous.

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• Do have an adult with you if you are cooking in the kitchen. 

• Do keep long hair tied back when you are cooking. Do make sure that, if you have a window near the stove, the curtains are tied back and will not blow near a flame or burner. 

​• Do make sure that the knobs on the stove are difficult for a child to turn. 

• Do check to make sure that the "on" signal light for the burners is working. 

• Do turn pan handles to the center of the stove so that children cannot reach them and in order to keep them from being knocked off the stove. 

• Do put a non-slip mat in front of the stove to keep you from slipping and falling into a burner. 

• Do check the cords on all appliances regularly for fraying (fraying means worn because of rubbing). Exposed wires could cause sparks or short circuits. 

• Do keep matches out of the reach of children and in covered metal containers. 

• Do call your utility company IMMEDIATELY if you smell a gas odor coming from your stove.   

• Don't put towels, potholders, or dishrags near a stove burner. 

• Don't wear loose-fitting clothes when you cook, and don't reach across the top of the stove when you are cooking. 

• Don't put cookies, candy, or other treats in the cabinets above the stove. Young children may try to reach them and accidentally start the burners, start a fire, or have their clothes catch on fire. 

​• Don't store spray cans near the stove. Don't let small children near an open oven door. They can be burned by the heat or by falling onto the door or into the oven. 

• Don't lean against the stove to keep warm. 

• Don't use towels as potholders. They may catch on fire. 

• Don't overload an electrical outlet with several appliances or extension cords. The cords or plugs may overheat and cause a fire. 

• Don't use water to put out a grease fire. ONLY use baking soda, salt, or a tight lid. Always keep a box of baking soda near the stove. ​

• Don't use radios or other small appliances (mixers, blenders) near the sink.  Holly Grove Fire Department    

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