Members of the St. Paul Fire Department will present a Fire Safety Expo on Thursday, Sept. 27. The event will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. adjacent to the John P. Monahan Plaza, and is sponsored by the SPFD, Undergraduate Student Government, Public Safety and the Michael Larson Memorial Fund.
After a brief opening, the SPFD will conduct a series of fire demonstrations and additional activities; handouts will be available for students:
- The St. Paul Department of Safety and Inspections will offer information about residential fire inspections and safety.
- The UST Wellness Center will distribute information about smoking cessation along with free Quit Kits.
- UST Counseling and Psychological Services will be on hand with information on grief counseling and loss.
- A raffle of fire safety equipment (escape ladders, fire extinguishers, etc.) will be held, with a grand prize of an on-site ride skyward in the bucket of an SPFD truck.
Support for the Fire Safety Expo is provided by the Michael Larson Memorial Fund. The fund was established through a generous donation by the family of Michael Larson, a St. Thomas sophomore who died in a house fire in 2010. The fund was established to promote fire prevention and smoking cessation programs.
Remember these fire safety tips:
- Always know two ways out from any location in a building. Make sure that escape windows and screens are operable and practice a fire drill. When there’s a fire, get out and stay out, then call 911.
- Smoke alarms can save lives. Save a life for less than the price of a pizza. Don’t take out the batteries and don’t remove the smoke detectors. Test them every month.
- Carbon monoxide detectors are required outside of each sleeping room.
- Always pay attention when cooking. Keep combustibles away from the stove. Never put water on a grease fire. Careless cooking is the leading cause of building fires in Minnesota.
- Those who smoke should do so outside and use sturdy, deep ashtrays. Soak the ashes and butts before throwing them out. Careless smoking is the leading cause of fire deaths in Minnesota.
- In St. Paul, make sure the building has a current Fire Certificate of Occupancy. It should be posted on the premise; if not, call (651) 266-8989.
