Safety at forefront for ENC fire departments for Fire Prevention Month

BEAUFORT, N.C. (WNCT) — October is an important month for fire departments as it is Fire Prevention Month.

During this month, fire departments are informing communities about fire safety. "This month, we've went to the local schools and have provided training for approximately 350 K-2 children," Beaufort Fire Department Fire Marshal Robert Smith said. "Some came here and some were at the elementary school. We did fire prevention week, and this year it was about smoke alarms."

Smith said this time of year is also when people use space heaters as temperatures get cooler. Those can also become fire hazards. "When using space heaters, you wanna make sure that you have good clearance around them and make sure they are plugged into a regular outlet and not an extension cord because you can overload those extension cords and start fires with them," he said.

To help stay safe, Smith recommends changing your smoke alarm batteries twice a year and do it when the time changes.

The Beaufort FD has a smoke detector program that helps local citizens.

"Here in Beaufort, and most every fire department around, we have a smoke detector program and this last June, I partnered with Lowes Hardware of Morehead City and they provide us with smoke detectors where we can go home to home and when people need them, we can go and install one for them."