Tomorrow please remember to be thankful for firefighters

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,104224,00.html

Thursday, November 27, 2003

Allstate Insurance said 15 homes burned to the ground around the country last Thanksgiving as a result of the improper use of turkey fryers. The product-testing company Underwriters Laboratory Inc. (search) refuses to certify as safe any turkey fryer model currently on the market.

In 1999, the last year figures were available, the National Fire Protection Association (search) reported that 500 fires involving a deep-fat fryer took place around the nation, resulting in over $6.8 million dollars in damage.

http://www.columbusdispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2007/11/21/turkburn.ART_ART_11-21-07_A1_J58HSTQ.html?sid=101

Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Every Thanksgiving, firefighters respond to nearly twice the average number of home-cooking fires.

In grimmer terms, that's an average of 1,450 fires causing 15 deaths and 41 injuries each Thanksgiving, says the U.S. Fire Administration.

"Most often it's unattended cooking," said Battalion Chief Doug Smith of the Columbus Fire Division. "People forget. They're just going outside for a minute and … "

On edit: but most cops are great and are doing a good public service! So thanks to all the good ones, and to the bad cops and firebug firefighters: come over to the good side, we need ya!

My uncle was a Boston City Fireman- may he rest in peace- Every holiday he would drop by before or after or sometimes during his shift to snag some food and say hello to everyone. He always had to work on holidays- more cooking -- more fires.

I'm a volunteer FF/EMT in my town - every year, we talk, talk, talk, telling people that they
have to keep an eye on their fryers at all times, where to put them so that they won't endanger
their house if they do spill over, etc.

Invariably, somebody runs back in the house "just for a second" to get something... WOOF!! And
it's off to the races....

Last year, we showed up for a 'smoke reported' - the guy's deck is engulfed, and the fire was
working it's way into the house through the sliding glass door opening. We managed to save the
house, but the deck was a write-off, and most of the siding and part of the roof had to be
replaced.

Like Ron White says, "You can't fix stupid!"......