ALERT: Robertson EMS – A Message Of Caution
ROBERTSON COUNTY TENNESSEE: (Smokey Barn News) – As we celebrate with friends and family, Robertson County EMS is encouraging everyone to be safe this holiday season. We have already seen a notable increase of traffic on I-24 and I-65 with multiple accidents on both I65 and I24 today alone.
Robertson County EMS Director Brent Dyer says, please take your time and arrive safely to your holiday events. Unfortunately, we also see an increase in DUI-related accidents during the holidays, many of which occur later in the evenings, well after dark.
Thanksgiving and Christmas are also days/times of each year in which we see a notable increase in calls for people who are choking. Folks are talking and laughing with family and friends and feasting on the holiday dinner spoils when suddenly, someone cannot cough, speak, or breathe! This is the time to call 911 immediately and pray whoever is nearby has some CPR and first-aid training.
The sudden inability to cough, speak, or breathe is a sign of a complete airway obstruction and the person needing help could benefit from abdominal thrusts. If a choking person becomes unconscious, bystanders should begin the steps of CPR if possible. Patting or slapping people or children on the back can make this worse, especially in toddlers and infants. Our aging family members, especially those who have suffered strokes (with associated dysphagia – “difficulty swallowing”) may easily become choked and can easily aspirate (when food or gastric contents go into the lung tissue). This can cause severe, possibly fatal cases of pneumonia and other complications. So, it is important to slow down, enjoy the delicious meals, and keep a close eye on those you love. Also, try to be mindful of family members or friends with food allergies as these can trigger some serious allergic reactions.
If you plan to deep-fry a turkey, use extreme caution. Going at it without some prior experience or knowledge can lead to some real trouble. (SEE FB SAFETY VIDEO FROM THE SPRINGFIELD FIRE DEPARTMENT) This can lead to a serious fire and potentially critical burns. Also, carefully check those food preparation temperatures as we don’t want to make anyone sick. If you need a simple taste tester, feel free to come by the EMS Office, we are especially interested in “safety inspection” taste testing of homemade pies… a new service we are proudly offering of course…
Lastly, of many safety considerations, one of the most important ones to share is regarding dangers in the kitchen when children are around. PLEASE be careful to keep small children away from stoves and ovens. Try to keep pot and skillet handles facing away from the front of the stovetop to help avoid small children reaching up and burning themselves by pulling hot liquids or foods onto themselves.
We want to see everyone have an enjoyable Holiday season that brings great memories for the whole family. Our personnel will be on duty and ready to respond as always. I’d like to give my respects and say how thankful I am for our Veterans and those actively serving who are away from the families while protecting us all. The same goes for all my beloved colleagues and professional “family” who will be on duty protecting the Homefront. We pray for their safety as always.
We are thankful you trust us to serve this community and keep everyone safe.
Happy Holidays,
Brent Dyer, EMS Director
Dangers of deep frying a turkey, NFPA video
Top safety tips
• Stay in the kitchen when you are cooking on the stove top so you can keep an eye on the food.
• Stay in the home when cooking your turkey, and check on it frequently.
• Keep children away from the stove. The stove will be hot and kids should stay three feet away.
• Make sure kids stay away from hot food and liquids. The steam or splash from vegetables, gravy or coffee could cause serious burns.
• Keep knives out of the reach of children.
• Be sure electric cords from an electric knife, coffee maker, plate warmer or mixer are not dangling off the counter within easy reach of a child.
• Keep matches and utility lighters out of the reach of children — up high in a locked cabinet.
• Never leave children alone in room with a lit candle.
• Keep the floor clear so you don’t trip over kids, toys, pocketbooks or bags.
• Make sure your smoke alarms are working. Test them by pushing the test button.
Thanksgiving fire facts
• Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires with more than three times the daily average for such incidents. Christmas Day and Christmas Eve ranked second and third, with both having nearly twice the daily average.
• Unattended cooking was by far the leading contributing factor in cooking fires and fire deaths.
• Cooking causes half (53%) of all reported home fires and nearly two of every five (38%) home fire injuries, and it is a leading cause of home fire deaths (18%).
• On Thanksgiving day alone, an estimated 1,160 home cooking fires were reported to U.S fire departments in 2021, reflecting a 297 percent increase over the daily average.
Source: NFPA Research
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