The National Active and Retired Federal Employees (NARFE) Chapter 1191 held its monthly meeting at the Grand Ennis Buffet in Ennis on Tues., 12 Mar 2019. The guest speaker was Chad Wester, Ennis Fire Marshall, who spoke on home safety. Wester was born and reared in Ennis, married with two daughters and a granddaughter. He is licensed as a fire fighter, police officer, and as an EMT.
The speaker covered a number of safety issues such as ensuring that the outside street address is in numbers, no less than 3 inches tall so that responders can locate the residence. Clearing vegetation around the house is needed to prevent the spreading of grass fires. Inside the house, there should be smoke detectors, no more than ten years old, in each bedroom and the hallways, but not in the kitchen. It was recommended that smoke detector batteries be changed twice a year during the time change, but not less than once a year. A working fire extinguisher was recommended both for inside the house and in the garage.
Cooking safety includes keeping the handles of pans turned in to prevent spills and to keep a pan lid nearby to snuff out fires. It was recommended that extension cords not be placed or hidden under rugs to prevent wear and tear with the consequent fire hazard. Keeping space heaters away from furniture and having an escape plan for all parts of the house were emphasized. Carbon monoxide detectors were recommended if gas utilities are used, or if there is an attached garage. And, ensuring that lint screens are kept clean in the laundry was noted. An extensive question and answer session followed the very interesting presentation.
NARFE Chap. 1191 covers Ellis, Navarro and adjacent parts of the surrounding counties. Membership in NARFE is open to all active and retired federal employees and their spouses, former federal employees, and former spouses who are entitled to a federal survivor annuity. For more information, please call Midlothian at 972-268-5793 or 972-775-2463, Waxahachie – 469-939-8102, Ennis – 214-949-6197, Red Oak – 412-722-6307, or Corsicana – 903-874-3092. You may also go to www.narfe.org or see NARFE Chapter 1191 on Facebook.