Cooking Safety Starts With You1

The 9th Civil Engineer Squadron firefighters pass out toy fire helmets to students at Lone Tree Elementary School on Beale Air Force Base, California, Oct. 11, 2023. Fire Prevention Week is one of the oldest public health observances in the U.S. and educating the community about fire safety helps decrease the amount of fires that happen each year. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Alexis Pentzer)

Cooking Safety Starts With You!

U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Kace Kauffman, 9th Civil Engineer Squadron firefighter, performs a fire demonstration at Lone Tree Elementary School on Beale Air Force Base, Oct. 11, 2023. Keeping with the theme “Cooking safety starts with you”, Kauffman demonstrated proper fire extinguisher techniques during a stove fire. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Alexis Pentzer)

Cooking Safety Starts With You!

U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Kace Kauffman, 9th Civil Engineer Squadron firefighter, gives high fives to the children at Lone Tree Elementary School on Beale Air Force Base, California, Oct. 11, 2023. During Fire Prevention week, the Beale Fire Department taught the students about fire safety and what to do in case of a fire. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Alexis Pentzer)

Cooking Safety Starts With You!

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Micah Whitesanders, 9th Civil Engineer Squadron firefighter, teaches children about fire safety at the Youth Center on Beale Air Force Base, California, Oct. 11, 2023. Beale’s firefighters used this year’s fire prevention week theme “Cooking safety starts with you”, and shared tips about kitchen safety to avoid causing fires. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Alexis Pentzer)

Cooking Safety Starts With You!

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Keith Alexis, 9th Civil Engineer Squadron firefighter, reads a story to children at the Child Development Center on Beale Air Force Base, California, Oct. 11, 2023. The story time was part of teaching the children about fire safety during Fire Prevention Week. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Alexis Pentzer)

Cooking Safety Starts With You!

Sparky the fire dog greets a child at the Child Development Center (CDC) on Beale Air Force Base, California, Oct. 11, 2023. Airmen from the Beale Fire Department came to the CDC to tell stories and teach about fire safety during this year's Fire Prevention Week. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Alexis Pentzer)

Cooking Safety Starts With You!

Published Oct. 13, 2023
By Senior Airman Alexis Pentzer
9th Reconnaissance Wing Public Affairs

BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --

Fire Prevention Week is back again! It's that time of year where Beale Air Force Base is gearing up for the holiday season, when everyone needs to be extra vigilant about fire safety.

This year's theme, "Cooking safety starts with you”, revolves around kitchen safety. Each year the theme is chosen by the National Fire Prevention Agency based off of a yearly breakdown of fire responses nationwide. The Beale Fire Emergency Services (FES) works to ensure the base populace is informed about how to stay safe and what steps to take to increase our safety in the kitchen.

“One of the number one causes of house fires across the nation are due to unattended cooking,” said U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Thomas Waters, 9th Civil Engineer Squadron Fire Emergency Services public educator. “They’re not paying attention, so it sparks fires. So the biggest thing is, while you’re cooking, we need to be fully alert so we don’t lose lives.”

Airmen from the FES went around the base to teach kids at the Child Development Center, the Youth Center and students at Lone Tree Elementary School about what to do in the event of a kitchen fire. The children learned what to do to prevent fires and what to do if a fire did occur.

“What we are teaching [the children] is important,” said Jonathan O’Niell, 9th CES chief fire inspector. “They pick this information up, they get excited and the stuff we disseminate in the bags we give them are friendly, not only for their age group but also for parents.”

Fire Prevention Week is one of the oldest public health observances in the country. Beale AFB continues to play a key role in bringing awareness to the community and keeping fire prevention going. Spreading fire safety helps decrease the amount of fire spread each year, especially across the base.

“The purpose of Fire Prevention Week is to spread the safety message to the kids and families across the installation,” Waters said. “We’re just staying on top of base safety because a lot of fires happen when we aren't paying attention. It’s imperative for us to ensure that we’re maintaining our awareness so we don't cause fires.”