Perla Cortez EDINBURG- Fire Prevention Week was observed from Oct. 6 to Oct. 12 which serves as a time to bring awareness and educate individuals about fire safety.
With holidays around the corner, Omar Garza, Edinburg Fire Department fire chief, advises students to place candles on a high surface area that is not flammable.
When it comes to cooking, he advised that in case of a pan fire, individuals should place a lid on the pan, turn off the stove and avoid adding water to a grease fire.
In a fire emergency, Garza said individuals should be familiar with their surroundings, and to be aware of an escape route.
Three UTRGV students were interviewed about fire safety, and all said that the university does not provide enough information on fire safety awareness or fire prevention.
“[UTRGV] could do a separate Instagram account, like if there is a fire, this is how you can get out or this is where you can go or just like more precautions with it like where is the first aid if you catch on fire or a burn,” Sophia Williams, a psychology freshman said.
Raul Dominguez, an environmental science sophomore, said he has not heard anything about fire safety from UTRGV.
“I know there are courses online that you can take, but they don’t really talk about that aloud,” Domiguez said.
KVAQ-TV reached out to tried to contact the office of Environmental Health, Safety & Risk Management regarding safety procedures and awareness for the campus, but the department has not provided time for an interview yet.
Garza reminds people to check the expiration date on smoke detectors after 10 years.
According to the U.S. Fire Administration, some fire extinguishers have the expiration date at the bottom of the can. For rechargeable fire extinguishers, a pressure measurer can be found at the top of the can and can be refilled at a local fire station if the pressure is too low.
Garza said a smoke detector makes constant high-pitched sounds, it is time to replace it. [DV1]
Edinburg residents may request a free installation of a smoke detector through The City of Edinburg’s[DV2] website.
