The Margate City Fire Department is commemorating Fire Prevention Week with the message “Smoke Alarms: Make Them Work for You.”

The department is reaching out to citizens daily throughout the week.

On Wednesday, department personnel reached out to the city’s youngest and oldest residents.

They went to the Bloom Pavilion bright and early to talk with senior citizens about the latest technology in smoke alarms, which have a 10-year battery life. Although they last for a decade, Capt. Tony Tabasso said they should be checked monthly.

“If it starts beeping, call us and we will come out and check them or replace them,” he said.

Tabasso said the department will assist senior citizens with installation, but if they choose to purchase smoke detectors on their own, be sure to get good ones that are UL (Underwriters Laboratories) certified.

“Don’t get any old one from Amazon,” he said. “We don’t know where they are coming from, and with smoke detectors, quality is important. Having the UL symbol on the box means they were properly tested.”

Tabasso also said when firefighters respond to a call, especially for emergency medical services, they often find they cannot get into the house because all the doors and windows are locked.

“We’ll get in one way or another, but we don’t want to damage your house if we don’t have to,” he said.

Tabasso suggested seniors call the Police Dispatch non-emergency number at 609-822-1151 to have their personal information recorded in the database and include a name and phone number for a relative, friend or next door neighbor who has the key to the house. That suggestion is good for out-of-town property owners as well, especially if a pipe freezes during a cold snap.

One woman said she has a relative who falls routinely due to a medical issue.

“Give that information to the dispatcher, who will put it in the computer. All that information will come right up on the computer screen when you call, and we will know what to do,” he said.

He also suggested that seniors put a list of their medications on their refrigerator in case they are incapacitated and can’t tell the EMTs what medications they are taking.

Another gentleman asked if those life alert necklaces advertised on TV are effective.

“Do they really work?” he asked.

“They work so well that we respond more often than we should,” Firefighter Brian Duffey said. “A lot of our residents use medical alert necklaces and sometimes they go off just rolling over in bed.”

Tabasso said some fire departments, especially those that are volunteer-based, do not have comprehensive outreach programs regarding fire safety like they do in Margate.

“Here in Margate, we are being proactive coming to you and asking you to provide us with this important information,” he said.

He also spoke about fire safety in the kitchen, noting that water should not be used to douse a grease fire.

“Using a fire extinguisher is better,” he said, cautioning seniors that they should stay as far away from a stove as possible in the event of a flare-up. “If it’s in the microwave or in the oven, leave the door shut. If you open it, oxygen will flow in and the fire will only get bigger. If you can, cut the power and call us right away.”

With Hurricane Milton churning in the Gulf of Mexico, Duffey also encouraged seniors to heed the call to evacuate in the event of a hurricane or storm heading toward Margate.

“If you get the call to evacuate, do it. Sometimes we won’t be able to get to you because if the weather is really bad, we would be putting ourselves at risk.”

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Margate Fire Prevention Week

Margate firefighters visited the city's youngest and oldest citizens with an important fire prevention message - smoke detectors save lives.

A half hour later, firefighters brought their show to the preschoolers at the Margate Community Church Nursery School, where they instructed the little ones on basic fire safety – such as “stop, drop and roll” how to crawl below the smoke, and not be afraid if they see a firefighter in full turnout gear.

Tabasso donned all the equipment firefighters wear when going into a burning building, including boots, pants, jacket, air pack, mask and helmet.

“Don’t be afraid if Capt. Tony comes to get you,” Firefighter Natalie Carlucci told the children. “Go to him and give him a hug. He is your friend and is there to help you.”

The children also had the opportunity to squirt the firehose and watch a firefighter climb 70 feet into the sky on the department’s new ladder truck, called “Quint 24.”

The fire department recommends installing a smoke detector on each floor of a residence, especially near bedrooms.

On Thursday, the department will visit the Eugene A. Tighe Middle School, and on Friday, 10 a.m. to noon, they will be at the Marjorie and Lewis Katz JCC where they will do three demonstrations.

For more information about fire safety or smoke detector assistance, call 609-822-1151.