Greer fire engine

Fire prevention week is October 8 to 14 this year, and the City of Greer Fire Department will be putting out resources to educate the community and keep everyone safe.

"We really focus on a national message. This year's message is 'Cooking Safety Starts with You,'" Deputy Fire Chief Josh Holzheimer said.


The department follows the annual message from the National Fire Protection Association.

"Always make sure you turn your pot handles back towards the center of the stove. Make sure that you stand by your pan when you're cooking," Holzheimer said.

Holzheimer says this time of year is a good time to talk about cooking safety, especially leading up to Thanksgiving.

"When people fry turkeys and they try to do it in their garage, or they don't do it in an open area or on their back porch and they overfill the oil and set something on fire," Holzheimer said.

And, he says, it drives the message home when people hear the same thing from multiple agencies.

"If they hear it from me here in Greer, then they hear it in Columbia or where ever, people are hearing that consistent messaging and it helps get the point across."