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PHOTO: A homemade s’mores kit makes a great Christmas gift. So do fire extinguishers, CO detectors, flame-retardant hearth rungs and other items that can save lives. (Submitted photo)
By Vicki Schmidt
We’ve got The 12 Days of Christmas and there’s a trendy little blog “The 12 Best Gifts for Someone Who Saved Your Life,” so, to help with your holiday gift giving here are “The 12 Gifts of Fire Safety.” All are guaranteed to add safety to your fire side of life, and who knows, one just might help you save a life.
Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors rate high on the list of gifts someone opens and pretends to like. Don’t let that stop you, especially if the home has children or elderly. Along with fire extinguishers, smoke and CO detectors are a gift that won’t be appreciated until it’s needed.
And speaking of fire extinguishers, do your friends, your spouse, kids and other relatives carry a fire extinguisher in their car? Or how about one for the boat, the garage, workshop or barn? It doesn’t take long to learn what size and type extinguisher is best for what applications, and you never know what life and property it might help save.
Who has a cute little woodstove or fireplace? The best gift for these folks is a nice ash bucket, shovel and cooling stand. The stand elevates the bucket off the surface floor and allows for proper cooling of the ashes. And don’t forget a fireproof rug, often called a hearth rug. These rugs are made of wool which is naturally fire resistant and will protect floors against escaping sparks, embers and ashes.
Let’s not forget the ever-growing hobby of backyard fire pits. Sparkguard covers, fire starter sticks, long reach matches and lighter wands all add increased safety to fire pit activities. Add these along with some marshmallow roasting sticks and a custom “s’mores” kit, and you have the winning gift of the season.
For a fun side of fire safety gift-giving there are dozens of firefighter books and fire safety calendars to choose from. Many of these are created by nonprofits with the proceeds going toward fire safety related causes. Just query in your favorite browser “fire safety calendar 2022” for endless ideas on how to share fire safety all year long.
And finally, what kid, young or old, wouldn’t want a stuffed Smokey the Bear, Sparky the Fire Dog, or the newest Sprinkles the Fire Dog? And lets not forget the fire safe lessons via bedtime readings that go with them and their fabulous books. Of course, reading a bedtime story to any child will often be the best gift of all.
Vicki Schmidt is a Maine state fire instructor and volunteers with the Buckfield Fire Department, as well as several regional and state fire training organizations.
