JOINT BASE ANACOSTIA-BOLLING, D.C. - Military housing provider at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington, D.C. produces public safety videos to teach safe living habits at military installations.
Never, ever use water to douse a kitchen grease fire! This guidance is among several safety tips conveyed to the military and civilian community in a number of public service videos filmed at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling (JBAB).
Hunt Military Communities, a base housing manager on JBAB, commissioned the production of short one-to-two minute videos filmed at a local JBAB home. Its objective: educate residents on ways to boost home safety while minimizing the frequency of common household hazards.
“We are providing safety tips for residents on common maintenance practices they can perform in their homes,” said Hunt’s manager of corporate communications Dixie Johnson.
One way for residents to practice safety, for example, is to resist the immediate urge to reach for the nearest water source when faced with a grease fire, typically on a kitchen stove near a sink.
“For grease fires, it is very important to put a lid on it. Utilize an oven mitt, if you can, to smother the fire. Never put water on it because that may cause it to splatter and flame up more. So that would be the number one tip, especially for grease fires,” Johnson said.
Housing residents should always monitor their cooking areas and avoid having items nearby that could easily spread a fire. “Things like toys, napkins, plates and anything that’s flammable could potentially cause not only a grease fire, but any type of fire in the kitchen,” she said.
Other hazards addressed in the videos include window safety, watching out for children in the home and applying proactive fire safety measures in the home, Johnson said. For example, she recommends residents not place furniture in front of a window because this keeps the area of egress free and clear in an emergency situation that would require immediate evacuation.
Jim Curtis, the director of maintenance and safety compliance for Hunt, said grease fires, in addition to those left unattended, are the most common safety hazards in the home.
JBAB resident, Army Command Sgt. Maj. Willene Orr, was selected by Hunt to demonstrate housing safety in the public service videos.
“It’s important to showcase the elements of safety within military quarters. I feel honored to have been selected,” Orr said.
Orr took cues from the director/camera operator on the set. She smoothly acted out a scene depicting a Soldier making a telephone call requesting assistance from emergency services while standing in her kitchen.
Orr is a command career counselor for the Military District of Washington (MDW). As a senior military leader with direct supervision over 13 Soldiers in her position, she said the messages in these videos relate to good leadership.
“It shows the importance of safety, and safety is a key element in the responsibility of all leaders regardless of your rank or position,” she said.
Johnson agreed.
“We thought she would be a very good advocate to help educate other service members and other residents. As a Sergeant Major, she is a leader in her community and in the Army. We thought she would definitely bring a level of commitment and education to the service members,” Johnson said.
The housing firm plans to distribute the videos via its websites and through social media, according to Johnson.
“Hunt Companies will utilize the maintenance and safety videos on all of our websites, Facebook pages and during the move-in process for all of our residents which consists of 29 properties and more than 15,000 homes,” she said.