Spring into fire prevention Published April 1, 2009 By Tech. Sgt. Ebony Lee 87th Civil Engineer Squadron McGUIRE AIR FORCE BASE, N.J. -- Spring is finally here. The weather is getting warmer, daylight lasts a little longer and people are doing their spring cleaning to get ready for the season. Remember to make fire prevention a part of your efforts in welcoming spring. Below are a few fire-prevention tips to remember. Smoke detector tips: Now is a good time to change the batteries in your smoke detector if you didn't do it with the time change (spring forward/fall back). If the battery change is done with the time changes every year, you will meet your requirement of changing the battery at least every six months and it will be a little easier to remember when you did it last. Spring cleaning tips: When cleaning, periodically take the vacuum hose and clean around the smoke detector to remove excess dust out of the detector. This helps prevent false alarms. When it starts to get really hot the possibility of brush/grass fires increase, so remove any excess brush and debris from the yard and shed areas. When doing laundry we all remove the lint from the lint trap inside of the dryer, but how many of us remember to periodically clean the actual exhaust vents or dryer hose that leads to the outside? Make it a spring-cleaning practice to clean/remove excess lint out of the exhaust hose to prevent dryer fires. Grilling tips: Now is the beginning of grilling season. If your grill has been stored or unused over the winter, check it thoroughly before use. When using a gas grill, ensure all hoses are in good condition and all connections are tight with no leaks. To check for leaks, take soapy water and put it all over the connections and hoses. Turn the gas on -- if you see bubbles forming at any area you may have a leak or loose connection. Tighten the connections and try again or replace the leaky hose. Home-evacuation drills: With the warm weather here, it's the perfect time for the whole family to practice their home escape plans. Sit down together and discuss a plan of action and a meeting place. Draw it out, post it where everyone can see it, and practice it until everyone knows what to do and where to meet. For any questions or concerns, contact the Fire Prevention office at (609) 754-2451.