00:00So lithium ion batteries are found in almost all of the devices that we're using today.
00:04Tablets, chargers, your cell phone, which is the most popular one. Also now in vehicles,
00:10the pods in your ears, remote control cars, rechargeable power tools. And so we are
00:16encouraging persons to charge safely. Charging your most frequently utilized devices daily is
00:22so common practice. Many don't give a second thought to the potential risks these lithium
00:28ion powered batteries carry. Fire sub officer Lana Belgrove warns that without proper maintenance
00:35and care, devices pose a serious fire hazard since there is continuous generation of heat and energy
00:43in those batteries. It can explode and it's a very volatile fire. It burns very, very rigorously.
00:51And because of that, you're at the risk of it spreading quickly. You're also at the risk of
00:55being injured. Use the proper charger for your devices. Sometimes the charger isn't working
01:00and we're going to go and we're going to buy the generic ones. We're asking persons to buy
01:03the authentic original chargers that are UL certified and safe. We're asking persons not
01:09to charge your phones at night. Charge your phones while you are awake because during the
01:13night when the phone is fully charged, it continues to generate heat, but you are asleep
01:17and that can cause a fire. The growing presence of hybrid and electric vehicles also demands
01:23greater awareness of proper care for these vehicles. You need to look for signs, unusual signs, sparks,
01:30smoke. If you're smelling something burning, there may be a hissing or a popping. So these
01:35are things that you're looking for in your electric and hybrid vehicles because you have lithium
01:39ion batteries in them as well. Overheating and swelling of batteries and devices conking out
01:45repeatedly are signs that batteries need replacing. The TTFS is also reminding the public of safety
01:53in the usage of extension cords and power strips as well as fans.
01:58You have the fans running day and night, which is overworking of the motor. And so sometimes
02:03you leave on the fan and you step out, you go out to work or you go out for the
02:06day and
02:06you're leaving the fan running. If the fan stops working but the motor continues to run,
02:11it's going to be generating heat. These things can cause a fire within your home.
02:16It's advisable to remove the back of the fan, not only the blade and clean, but remove the back of
02:20the fan and remove the dust and the lint that is building up within the motor as a method of
02:25cleaning it.
02:26In general, smaller fires like those ignited by a cell phone once quickly identified can be extinguished
02:33using a dry chemical extinguisher or large and continuous amounts of water.
02:39But fire sub-officer Bellgrove says, if not caught right away, evacuation is necessary and calling the fire
02:47service at 990 is essential to preserve life and property. The Trinidad and Tobago Fire Service is
02:56celebrating Fire Prevention Week under the theme Charging into Fire Safety. Charging is a superpower
03:03by hosting public exhibitions nationwide this week. We visited the C3 Mall San Fernando Outreach on
03:11Thursday, where people got a chance to interact and be educated by fire officers.
03:17Cindy Raguba Tika Singh, TV6 News
