With a cold front moving in today, many Iowans will be switching on their furnaces for the first time this season. Brian O’Keefe, a spokesman for the Des Moines Fire Department, says you should take a few precautions beforehand.
Check your furnace to make sure the proper filters are in place and make sure none of the exhaust or ventilation pipes are obstructed with debris or nests from raccoons or birds. Also, ensure the furnace itself doesn’t have anything leaning against it and that there’s good air circulation around it.
O’Keefe says you shouldn’t turn the furnace on and leave the house — stick around and use your nose. If there are any unusual odors, shut it off and get a professional in there to make sure your belts, wires and other elements are functioning properly. Next week is National Fire Prevention Week, and Des Moines fire fighters are getting a jump on things with a special promotion this (Wednesday) evening.
A Papa John’s pizza shop on the east side of Des Moines is partnering with the Des Moines fire department, and folks who order a pizza tonight (Wednesday) from that location may get their pizza delivered by fire fighters riding a fire truck. O’Keefe says it’s just one more effort to try to get Iowans thinking about fire safety. O’Keefe says firefighters will check over residents’ smoke detectors and if they’re found to be in good working order, they’ll get the pizzas for free. For other folks, if their smoke detectors are on the blink, the firefighters can fix them. The firefighters will repair the smoke detector, put in new batteries, or install a new smoke detector for free. But then the resident has to pay for the pizza. Tonight’s promotion involves the Papa John’s outlet on East Euclid in Des Moines, and covers pizzas ordered between six and eight p.m.