The importance of fire safety Published Oct. 11, 2007 By Airman 1st Class Timothy Taylor 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey -- Incirlik's Fire Prevention Week kicked off Oct. 7 with a focus on educating Team Incirlik about the importance of fire safety and practicing fire escape routes at home. According to Incirlik's firefighters, fire prevention is all about knowing the risk and how to deal with situations when things do go wrong. "Following fire safety rules ensures a sound fire-prevention program," said Ronald Swartz, 39th Civil Engineer Squadron Fire Department chief. It has been a busy year for the firefighters that make up the team here. "In Fiscal Year 2007 we responded to 325 fire and emergency service calls," said Mr. Swartz. "That is a decrease of 18 from Fiscal Year 2006." Of those 325 responses, Ali Veysel Ozyesil, 39th Civil Engineer Squadron Fire Prevention assistant chief, said six were actual fires and the places they respond to most commonly were the dormitories. "Most of our calls come from smoke detectors going off in the dorms," he said. Some of the time the calls turn out to be false alarms; however, that doesn't change the seriousness of every call the fire department here receives. "A firefighter's worst nightmare is responding to a call with no information on whether or not people are in the building," said Mr. Ozyesil. To prevent every firefighter's nightmare, there are a few small tips people can follow to make sure accidents don't happen or at least don't get out of hand. "You should make sure you follow all smoking policies and properly store flammable liquids," said Mr. Swartz. "You should also have training on how to prevent cooking fires in kitchens and outside. Make sure you regularly test your smoke detectors, properly store your space heaters and always have an escape exit." For more details about fire prevention, call the Incirlik Fire Department at 676-6251.