By Justin Creech
Staff Writer
Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Christmas is fast approaching which means Families are shopping for gifts and going out of town to visit Family members. That also means Families need to take the proper precautions to prevent thefts and burglaries.

The Fort Belvoir Enlisted Spouses Club is doing its part to inform residents how to properly secure their homes and possessions by hosting a Safety and Security Day at the Vernondale Village Community Center Dec. 1 from 10 a.m. to noon. The event is free and open to all Fort Belvoir residents.

“The holidays are a prime time for burglaries and thefts,” said Barbara Zimmerman, BESC vice president. “If you go away, it leaves your home open to be targeted. We want to enforce having someone with you when you are shopping for high-priced items, but also some of the simple tips like locking your doors and windows when you leave the house.”

Members of the Fort Belvoir Police Department, Fire and Emergency Services and the Belvoir Credit Union will be at the event talking to residents about how to secure their homes and proper kitchen safety steps to be aware of during the holiday season.

Belvoir Credit Union will give child identification kits to the first 500 children who come to the event.

“Our Families are constantly changing,” said Zimmerman. “So, there are always going to be people who need this information.”

One tip Belvoir police will share with residents is securing gifts while out shopping, according to Capt. Steve Galay, FBPD Patrol Division.

“Place packages in bags in the trunk of the vehicle,” said Galay. “Don’t allow those gifts to remain visible in an unoccupied vehicle.”

Galay also said residents need to lock all vehicle and home doors, and windows, whether they are at home or not.

Cooking fires are the number one cause of home fires and injuries throughout the year and the leading cause of home fires on Thanksgiving Day, so following proper precautions in the kitchen is vital.

Reports of cooking fires nearly double on Thanksgiving Day, occurring more than twice as often as on a normal day.

Someone cooking on Thanksgiving Day should not wear clothing with loose sleeves or dangling jewelry. Clothing can catch on fire and jewelry can become entangled with pot handles causing spills and burns, according to John Weaver, FES fire marshal.

“By using fire-wise common sense, citizens and residents can avoid tragedy and disruption of their holiday festivities,” said Weaver. “While these tips may not make Thanksgiving dinner taste any better — they will aid in avoiding a potential disaster.”

The event is also an opportunity for emergency personnel to meet residents in an informal setting and not while something bad is happening. It also gives residents a chance to ask questions.

“Most of the times when a resident sees a police officer its when something is going wrong,” said Galay. “(Safety and Security Day) allows them to interact and get to know the command staff within the police department and the officers that patrol and work the neighborhoods. They see that we are approachable.”

Galay said FBPD will also find out underlying issues in the neighborhood they may not know about. That information will allow FBPD to plan proper courses of action.

“It allows us to more efficiently focus resources,” said Galay. “Every neighborhood has good things and bad things about them, and these kinds of events allow us to better know the residents, and them to know us, to establish that trust and confidence.”

Zimmerman said she hopes the event educates and shows residents the importance of properly securing their homes and valuables.

“It’s easy, living on a military post, to think you don’t have to do anything since we have gate guards,” said Zimmerman. “That’s a false sense of security. We are hoping to show residents things they can do to help make their homes and the neighborhood safer.”