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KOPS Talk Safety News | Fall 2023

Each semester, the KOPS Advisory Committee gathers important safety facts to share with the JCCC community.

Stay Safe This Fall

Students playing Frisbee in Fountain Square

End of daylight saving time reminder

Change your smoke detector batteries

When you set your clocks back an hour on Sunday, November 5, make sure your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors are in working order and have fresh batteries. Flames can consume a home in as little as five minutes, and the risk of dying in a fire is cut in half in homes with working smoke alarms.

Focus on fire prevention

Cooking safety starts with you

There are simple but important actions you can take when cooking to keep you and those around you safe. According to the National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®), cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries in the United States. Unattended cooking is the leading cause of cooking fires and deaths.

“Year after year, cooking remains the leading cause of home fires by far, accounting for half (49%) of all U.S. home fires,” said Lorraine Carli, vice president of outreach and advocacy at NFPA. “These numbers tell us that there is still much work to do when it comes to better educating the public about ways to stay safe when cooking.”

Cooking fires can grow quickly. Review these cooking safety tips:

  1. Watch what you heat. Always keep a close eye on what you are cooking. Set a timer to remind you that you are cooking.
  2. Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove. Always keep a lid nearby when cooking. If a small grease fire starts, slide the lid over the pan and turn off the burner.
  3. Have a “kid- and pet-free zone” of at least 3 feet (1 meter) around the stove or grill and anywhere else hot food or drink is prepared or carried.

For more information about fire prevention and cooking safety, visit fpw.org. For fire safety fun for kids, visit sparky.org.

Be Aware and Avoid Deer Collisions

Deer activity on and near roadways poses a seasonal traffic hazard. Because deer-breeding season runs from October into December, Kansas law enforcement routinely investigates a large number of vehicle-deer crashes this time of year.

Use these driving safety tips:

  • Be alert, pay attention to the roadside and watch for deer. Be especially alert at dawn and dusk, the peak movement times for deer and when visibility is low.
  • Slow down at deer-crossing signs and near woods, parks, golf courses and streams or creeks. At a reduced speed, you have a better chance of avoiding a deer.
  • Deer usually travel in groups. When one deer crosses the road, there may be others about to cross. Slow down and watch for others to dart into the road.
  • Slow down when approaching deer standing near roadsides. They have a tendency to bolt, possibly onto the roadway. Use emergency flashers to warn oncoming drivers after you see deer near a roadway.
  • Always wear your seat belt. Statistics show that most people injured or killed in deer-related collisions were not wearing seat belts.
  • The most serious crashes occur when drivers lose control of their vehicles trying to avoid an animal. Do not take unsafe evasive actions. It is usually safer to strike the deer than another object such as a tree or another vehicle.
  • If you hit a deer, pull over onto the shoulder, turn on your emergency flashers, and watch for traffic before exiting your vehicle. On your cell phone, dial *47 (*HP) for the nearest Highway Patrol dispatcher or *KTA for assistance on the Kansas Turnpike.
  • If you are involved in a vehicle-deer crash that results in personal injury or property damage of $1,000 or more, report it to the nearest law enforcement agency. Failure to report any traffic crash is a misdemeanor and may result in suspension of driving privileges.

Source: Kansas Highway Patrol

Get the Guardian app

Guardian is a free smartphone application that allows you to improve your personal safety both on and off campus. When you download the Guardian app onto your phone (directions below) and provide your stumail or employee email account, the Guardian app allows you to:

  • Call JCCC Campus Police using one button
  • Text JCCC Campus Police
  • Share your safety status with loved ones
  • Give emergency responders easy access to critical medical information, emergency contacts, and vehicle information
Alerts are available in English and Spanish.