+ CITY NEWS
Syracuse City Updates Safety Tips for Frying a Turkey Fried turkeys are delicious, but they come with additional safety concerns. Nationally, thousands of fires occur each year due to turkey fryer fires. These fires often cause serious personal injuries. Before you set up your turkey fryer this Thanksgiving, please remember these safety tips: •
Stay Away from The House – Set up the turkey fryer more than 10 feet away from your home, and keep children and pets away. Never leave it unattended!
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Find Flat Ground – The oil must always be even and steady to ensure safety. Place the fryer on a flat, level surface and carefully gauge the amount of oil needed.
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Use a Thawed and Dry Turkey – Make sure your Thanksgiving turkey is completely thawed and dry. Extra water will cause the oil to bubble furiously and spill over, potentially causing a fire or a severe injury to loved ones.
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Monitor the Temp – Use caution when touching the turkey fryer. The lid and handle can become very hot, and could cause burns. Also be sure to keep track of the oil’s temperature, as many fryers do not have their own thermostats.
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Be Prepared – Have a fire extinguisher (multipurpose, dry-powder) ready, in case the oil ignites. Do not use water!
We wish you and your family a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday, and as always, contact the fire department if you have any questions.
COMMUNITY QUESTION CORNER BY PAUL ROBERTS, CITY ATTORNEY
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QUESTION: Did Syracuse get federal CARES Act money? If so, what are they doing with it?
Covid-19 prevention devices and upgrades at city facilities: $589,800
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PPE and disinfecting of public buildings: $140,000
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Child-care assistance (partnered with Davis Education Foundation): $140,400
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Hazard pay for public safety employees: $180,000
Answer: Congress authorized funding for COVID-19 response and recovery purposes, which included some funding to local governments who were often on the front lines of the pandemic response. The use of funds is restricted to specific purposes and cannot be used for general city operations or capital projects. Syracuse was allocated $2.7M based on our population. The city Council has currently allocated the funds as follows: •
Direct financial assistance for impacted businesses (both on its own and as a partner of Davis County): $820,000
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Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and other assistance for businesses: $179,800
We have a current reserve of $650,000 which the city will return to the U.S. Treasury if it is not needed for the response. Ultimately, these are either tax or borrowed dollars from our federal government, and the city is striving to be a wise steward over those funds.
Do you have a community question? Submit your question to proberts@syracuseut.com.
November 2020 | syracuseconnection.com 5
