February – Heating Fire Safety Tips
Improper use of heating equipment is the leading cause of home fires. Increasing use of alternative heating equipment due to economic conditions could have devastating results if safety is not considered. Keep heaters at least 3 feet from anything that can burn. Turn off space heaters when you go to bed. Have annual inspections of chimneys and heating equipment.
March – Carbon Monoxide Warning
Install CO alarms inside your home to provide early warning of carbon monoxide. CO alarms should be installed in a central location outside each sleeping area and one every level of the home. For best protection interconnect all alarms so when one sounds they all sound. Often called the silent killer, carbon monoxide is an invisible, odorless, colorless gas created when fuels (such as gasoline, wood, coal, natural gas, propane, oil, and methane) burn incompletely. In the home, heating and cooking equipment that burn fuel are potential sources of carbon monoxide. Vehicles or generators running in an attached garage can also produce dangerous levels of carbon monoxide.
April – Spring Cleaning Prevents Fires
This spring remember that clutter is a major danger when it comes to home fires. Take a Saturday to clean out the basement, garage or where ever unwanted materials have been accumulating. Combustibles that are accidently left close to heat sources, such as heaters or stoves can have tragic results. Recycling is a responsibility for us all. Please get rid of old newspapers, bottles and magazines to the nearest recycle area.
May – Water Safety
A swimming pool is the centerpiece of any backyard resort. Don’t let it become a hazard. Pools are cited in up to 90 percent of all drownings involving kids under 4. Most kids who have drown in backyard pools were with one or both parents less than 5 minutes before the accident.
June – Cookout Safety
Food cooked on the grill is always a treat. We remind you to use common sense and remember cooking safety. Use proper procedures for lighting a grill and never use gasoline. Gasoline is an explosive and is very dangerous. Please grills on a steady surface and never under and awning or tent. Never bring a grill inside. Carbon monoxide may be produced. Have a container of water or garden hose ready for any fire emergencies. Always soak coals when you are finished with a charcoal grill. You must realize that the coals may stay hot for days if not cooled.
August – Water Safety
A swimming pool is the centerpiece of any backyard resort. Don’t let it become a hazard. Pools are cited in up to 90 percent of all drownings involving kids under 4. Most kids who have drown in backyard pools were with one or both parents less than 5 minutes before the accident.
September – Smoking Safety
It is hard to imagine what will all the anti-smoking efforts in our Country that smoking still kills more Americans in fires than any other cause. However, according to the National Fire Protection Association this is true and accounts for 700-900 deaths per year. Designate a smoking area outside of the home. Keep smoking materials away from anything that will burn. Never smoke if you may become sleepy.
EMERGENCIES DIAL 9-1-1
Georgetown Fire Co.
P.O. Box 77
100 S. Bedford St.
Georgetown, DE 19947
Sta: (302) 856-7700
Fax: (302) 855-1080
