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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

• Here are some tips:
• Fence in your pool and lock the entrance so kids can't get in without you. The pool's fence should be 5 feet high and it should isolate the pool from the rest of the yard and from the house. A fence reduces the risk of drowning by 60 percent.
• Remove toys from inside and around the pool after use so they don't lure kids poolside.
• Drain portable wading pools immediately after use.
• Keep a telephone near the pool at all times with "911" clearly visible

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.

 

Over 62,000 people are injured annually in lawn mower accidents. Never smoke when refueling power equipment. Gasoline is an explosive therefore wait until motors have cooled before refueling. Check equipment for frayed wires. Wires coming in contact with damp grass or metal may cause lethal shocks. Never leave power equipment running when unattended.

 

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.

• Here are some tips:
• Fence in your pool and lock the entrance so kids can't get in without you. The pool's fence should be 5 feet high and it should isolate the pool from the rest of the yard and from the house. A fence reduces the risk of drowning by 60 percent.
• Remove toys from inside and around the pool after use so they don't lure kids poolside.
• Drain portable wading pools immediately after use.
• Keep a telephone near the pool at all times with "911" clearly visible
• Smoking Safety Tips

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.