~ Important Facts about 911

What is 911?

9-1-1 is the three-digit telephone number to call 24 hours a day for police, fire, or medical help.

How 9-1-1 works:

When you call 9-1-1, a dispatcher will need information about the emergency. The dispatcher will ask "What is the location?" and " What is happening?" and other questions about the emergency.

Answer the best you can and stay calm and speak clearly. Quick response depends on the vital information you provide.

If you have a medical emergency, first aid or CPR instructions will be given over the telephone until help arrives

When to call 9-1-1:

- When police, fire or medical response in needed.

- When you see fire or smoke

- When life and/or property are in danger

- When a crime is being committed

- When an ambulance is necessary

~ How to Have a Hazard-Free Home

Do:

Read all labels carefully

Buy products with the least harmful ingredients & buy only as much as you need

Store in a safe place away from children and pets

Store products in their original containers

Recycle what you can (motor oil, car batteries

Use hazardous products in a well-ventilated area, and use protective gloves or masks when recommended

Dispose of hazardous products properly

Don't:

Don't pour chemicals in the ground or down the drain

Don't dispose of toxic products with household trash

Don't remove product labels or transfer to unmarked containers

Don't disregard label warnings

Don't mix different products, they might explode or cause toxic fumes

~ Plan Your Home Fire Escape

Where & when do most home fires start?

Most home fires start between the hours of midnight and 6:00 am...just when you are asleep - and least prepared!

Most home fires start in the living room, followed by (2) kitchen, (3) basement, (4)bedrooms, and (5) other rooms.

Fire Escape Planning

Draw a floor plan of your ground or upper floor bedrooms, with two escape routes from each room, including doors and windows

Family Instructions - meet and practice drills

- Always sleep with bedroom or hall doors closed. It can keep fire out long enough to allow escape through your emergency escape route.

- Make sure a smoke detector is installed and working properly in the hallway outside bedrooms. Smoke detectors are also recommended inside bedrooms where the door is kept closed at night. This is to protect your family should a fire start inside a closed bedroom.

- Don't waste time getting dressed or collecting valuables. Precious seconds can count in a fire.

- Test the door before opening; intense heat and deadly smoke can be on the other side.

- Determine an outside meeting place to quickly check if everyone is safe. Once out...STAY OUT!

- Use a neighbor's phone to dial 9-1-1.

~ Be Prepared for Kitchen Fires

Avoid Fires in your Kitchen!

On average, every person in the country will experience 2 kitchen fires in their lifetime. Take precautions to avoid even one!

The most common kitchen fire starts in a pan on top of the stove. If this happens, don not try to move the pan...you will only increase the chances of spreading the flames.

How to Extinguish Stove-Top Pan Fires

Try to extinguish the fire in the pan by slowly sliding the lid over the pan. Don't throw the lid on the pan or place the lid directly on the pan. By sliding the lid on top of the pan, you cut off the oxygen to the fire and the fire will die. Once this has been done, turn the burner off to remove the heat source.

Caution: Under no circumstances should you attempt to put out a fire in a pan by using water. This will only increase the intensity of the fire, causing possible injury to yourself or spreading flame to other portions of the room.

Fire in an Oven

If a fire starts in the oven, closing the oven door will cut off the oxygen in most cases and smother the fire. Again, turn off the oven to remove the heat source and keep the oven door closed.

Fire Extinguishers

If you don't have a lid that fits a pan, or it the fire is too intense to get close, you must use a fire extinguisher. Most kitchen fires can be put out quickly if an adequate home fire extinguisher is available and used correctly.

Store a fire extinguisher away from the stove so it can be easily available if a fire occurs (store in a nearby laundry room or garage or opposite side of kitchen from stove).

Your home fire extinguisher should be approved for a B-type (for flammable liquids such as grease) and C-type (for electrical appliances) fire and weigh no less than 5 pounds.

Read the section on fire extinguishers.

If a fire does occur and you are unable to put the fire out, alert the fire department by dialing 911 from outside or from a neighbor's home.

Stay out of the house until the fire department arrives.

Be Smart...

Never leave the stove area unattended while cooking in an open pan on the stove or while broiling.

Regular cleaning of the stove, hood, and vent system is very important in preventing kitchen fires. Use a degreaser or household detergent on surfaces and clean vent filters in a dishwasher.

~ Smoke Detectors Save Lives!

A smoke detector is the best early fire detection device available to the average homeowner. Simple installation and maintenance could save the lives of you and your family!

Where, How Many and How Much?

Smoke detectors should be placed near bedrooms either on the ceiling, at least 6 to 12 inches away from the wall, or on the wall, 6 to 12 inches down from the ceiling.

There should be at least one detector on every floor of the house except attics, unless the attic space is used for sleeping. Additional detectors (ie: one in each bedroom) will increase the chance of early detection.

Smoke detectors can be purchased at home improvement/retail stores and prices range from $5 to $20.

How do I Install a Smoke Detector

Battery-operated detectors can be attached directly to the ceiling or wall. Wired-in electric detectors are somewhat more difficult to install and may require an electrician.

What Maintenance do Smoke Detectors Require?

Test the detector at least monthly by pushing the test button. Once a year, vacuum the dust from alarm air vents. Battery-operated detectors should have the battery replaced each year (daylight savings time is a suggested anniversary date for changing batteries).

~ Fire Extinguishers

Having the proper fire extinguisher, knowing how to use it (and when not to use it) is extremely important in protecting your home and family.

Types of Fire Extinguishers - Easy as A-B-C!

All fire extinguishers are marked with codes which indicated which type of fire they are designed to extinguish:

type A - for wood, paper, cloth and other ordinary combustibles
type B- for oil, grease, flammable liquids and combustible gases
type C - for energized electrical and electronic equipment

On the extinguisher, you will also find a number before the letter indicating the type. This number indicates the size of the fire that the extinguisher will be effective in putting out. For instance, a 10B:C rated extinguisher can be used on a gas, liquid or electrical fire roughly twice the size of a 5B:C extinguisher.

An all-purpose fire extinguisher with a rating of 2A:10B:C is recommended for use in most households.

Keep 'Em Close

Place extinguishers in areas of potential fire hazards, but far enough so that they can be retrieved in the event of a fire. For instance, never store them on or near stoves, furnaces, or equipment which couldn't be approached in case it caught fire.

~ Home Fire Safety Checklist

Are fuel-burning space heaters and appliances properly installed and used?

Are all space heaters placed away fom traffic?

Is the fireplace equipped with a metal fire screen or heat-tempered glass doors?

Are portable gas and oil heaters provided proper ventilation (for oxygen consumption as they burn) when in use?

Is there proper spacing between space heaters and curtains, bedding & furniture?

Do you prohibt members of your family from smoking in bed?

Are matches and lighters kept out of reach from all children?

Are electrical cords checked frequently for wear?

Is the right size fuse in each socket in the fuse box and are they replaced with the proper size fuse?

Do you store cookies, cereal and "treats" away from the stove (to prevent children from getting burned as they go after "bait")?

Are gasoline and other flamamble liquids stored in safety cans and away from heat, sparks, and children?

Are furnace, stove, and smoke pipes far enough from combustible walls and ceilings, and in good repair?

Is your heating equipment checked yearly by a serviceman?

Is the chimney cleaned and checked regularly?

Do you have a qualified electrician install or extend your wiring?

Do all your appliances carry the seal of a testing laboratory?

~ Children & Fire - Teach Them Well

Teach Proper Response to Home Fires

Small children often try to hide under their beds or in a closet when fire occurs. Fire safety educators tend to avoid negative statements ("don't hide in your closet") but to emphasize the appropriate actions to take ("do get outside as quickly as possible").

Sleeping with bedrooms doors will keep intense heat, smoke and poisonous gases out of the room. A child should be taught that the sound of a smoke detector is a warning that the house may be on fire. If a bedroom door feels warm to the touch, it should be left closed and escape made through a window. If checking on conditions in the hallway, the person should get down near the floor and and open the door just a crack. If there is any rush of heat or smoke, the door should be slammed shut immediately.

Strong emphasis should be placed on getting out of the house as quickly as possible if there is a fire, because fire produces "poison air" wich is not visible like smoke.

Since parents are not always able to reach thier children during a house fire, children should be taught to escape through their bedroom windows. The child should practice opening the window without assistance, and be instructed as to how to cope with a screen or storm window.

Teach Correct Use of Fire

Impress upon your child what fire is and can do. There are three elements required to create and maintain fire: heat, fuel and oxygen. Without these elements, fire won't exist. When young people have the opportunity to help, impress upon them safety practices. Then watch them.

Should children want to help with cooking, tell them about safety aspects involved in the activity such as removing hot pan lids or keeping handles of pans turned away from lighted burners.

Many children want to help mom and dad light birthday cakes, fireplaces, grills, etc. Make sure your child know what fire is and teach them the skills to prevent accidents!

~ Safety with Fireworks

Where and What to Buy?

Fireworks can be purchased legally from retail outlets and stands that are licensed by the State Fire Marshall. The stands are inspected by the fire department to ensure that no illegal fireworks slip through. One objective, of course, is to avoid personal injury and the damaging fires caused each year by fireworks.

The other objective is to avoid having children buying illegal fireworks such as bottle rockets and firecrackers from someone selling these items from thier car.

It has been recognized for years that fireworks, for all their patriotic associations, present a very serious safety hazard. Death, blindings, amputations, and severe burns have all too often been the result of fireworks misuse.

Before using fireworks, make sure they are permitted in your state or local area. Many states and local governements prohibit or limit Class C fireworks, the most common fireworks and firecrackers sold for consumer use.

Guidelines for a Safe Celebration

- Do not allow younger children to play with fireworks under any circumstances. Even sparklers burn at a very high temperature and can easily ignite clothing. Children do not fully understand the danger involved and rarely act correctly in case of an emergency.

- After a sparkler is out, place it in a bucket of water! The core wire remains hot for sometime, avoid burns by cooling it off quickly with water.

- If you permit older chldren to use fireworks, be sure they use them only under close adult supervision. Do not allow any running or horseplay while they are being used.

- Before using any fireworks, read the label and follow all warning instructions.

- Light fireworks outdoors in a clear area away from houses and flammable materials.

- Keep a bucket of water nearby for emergencies and for dousing fireworks that don't go off. Never handle or try to relight fireworks as they may unexpectedly ignite.

- Check your surrounding area to make sure you do not have any people in range of your fireworks.

- Never ignite fireworks in a container, especialy a glass or metal container. These are "amateur grenades" that could cause serious personal injury.