FIRE SAFETY TIPS
Although we concentrate our fire safety efforts during the annual Fire Prevention Week in October, fire prevention and safety should be a year round effort. Here are some simple tips to keep your family safe.
SMOKE DETECTORS
Smoke detectors should be placed on every living level of your home, including the basement and garage. They should be tested once a month and have the batteries replaced once a year.
Picking a time of year to do that can be easy to remember:
Use the anniversary of moving in to your house
A birthday
When you change your clocks for daylight savings time.
Remember that smoke detectors are a mechanical device and can only work if you maintain them. Take the time to occasionally clean them with a duster or vacuum cleaner. They also have a useful live span of only 10 years and should be replaced at that time.
FIRE DRILLS
Practice Operation E.D.I.T.H., Exit Drills In The Home.
Draw a map of your home and plan for 2 ways out for every family member.
Make sure you designate a "Meeting Place" for everyone to go to so you can count heads and make sure all are safe. It could be your mailbox, a neighbor's porch or a tree in the front yard.
After your draw your escape plans, PRACTICE THEM. Remember to crawl low as you 'escape'. Smoke rises and clean air will stay low to the floor. Crawling low will give you good air to breathe.
Once you are out of your house, NEVER EVER, go back in for ANYTHING, toys, pets, etc.
NEVER call a fire in from your house. Go to a neighbor's house or if you have a cordless phone, take it with you and call from outside.
KITCHEN SAFETY
Cooking fires are one of the largest causes of home fires in America. Grease fires can be extinguished easily with a home fire extinguisher or by putting a lid over the pan. NEVER try to extinguish a grease fire with water, as it will only spread the fire.
Always make sure your pot handles are turned in or sidewise so children aren't tempted to reach for them.
If you do have to leave the kitchen while cooking, take something with you like a spoon or spatula to remind you of what you were doing.
CHIMNEY FIRES
In order to avoid having a chimney fire, have your chimney cleaned professionally on an annual basis. Some products sold in bargain stores have not been proven to clean the chimney properly.
LEAVES
Burning leaves is prohibited in Birdsboro. The borough will collect your leaves along the curb. However, be careful not to park your car over leaves, as the exhaust system gets rather hot and may ignite them.
CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTORS
CO detectors are a valuable addition to any home that uses gas or oil for heat or hot water. They detect the odorless, colorless gas created by incomplete combustion. CO detectors should be placed in an area where those fumes are likely to gather. Should your detector activate, IMMEDIATELY leave your house and call from a neighbor's home. Do not open your windows to ventilate, as it will hamper the firefighter's investigation to find where the fumes are coming from and the level of danger in your home.
You will be instructed as to when it is safe to return to your home by the firefighters.
SMOKING
If you do still smoke, please do it outside your home. Not only will that cut down on second hand smoke passed on to other members of your family, but also will insure that cigarettes will not end up smoldering in your couch or bed.
Taking the time to review a few, simple fire safety tips can prevent a major incident or injury to your home or family.
