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Personal Safety

 


One of the biggest problems emergency service workers face is the driving public. Many have been injured or killed by inattentive drivers and drivers under the influence. How would you feel if you injured or killed someone because you were talking on your cell phone or otherwise not paying attention to your driving? It happens every day, and is easily preventable, do your part, PAY ATTENTION while driving.
 



For info on Carbon Monoxide, it's dangers, and how you can protect your family, click here

 

Fire Extinguishers

Click here for more info on fire extinguishers

  • Use a fire extinguisher only after people have left the house and the fire department has been called.
  • Fire extinguishers come in many sizes and types. When choosing one, be sure you know what kind of fires you expect to put out with it.
  • The NFPA recommends buying only fire extinguishers tested in accordance with the American National Standards Institute guidelines. Testing information is included on the label.
  • Keep extinguishers where they are readily available and easily accessible to all family members, and make sure everyone knows how to use them properly
  • Inspect your fire extinguishers frequently and refill if necessary.
Spontaneous Combustion
Beware of Creating a Fire Hazard

Picture this: It’s time to cut the lawn again. You go into the garage to get your mower ready. You check the mower’s oil level and see that it needs some engine oil. So you pour in some oil and wipe up the minor spillage with an old rag. Then you toss the rag into a pail, wheel the lawnmower out of the garage, and proceed to cut the grass.
 
 What’s Wrong with This Picture? Click here to find out.

 



For Minimum protection, install a smoke detector outside of each bedroom in your home, ideally you should have detectors on every level of your home.

Keep your bedroom doors closed while you are asleep.

Test your detectors once a week to ensure they are operating properly.

When you change your clocks for daylight savings, change the batteries in your smoke detectors, use only the batteries recommended by the detector manufacturer.
If you have gas appliances or any wood burning devices such as wood or pellet stoves in your home, you should also install CO (Carbon Monoxide) detectors and follow the maintenance and testing schedule as outlined in the detector manual.

For more info on smoke detectors, click here

Ever wonder how smoke detectors work? Click here to find out.

 Heating with wood does entail some hazards, but many fires do not involve flue fires, a large fire hazard comes from people taking out the ashes! An incredible number of people every year remove the ashes from the stove, put them into a cardboard box, then put the box on the back porch or steps.

Wood ashes are amazing in their insulating ability. In the old days people used to save some coals in a tin box full of ashes, the "tinder box." Coals would keep overnight, then were placed by tinder, a bellows blown at the coal, and the tinder would burst into flame. Small sticks would then be added, then larger pieces of wood, and soon a good fire was going. Before the fire died out some hot coals were placed back into the "tinder box" for use for the next day's fire. This system was not perfect, and neighbors shared coals at times, but it was way ahead of whatever was in second place.

 When a cardboard box is used to discard ashes, over a short time the hot ash heats up the cardboard, it starts burning, then the floor of the porch becomes involved, and 911 gets dialed. Bad news indeed.

Another problem comes from using shop vac's to clean out ashes, the vacuum is fired up to remove the wood ashes, the incredible draft generated by the shop vac would make a blacksmith's forge melt from sheer fright. Even minuscule embers become incredibly hot, creating an intense fire hazard that can quickly melt the plastic vent fitting and begin emitting hot flaming particles into the house.

Use a metal bucket with a bail handle (like a 5 gallon galvanized garbage can), take it outside away from any structures and place it on bricks or concrete for a couple of days. Because the ash bucket can get rained on, punch a couple of nail holes through the side near the bottom to drain excess water.

For information on auto safety, child seats, crash tests, vehicle recalls, and anything related to automobile safety, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website.
Click here to visit the United States Fire Administration's kid's fire safety page, you'll find information on smoke alarms, escape planning, home fire safety, plus related games.
Click on Sparky to visit his webpage, there you'll find fire safety info and games for kids.

Sparky the Fire Dog
On Friday, December 15 2002, Amtrak commenced the running of the Downeaster Passenger Rail Service from Boston, MA to Portland, ME. This is a high speed train that crosses two grades (roads) in Newmarket and travels on unprotected track, meaning anyone can walk onto the tracks at certain locations. This train will be traveling much faster than the current freight trains that you are used to, and the crossing gates may drop before you can see or hear the approaching train, so use extra caution when traversing the grades, and do not drive around lowered gates. For more information on railroad grade crossing and right of way safety, visit the Operation Lifesaver website.
 NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) is a nationwide network of radio stations broadcasting continuous weather information direct from a nearby National Weather Service office. NWR broadcasts National Weather Service warnings, watches, forecasts and other hazard information 24 hours a day.

 
Working with the Federal Communication Commission's (FCC) Emergency Alert System, NWR is an "all hazards" radio network, making it your single source for comprehensive weather and emergency information. NWR also broadcasts warning and post-event information for all types of hazards--both natural (such as earthquakes and volcano activity) and environmental (such as chemical releases or oil spills).

 Known as the "Voice of NOAA's National Weather Service," NWR is provided as a public service by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), part of the Department of Commerce. NWR includes more than 850 transmitters, covering all 50 states, adjacent coastal waters, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the U.S. Pacific Territories. NWR requires a special radio receiver or scanner capable of picking up the signal. Broadcasts are found in the public service band at these seven frequencies (MHz):

162.400
162.425
162.450
162.475
162.500
162.525
162.550


Click here for the NOAA Weather Radio page

United States Fire Administration

An entity of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the mission of the United States Fire Administration is to reduce life and economic losses due to fire and related emergencies, through leadership, advocacy, coordination and support. We serve the Nation independently, in coordination with other Federal agencies, and in partnership with fire protection and emergency service communities. Below are some links to important information that everyone should know, each link will open in a new window.
Make the Right Call Facts on Fire Smoke Alarms
Safety Directory Campus Safety Kids Page
Get Out Safely Factsheets Product Recalls

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