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Grillin'

Nothing says "summer" like a tasty Bar-B-Q with family and friends. Here are some tips to help keep your grilling safe.

~Never leave a grill unattended once it has been lit.

~Avoid using gasoline or other unstable flammable liquids to light the charcoal.

~Follow manufacturer's directions.

~Open all vents before and during cooking.

~Keep children 3 feet away from the hot grill

Most Recent Calls

Sun. -Aug. 17th

Incident # 2268
09:16
Lifeflight Standby
@ Wright Memorial Hosp.

Incident # 2267
03:08
Carbon Monoxide Investigation
On Southside of town

Fire Safety in the Home

Here is a great website provided by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission which gives valuable tips, information and checklists on fire safety in your home!

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/556.html

Basic Fire Escape Planning

Facts & figures

-Only one-fifth to one-fourth of households (23%) have actually developed and practiced a home fire escape plan to ensure they could escape quickly and safely.

-In 2004, there were an estimated 395,500 reported home structure fires and 3,190 associated civilian deaths in the United States.

-One-third of American households who made an estimate thought they would have at least 6 minutes before a fire in their home would become life-threatening. The time available is often less. And only 8% said their first thought on hearing a smoke alarm would be to get out!

Your ability to get out depends on advance warning from smoke alarms and advance planning.

* Pull together everyone in your household and make a plan. Walk through your home and inspect all possible exits and escape routes. Households with children should consider drawing a floor plan of your home, marking two ways out of each room, including windows and doors. Also, mark the location of each smoke alarm.

* Make sure that you have at least one smoke alarm on every level of your home.

* Everyone in the household must understand the escape plan. When you walk through your plan, check to make sure the escape routes are clear and doors and windows can be opened easily.

* Choose an outside meeting place (i.e. neighbor's house, a light post, mailbox, or stop sign) a safe distance in front of your home where everyone can meet after they've escaped. Make sure to mark the location of the meeting place on your escape plan.

* Go outside to see if your street number is clearly visible from the road. If not, paint it on the curb or install house numbers to ensure that responding emergency personnel can find your home.

* Have everyone memorize the emergency phone number of the fire department. That way any member of the household can call from a neighbor's home or a cellular phone once safely outside.

* If there are infants, older adultsor family members with mobility limitations make sure that someone is assigned to assist them in the fire drill and in the event of an emergency. Assign a backup person too, in case the designee is not home during the emergency.

* Be fully prepared for a real fire: when a smoke alarm sounds, get out immediately. Residents of high-rise and apartment buildings may be safer "defending in place."

* Once you're out, stay out! Under no circumstances should you ever go back into a burning building. If someone is missing, inform the fire department dispatcher when you call. Firefighters have the skills and equipment to perform rescues.

Putting your plan to the test

* Practice your home fire escape plan twice a year, making the drill as realistic as possible.

* Allow children to master fire escape planning and practice before holding a fire drill at night when they are sleeping. The objective is to practice, not to frighten, so telling children there will be a drill before they go to bed can be as effective as a surprise drill.

* It's important to determine during the drill whether children and others can readily waken to the sound of the smoke alarm. If they fail to awaken, make sure that someone is assigned to wake them up as part of the drill and in a real emergency situation.

* If your home has two floors, every family member (including children) must be able to escape from the second floor rooms. Escape ladders can be placed in or near windows to provide an additional escape route. Review the manufacturer's instructions carefully so you'll be able to use a safety ladder in an emergency. Practice setting up the ladder from a first floor window to make sure you can do it correctly and quickly. Children should only practice with a grown-up, and only from a first-story window. Store the ladder near the window, in an easily accessible location. You don't want to have to search for it during a fire.

* Always choose the escape route that is safest – the one with the least amount of smoke and heat – but be prepared to escape through toxic smoke if necessary. When you do your fire drill, everyone in the family should practice getting low and going through the smoke to your exit. By keeping your head low, you'll be able to breathe the "good" air that's closer to the floor.

* Closing doors on your way out slows the spread of fire, giving you more time to safely escape.

* In some cases, smoke or fire may prevent you from exiting your home or apartment building. To prepare for an emergency like this, practice "sealing yourself in for safety" as part of your home fire escape plan. Close all doors between you and the fire. Use clothing or towels to seal the door cracks and cover air vents to keep smoke from coming in. If possible, open your windows at the top and bottom so fresh air can get in.