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Office of Fire Prevention
Smoke Detectors
Have you tested your smoke detectors this month?
- Cost to equip one firefighter with protective clothing and breathing apparatus.....$4,300
- Cst of one new fully equipped fire truck able to carry 6 firefighters......$350,000
- Value of one family member, saved by the early warning of a working smoke detector.....PRICELESS!!
Test them monthly,change the batteries at least annually, bettter semi-annually. (Helpful reminder: Change them when you change your clocks.)
MOST MANUFACTURERS RECOMMEND REPLACING THE SMOKE DETECTORS EVERY 10 YEARS.
RI Fire Safety Code requires the replacement of detectors that are more than 10 years old. (NFPA 72)
How old is your smoke
detector?
If you are not sure then
replacing it is cheap insurance!
**REMINDER**
Effective January 2002, Carbon
Monoxide Detectors are now required in nearly all new residential
construction and are required in all homes at time of resale.
What is the job of the Fire
Prevention Division?
It is to educate and to educate again.
Activities of this division include:
·
Visiting the schools at least once a year to
provide instruction and demonstrations of Fire Safety and Fire Prevention to
our students.
·
Provide public education at various events
during the year.
·
Provide Fire Safety Education by addressing
various civic groups at their regular meetings.
·
Review all plans for residential construction
and renovations to insure compliance with requirements for Smoke and Carbon
Monoxide Detectors.
·
Review all plans for commercial construction
and renovations to insure that all work complies with RI Fire Safety Codes
and the Life Safety Code.
·
Smoke detector and Carbon Monoxide detector
inspections (required for all home purchases prior to closing)
·
Work closely with the Town Building Official's
Office to insure that all public and commercial buildings are inspected,
comply with the various Codes and are safe for use by the general public.
Why do we do all this?
"Because Knowing is Half the
Battle
."
Practice Fire Safety in
Your Home!
FIRE PREVENTION TIPS
- Always keep emergency phone numbers availa"DIAL
911" in an emergency.
- In case of a fire in your housget
out first!
- Call the fire department from a neighbor’s house.
- Teach children not to hide during a fire. Teach them to get out of the
house.
- Have an escape plan AND A MEETING PLACE!
- NEVER RE-ENTER A BURNING BUILDING, EVER – THAT’S OUR JOB!
- Smoke detectors will warn you of a fire. Test monthly, clean annually and
change batteries at least annually.
- Keep fire extinguishers in your garage, kitchen and basement. Try ONE
EXTINGUISHER on the fire, if you do not put it out, the fire is too big for
you to fight, leave the building immediately and call the Fire Department.
- Maintain large, easy to see house numbers on your house at all times. If
your house is a distance from the road then put numbers ON
BOTH SIDE of your mailbox or a sign near the end of
your driveway. Look at them when you come home at night, if you cannot read
them easily then neither can we!
- Avoid using extension cords, especially small-wired cords used with high
wattage appliances.
- Allow air space around the TV to prevent overheating.
- If a fuse blows find the cause. Replace the fuse with one of the correct
size.
- Never peer into a closet or an attic with a lighted match, lighter or
candle.
- Move flammable liquids away from heat sources.
- NEVER store gasoline in the home. Use outside storage.
- NEVER store propane tanks (from grill or otherwise) inside you home or an
attached garage. A leak from the relief valve could fill the house with gas
and cause an explosion.
- Never use gasoline to start a grill or add lighter fluid to an already
started fire.
- Don't fill a hot lawnmower or other engine with gasoline, let it cool
first.
- Have oil-heating equipment checked and cleaned annually.
- Remove rubbish. Do not store flammables near furnace or heater.
- Never allow extension cords to come in contact with electric heat. Keep
obstructions, (especially flammables) away from front of heat minimum of
18".
- Keep portable space heaters away from people, curtains, and furniture minimum of 3'.
- NEVER use kerosene space heaters where people are sleeping.
- Curtains, towels or paper towels should not be used or put close to a
stove.
- Smother a pan fire with a lid. Never use water. If cooking oil starts to
smoke turn down the heat.
- Don't wear loose fitting clothes when you cook.
- Plan how to escape from your bedroom if the front door were blocked by
smoke. You might have to use the window.
- Keep matches and lighters above the "strike" zone (too high for
children to reach).
- Use a fireplace screen to prevent sparks from flying out.
From all of us at HJFD play it safe with fire - it could mean your life!!!!!
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