Sunman Rural Fire Department » Fire Safety

Indiana State Fireworks Laws 2008

SRFD Admin — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 21:30:05 +0000

The Indiana Department of Homeland Security has issued a press release concerning the Indiana State Fireworks laws and safety guidelines for 2008. Please take a moment to review this information as you prepare for the upcoming Independence Day holiday.

Carbon Monoxide (CO) Detector Safety

SRFD Admin — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 06:58:51 +0000

Carbon monoxide is a by-product of incomplete combustion. Its sources include malfunctioning appliances, such as furnaces, stoves, space heaters and hot water heaters which operate by burning liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), or wood. Other sources of CO include blocked chimney flues, cooking appliances used for heating purposes, vehicle exhaust, and charcoal grills used in the home, camper, garage or other unventilated areas.When appliances malfunction or are inadequately ventilated, the amount of CO in the air can rise to a level that causes illness or death. Symptoms of CO poisoning are similar to those of the flu and can include dizziness, fatigue, headache and nausea. Since CO is colorless and odorless, most individuals never realize that they are being poisoned.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) points out that the first line of defense against carbon monoxide is to make sure that all appliances are properly installed, ventilated and maintained. This means that appliances and home heating systems (including chimneys and flues) should be inspected each year by a qualified inspector.

Recently, Underwriters Laboratories (UL) developed new construction and test standards (Standard 2034) for CO detectors. You should purchase models that meet these requirements.

Practice Fire Drills in the Home

SRFD Admin — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 20:12:29 +0000

It is important to review this with your family so that in the event of a fire everyone will know how to get out! Remember to plan several ways out of your home in case your usual route becomes blocked for some reason. The time to plan a safe escape is before a fire strikes.Once you are outside it is important that you have a common meeting place, a tree, mailbox or even the neighbors house. As long as everyone in the family knows to meet there. If someone does not show up, inform the first arriving fire units so they can go in for a rescue.

Once you are safely out of the house, do not go back in. Not for pets, valuables or anything your life is worth much more than any possessions you might have. Many pet owners have died going back in to rescue the family pet. Spot and fluffy are smart animals and will often find their own way out.

Smoke Detectors Save Lives

SRFD Admin — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 19:15:41 +0000

It is a fact that most victims who die in a fire could have lived if they only had a smoke detector. There is a misnomer that fire is what will get you and cause you harm. In actuality most victims in a fire are smothered by a fires choking smoke long before the flames ever reach them.

When there is a fire, both you and the fire are in a competition for oxygen. Since the fire doubles in size every minute, unfortunatly it is a battle which you most likely will not win if you do not have a smoke detector.

The key to surviving a fire is an early warning. A smoke detector properly placed in your home will give you the time you need to escape to safety. I strongly recommend that you place one on each level of your home. If you can not afford that, the most important place to have one is in the hallway leeding to your bedrooms. When you are asleep is when you are most vulnerable.

Remember to change the battery in your smoke detector every 6 months! A good key to go by, is change the battery every time you change your clocks.