It’s easy to turn a space heater on and forget about it for hours on end, but that can lead to big trouble … especially if you don’t remember to:
1) Put it on a flat surface where it can’t fall or get knocked over;
2) Leave a door open for good ventilation, and;
3) Put it at least three feet away from furniture, curtains, Christmas trees, or pets and their bedding.
(Because Fido wants to stay warm, too, that adorable little guy may drag his doggie blanket over to the heater and plop his furry bee-hind down as close to the warmth as he can, inadvertently blocking the air flow.)
If you decide to use a space heater, you’ll want to plug it directly into the outlet instead of using household extension cords because they can overheat and cause sparks. If that short cord attached to your heater just doesn’t allow you to get it where you need it, use a heavy duty extension cord marked with a power rating as high, or higher than, as what’s listed on your heater label. But remember that if any of your extension cords are frayed or have damaged cords, you should get rid of them – they’re a fire waiting to happen.
Ever had an electric shock? They're not exactly a high point in anyone's life. You’ll avoid them by keeping your heater (or any other electrical appliance, etc.) away from water or anywhere liquids can be spilled.
If you’ve acquired as many appliances and pieces of equipment as we have over the years, then you're aware that they all eventually break down. Well, space heaters are no exception to that aggravating rule, so that’s why you’ll want to make sure someone who is awake is in the room the entire time the heater is on and that they remember to shut it off if they’re the last one to leave.
Statistics show that space heaters need to be properly used and supervised to avoid property damage and death. We may feel that our belongings are irreplaceable, but they are nothing compared to the loss of a loved one.
Posted by Colleen C.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Thursday, February 4, 2010
An Ounce of Prevention
It seems there are pros and cons to everything, doesn’t it? My husband and I left the hustle and bustle of Southern California for the beauty and peacefulness of our mountain home, but living with so many magnificent trees has meant that the threat of fire is always in the backs of our minds. With being members of the Bon Carbo Volunteer Fire Department Auxiliary, and with what I’ve learned since taking on the responsibilities of the Administrative Assistant for the Fire Department, we've become even more aware of the danger fires pose. Those facts have helped motivate me to do some research on the subject.
I found a great website (www.firewise.org) containing valuable information, so I thought I’d include some of it here to help you understand what you need to do to help protect yourselves and your property:
First you’ll want to make sure your roof covering is non-flammable, so you’ll need to use Class-A asphalt shingles, metal, or concrete products.
In order to prevent flying embers from igniting your home, it’s a good idea to sweep your roof and gutters once or twice a year to avoid a build-up of leaves and pine needles. You’ll also want to get rid of vegetation, dead leaves and other flammable debris from around and under your house.
You’ll want to make of point of both picking up branches, leaves, and pine needles regularly and remembering to keep your trees pruned so that the lowest branches are six to ten feet from the ground. Those trees and shrubs you love to see around your house ought to be well-spaced, watered, and properly pruned, too.
Since you don’t want fire making a bee line to your home or that nice workshop you convinced your wife you couldn’t live without, you’ll want to store your firewood away from the house and outbuildings (unless, of course, its in a woodshed!).
If you want to burn leaves, etc., make sure to call the Bon Carbo Volunteer Fire Department (Weds. or Thurs. from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 846-2399) to see if a burning ban is in effect before you ignite anything outside. It gets mighty windy here in the Bon Carbo area, and it wouldn’t take much for sparks to wreak havoc. If no ban is in effect, Chief MaryAnn will contact you about issuing a burn permit.
Once you get the permit, you’ll want to use a common-sense approach to help stop the fire from getting out of control by first clearing combustible materials away from your burn site. It’s a good idea to stay by the fire with a hose or a nice big bucket of water ready in case of an emergency … no one wants to be responsible for property damage and possible loss of life!
If the unthinkable should happen, you’ll want emergency vehicles to get as close to your home as possible, so make sure you have enough clearance (at least thirty feet) around your house for the volunteer firefighters to gain access.
It’s vital that you and your loved ones know all emergency exits from your area and that you make a point of talking about how and when to use those exits if a wildfire is close.
And remember that if you’re away from home when a wildfire breaks out, do not return until the danger of fire has passed so you don’t obstruct emergency vehicles and firefighters.
The men and women of both the Bon Carbo and Spanish Peaks Volunteer Fire Departments and Auxiliaries want to wish you and yours a safe and happy 2010!
Posted by Colleen C.
I found a great website (www.firewise.org) containing valuable information, so I thought I’d include some of it here to help you understand what you need to do to help protect yourselves and your property:
First you’ll want to make sure your roof covering is non-flammable, so you’ll need to use Class-A asphalt shingles, metal, or concrete products.
In order to prevent flying embers from igniting your home, it’s a good idea to sweep your roof and gutters once or twice a year to avoid a build-up of leaves and pine needles. You’ll also want to get rid of vegetation, dead leaves and other flammable debris from around and under your house.
You’ll want to make of point of both picking up branches, leaves, and pine needles regularly and remembering to keep your trees pruned so that the lowest branches are six to ten feet from the ground. Those trees and shrubs you love to see around your house ought to be well-spaced, watered, and properly pruned, too.
Since you don’t want fire making a bee line to your home or that nice workshop you convinced your wife you couldn’t live without, you’ll want to store your firewood away from the house and outbuildings (unless, of course, its in a woodshed!).
If you want to burn leaves, etc., make sure to call the Bon Carbo Volunteer Fire Department (Weds. or Thurs. from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 846-2399) to see if a burning ban is in effect before you ignite anything outside. It gets mighty windy here in the Bon Carbo area, and it wouldn’t take much for sparks to wreak havoc. If no ban is in effect, Chief MaryAnn will contact you about issuing a burn permit.
Once you get the permit, you’ll want to use a common-sense approach to help stop the fire from getting out of control by first clearing combustible materials away from your burn site. It’s a good idea to stay by the fire with a hose or a nice big bucket of water ready in case of an emergency … no one wants to be responsible for property damage and possible loss of life!
If the unthinkable should happen, you’ll want emergency vehicles to get as close to your home as possible, so make sure you have enough clearance (at least thirty feet) around your house for the volunteer firefighters to gain access.
It’s vital that you and your loved ones know all emergency exits from your area and that you make a point of talking about how and when to use those exits if a wildfire is close.
And remember that if you’re away from home when a wildfire breaks out, do not return until the danger of fire has passed so you don’t obstruct emergency vehicles and firefighters.
The men and women of both the Bon Carbo and Spanish Peaks Volunteer Fire Departments and Auxiliaries want to wish you and yours a safe and happy 2010!
Posted by Colleen C.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Generator Safety
As we begin the move from cold winter into warmer spring weather, which means wet, heavy snows and those Chinooks blowing away like mad, the Bon Carbo Volunteer Fire Department would like to remind you to be careful!
This time of year, we often experience power outages due to weather. While many are short or intermittent, we have in the past had some longer outages. With weather conditions impacting energy availability, many people are using portable generators to power their homes.
If your generator is not properly installed or operated, it can become deadly due to electrical shock and carbon monoxide fumes.
The BCVFD encourages you to contact a licensed electrician to install your generator to make sure it meets all local codes. Never connect a generator directly to your household wiring without using an appropriate transfer switch, and be sure to check State Law to see if you need to notify your utility service.
Did you know…
Keep children and pets away from portable generators, and do not overload the generator or extension cords.
REMEMBER ... electricity is a powerful tool that should be used with caution!
Posted by Keisha
This time of year, we often experience power outages due to weather. While many are short or intermittent, we have in the past had some longer outages. With weather conditions impacting energy availability, many people are using portable generators to power their homes.
If your generator is not properly installed or operated, it can become deadly due to electrical shock and carbon monoxide fumes.
The BCVFD encourages you to contact a licensed electrician to install your generator to make sure it meets all local codes. Never connect a generator directly to your household wiring without using an appropriate transfer switch, and be sure to check State Law to see if you need to notify your utility service.
Did you know…
- Power from generators connected directly to household wiring can backfeed along power lines and electrocute anyone coming in contact with them, including line workers making repairs?
- Generators can produce high levels of carbon monoxide (CO) very quickly?
- You should never operate your generator in an enclosed or partially-enclosed space such as your garage or covered porch?
- You should place your generator far away from any structure housing people or pets?
- You should use carbon monoxide detectors whenever you operate a generator?
- You need to turn off all appliances powered by the generator before shutting it down?
- You should use a ground fault circuit interrupter (GCFI) to help prevent electrocutions and electrical shock injuries?
Keep children and pets away from portable generators, and do not overload the generator or extension cords.
REMEMBER ... electricity is a powerful tool that should be used with caution!
Posted by Keisha
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Helping Haiti
The men and women of the Bon Carbo Volunteer Fire Department would like to encourage members of the community to help the earthquake victims in Haiti in whatever ways they can. We also urge you to use caution when considering where to send your financial support. As we have learned from past tragedies, the suffering of others is often further compounded by scam artists trying to steal money intended for victim's assistance.
CBSnews.com has compiled a list of respectable charitable organizations, as well as information on how to look for loved ones in Haiti. You can find that list by clicking here.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families, and also to the thousands of support personnel on the ground in Haiti.
Posted by Keisha
CBSnews.com has compiled a list of respectable charitable organizations, as well as information on how to look for loved ones in Haiti. You can find that list by clicking here.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families, and also to the thousands of support personnel on the ground in Haiti.
Posted by Keisha
Monday, January 18, 2010
Well-belted kids
You’re just going to the store or for a short drive over to the neighbors. You live on a dirt road and no one ever speeds, including you. The kids are sleeping, and they need to be able to get more comfortable.
Ever said these words when thinking about whether or not to belt your kids into the car? According to healthychildren.org, each year thousands of children are killed or injured in car crashes - and a lot of those deaths and injuries could have been prevented with proper seat belt usage.
Infants should be in a rear-facing car seat, preferably in the back seat, until they reach a minimum of 20 pounds and are a year old. If your child outgrows his or her infant only seat, a convertible car seat is the next step up. This seat can be placed in either the rear or forward-facing position and gives larger infants, who haven’t yet reached their first birthday, a bit more room while still in the rear-facing position.
Once your little one has reached 20 pounds (and made a huge mess of his or her first birthday cake), they can sit in a forward-facing car seat. This seat should have a five-point harness system for maximum safety.
School-aged children can sit in booster seats, which come in a variety of sizes. One, for younger children, is a complete seat with a bottom and back, allowing the vehicle's seat belt to fit them properly. Older children can use a booster seat with only a bottom, provided they are tall enough that the seat belt sits across their chest. Booster seats should be used until a child reaches 4’9” tall and is 8-12 years old.
Older children can use seat belts, but Dr. Arlene Greenspan of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says all children younger than 13 should sit in the back seat. This provides the best protection.
Your car insurance carrier may provide car seat installation service, in which a qualified technician will come out and make sure your children's car seats are installed properly.
If you need more information to help you purchase the best car seat for your child, please visit healthychildren.org.
Posted by Keisha
Ever said these words when thinking about whether or not to belt your kids into the car? According to healthychildren.org, each year thousands of children are killed or injured in car crashes - and a lot of those deaths and injuries could have been prevented with proper seat belt usage.
Infants should be in a rear-facing car seat, preferably in the back seat, until they reach a minimum of 20 pounds and are a year old. If your child outgrows his or her infant only seat, a convertible car seat is the next step up. This seat can be placed in either the rear or forward-facing position and gives larger infants, who haven’t yet reached their first birthday, a bit more room while still in the rear-facing position.
Once your little one has reached 20 pounds (and made a huge mess of his or her first birthday cake), they can sit in a forward-facing car seat. This seat should have a five-point harness system for maximum safety.
School-aged children can sit in booster seats, which come in a variety of sizes. One, for younger children, is a complete seat with a bottom and back, allowing the vehicle's seat belt to fit them properly. Older children can use a booster seat with only a bottom, provided they are tall enough that the seat belt sits across their chest. Booster seats should be used until a child reaches 4’9” tall and is 8-12 years old.
Older children can use seat belts, but Dr. Arlene Greenspan of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says all children younger than 13 should sit in the back seat. This provides the best protection.
Your car insurance carrier may provide car seat installation service, in which a qualified technician will come out and make sure your children's car seats are installed properly.
If you need more information to help you purchase the best car seat for your child, please visit healthychildren.org.
Posted by Keisha
Saturday, January 16, 2010
About Wildfire
Fire has been an essential part of our environment for millennia, shaping natural ecosystems such as forests and rangelands.
Fire is a vital and natural component of healthy forests, especially in the West. Many species, such as lodgepole pine, partially depend on fire to spread their seeds.
Three components must be present before a fire can start: oxygen, heat and fuel. In the context of wildfires, fuel is any living or dead material that will burn, such as dry leaves, pine trees, fallen branches, grasses and even homes.
Low-intensity fires reduce fuel buildup on the forest floor, thus helping prevent susceptibility to insect infestations and disease outbreaks. Additionally, fire helps recycle nutrients back into the soil and creates a fertile environment for seeds to germinate. Forest fires can enhance wildlife habitat and improve access and appearance.
Historically, fires caused by lightning and ignited by Native Americans helped maintain open forests and grasslands.
By the 1900s, however, Americans grew to fear fire — whether natural or human caused — due to damages to personal property, farmland, livestock and wildlife, and threats to human life. As a result, fire suppression became the norm.
The great fires of 1910 burned more than 3 million acres in the Northern Rockies of Idaho and Montana, took the lives of 78 firefighters and cost the USDA Forest Service more than $20 million (adjusted for inflation). This historic event, known as "The Big Blowup," prompted a decision to put out forest fires as quickly as possible. Now, almost 100 years later, fire suppression has led to severe changes in America's forests.
A century of fire suppression has produced dangerous accumulations of fuels, causing hotter and more intense fires when they do eventually burn. Because of the arrangement of these fuels, fire travels to the top of the forest instead of staying close to the ground. These crown fires are extremely threatening to soils, habitat, property and people.
Excessive fire suppression and fuel buildup have negative impacts on forest health and the humans and wildlife that inhabit the area. However, land managers and homeowners can take preventive measures to reduce the occurrence of catastrophic crown fires. Such actions include clearing dead and downed materials, thinning tree stands and removing other hazardous fuels. Allowing naturally occurring fires to burn without interference or applying fire through prescribed burning can help prevent intense crown fires and maintain a healthy forest.
Article from http://csfs.colostate.edu/pages/wf-about.html
Posted by Colleen C.
Fire is a vital and natural component of healthy forests, especially in the West. Many species, such as lodgepole pine, partially depend on fire to spread their seeds.
Three components must be present before a fire can start: oxygen, heat and fuel. In the context of wildfires, fuel is any living or dead material that will burn, such as dry leaves, pine trees, fallen branches, grasses and even homes.
Low-intensity fires reduce fuel buildup on the forest floor, thus helping prevent susceptibility to insect infestations and disease outbreaks. Additionally, fire helps recycle nutrients back into the soil and creates a fertile environment for seeds to germinate. Forest fires can enhance wildlife habitat and improve access and appearance.
Historically, fires caused by lightning and ignited by Native Americans helped maintain open forests and grasslands.
By the 1900s, however, Americans grew to fear fire — whether natural or human caused — due to damages to personal property, farmland, livestock and wildlife, and threats to human life. As a result, fire suppression became the norm.
The great fires of 1910 burned more than 3 million acres in the Northern Rockies of Idaho and Montana, took the lives of 78 firefighters and cost the USDA Forest Service more than $20 million (adjusted for inflation). This historic event, known as "The Big Blowup," prompted a decision to put out forest fires as quickly as possible. Now, almost 100 years later, fire suppression has led to severe changes in America's forests.
A century of fire suppression has produced dangerous accumulations of fuels, causing hotter and more intense fires when they do eventually burn. Because of the arrangement of these fuels, fire travels to the top of the forest instead of staying close to the ground. These crown fires are extremely threatening to soils, habitat, property and people.
Excessive fire suppression and fuel buildup have negative impacts on forest health and the humans and wildlife that inhabit the area. However, land managers and homeowners can take preventive measures to reduce the occurrence of catastrophic crown fires. Such actions include clearing dead and downed materials, thinning tree stands and removing other hazardous fuels. Allowing naturally occurring fires to burn without interference or applying fire through prescribed burning can help prevent intense crown fires and maintain a healthy forest.
Article from http://csfs.colostate.edu/pages/wf-about.html
Posted by Colleen C.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Prepare for anything in 2010!
The Bon Carbo Volunteer Fire Department urges residents to prepare for any type of unseen emergency. While the weather may be lovely, the Colorado climate is still unpredictable; and with humidity levels creeping lower and lower, wild fire is again becoming a threat - even with snow still on the ground!
The men and women of the Bon Carbo Volunteer Fire Department want you and your family to be safe in 2010. The Los Angeles Fire Department has written an excellent blog regarding preparedness, and there are some great links that apply to everyone, regardless of your location.
http://lafd.blogspot.com/2010/01/prepare-for-whatever-comes-in-2010.html
Posted by Keisha
The men and women of the Bon Carbo Volunteer Fire Department want you and your family to be safe in 2010. The Los Angeles Fire Department has written an excellent blog regarding preparedness, and there are some great links that apply to everyone, regardless of your location.
http://lafd.blogspot.com/2010/01/prepare-for-whatever-comes-in-2010.html
Posted by Keisha
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)