During this time of snow and cold weather, the member companies of the Harford County Volunteer Fire & EMS Association remind everyone to follow these important safety tips to avoid fires or burn injuries.

Smoke Detectors - Install a smoke alarm on at least every level of the home or building, preferably in every room. Test your smoke alarm batteries every month and change the batteries at least once a year. New technology has greatly improved smoke alarms and detectors for home use. Smoke detectors have shown to have a useful life of ten years. Now detectors are on the market with a long-life (10 year) battery sealed in the unit. As the useful life of the detector expires, the homeowner simply discards the old detector and installs a new unit. The only maintenance is a monthly test of the unit. Also, for older homes without hardwired detectors there are now wireless interconnected detectors available. When multiple detectors of this type are installed in the home remote areas can be protected. When one detector activates they will all sound an alarm.
 

Alternate Home Heating - Never use a range or oven to heat a home or building. These appliances are not designed for long term or continuous use. In addition, toxic carbon monoxide gas can be produced by these devices. Space heater use must be monitored at all times.  Never leave an operating space heater unattended. Be sure to allow at least three feet of clear space all the way around the heater so that combustible items do not ignite.  Make sure the space heater has an emergency shut-off in case it tips over.  Follow all manufacturers guidelines especially in the use of the recommended fuel for any space heater.  Never refuel the space heater indoors. Always refuel them away from the house and never refill it while it is operating or still hot. Electric space heaters must be connected directly to a wall receptacle. Never use extension cords or any type of multi-plug outlet for these devices. 

Make sure wood stoves are properly installed and away from combustible surfaces.  They need to have proper floor support and adequate ventilation.  Never use flammable liquids (such as gasoline) to start or accelerate the fire. Make sure that your chimney is professionally inspected annually and cleaned if necessary. The use of a glass or metal screen in front of a fireplace to prevent sparks from igniting carpets or furniture nearby is essential. Dispose of hot ashes in metal containers placed away from the house or building. Never use a combustible container (e.g.- paper bag, cardboard box, or plastic pail) to dispose of the ashes, no matter how long after the fireplace or stove has been used. And never place the ashes or their container on a deck or in your garage. 
 

Additional Tips -  Be sure to keep the fire hydrant near a home or business clear of snow for easy access by firefighters. This can save precious moments during an emergency after the snow plows have been through your neighborhood. Practice your family Exit Drills In The Home. The family meeting place you selected in good weather may not be accessible after a snow event. Also remember when clearing snow, to clear a path from all the exits from your home.

These are just a few safety reminders for everyone to follow to help stay safe and warm during cold weather. For additional information contact your nearest Harford County Volunteer Fire & EMS Company.

As we continue through the winter holiday seasons, Christmas Tree Fire Safety becomes one of the primary topics that your Harford County Volunteer Fire and EMS Association member companies need to discuss with our communities. U.S. fire departments annually respond to several hundred structure fires caused by Christmas trees. Nearly half of them are caused by electrical problems, and one in four resulted from a heat source that’s too close to the tree. You can help to insure a fire safe Christmas in your home by using only Christmas tree lights that carry the label of an independent testing laboratory, and make sure you know whether they are designed for indoor or outdoor use. Replace any string of lights that have worn or broken cords, or loose bulb connections. Connect no more than three strands of mini-string sets and a maximum of 50 bulbs for screw-in bulbs.. Always turn off or unplug the lights before leaving home or going to bed. Never  use lit candles to decorate a tree.

If you have an artificial tree, be sure it’s labeled, certified or identified by the manufacturer as fire-retardant. If you choose a fresh tree, make sure the green needles don’t fall off when touched; before placing it in the stand, cut 1-2” from the base of the trunk. Add water to the tree stand, and be sure to water it daily.

Make sure your tree is not blocking an exit, and is at least three feet away from any heat source, like fireplaces, space heaters, radiators, candles and heat vents or lights. After Christmas, get rid of the tree. Dried-out trees are a fire hazard and should not be left in the home or garage, or placed outside the home. Check with your refuse hauler or local municipality as to the proper procedures for pick up and disposal of your tree.

By taking these preventative steps and following simple rules of thumb, most home fires can be prevented during the holidays and beyond. For further information on Christmas Tree fire safety, and other winter and holiday fire safety topics contact your nearest Harford County Volunteer Fire and EMS Association Company or go to www.nfpa.org/holiday.

As we enter the holiday season fire safety around the home becomes a very important subject. Not only are we into the home heating season, but there is more cooking and entertaining taking place in our homes than at any other time of the year. Each of these activities brings with it an increased risk of fire and burn injury hazards. To begin our series of holiday fire safety tips, please click on the link provided to review the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) fact sheet on the use of gas-fueled oil filled turkey fryers. These appliances can create a dangerous fire and burn injury hazard when used improperly. Read the attached information and make an informed decision prior to using this type of device. Also remember that any propane , charcoal, or other open flame cooking device is not permitted on a deck, balcony, or porch of a multi-family dwelling (townhouse, apartment, condo, etc) in Harford County. Also, all open flame cooking devices should be at least 15 feet from any part of the dwelling, deck, sheds, etc. when in use. Your Harford County Volunteer Fire & EMS Association member companies wish you a very safe and happy holiday season. Please check this website during the holidays for updated safety messages.

As we turn our clocks ahead to begin Daylight Saving Time, the member companies of the Harford County Volunteer Fire and EMS Association urge all residents to also test your smoke alarms. Smoke alarms that are properly installed and maintained play a vital role in reducing fire deaths and injuries. Having a working smoke alarm cuts the chances of dying in a reported fire in half.

There are many recent improvements in smoke alarm technology that homeowners should be aware of. Consumers now have a choice between Ionization-Type Smoke Detectors and Photoelectric-Type Smoke Detectors. Ionization smoke detection is generally more responsive to flaming fires, while Photoelectric smoke detection is generally more responsive to fires that begin with a long period of smoldering (called "smoldering fires").Since you can not predict the type of fire you may have in your home or when it will occur, for best protection, it is recommended both (ionization and photoelectric) technologies be in homes.

Also available are Wireless Interconnected Smoke Alarms. In older homes that do not have hard wired interconnected smoke alarms, these devices afford a similar level of protection. If one smoke detector activates, all of the wireless interconnected smoke alarms in the residence will sound an alarm. Additional information is available on these devices at local home improvement stores or on the smoke alarm manufacturers web sites.

Much research has been performed on the ability of children and others to awaken to smoke alarms in an emergency. Due to the findings of this research, there are now smoke alarms with a recorded parental voice message that children may respond to quicker. Also, for those individuals suffering from hearing loss there are devices available which utilize strobe lights and tactile notification devices.

And where would we be without batteries to power these smoke alarms? Well, once again technology has been improved in this area also. Smoke alarms have a functional life of approximately 10 years, at which time the entire smoke alarm should be properly discarded and replaced with a new device. Now there are smoke alarms available with 10-year non-replaceable batteries so that regular testing is all that is required for the useful life of the alarm.

As you can see, smoke alarms have come a long way since their introduction into the home fire safety arena. Even though a 2008 survey found that 96% of U.S. households had at least one smoke alarm, in 2003-2006 no smoke alarms were present or none operated in two out of the five (41%) of the reported home fires. Also, almost two-thirds of reported home fire deaths in 2003-2006 resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.

Smoke alarm installation and maintenance is not difficult, and your local Harford County Volunteer Fire and EMS Company will be glad to assist in providing and installing smoke alarms in your home. To contact any of the Harford County Volunteer Fire and EMS Companies click on the "Links" selection to the left to find the company closest to you.

Information for this article provided by and further information on smoke alarms available from       www.nfpa.org.