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City Notes: Fire Prevention Week theme – Plan your exits

Whipple, EricBy Eric Whipple, Charles City Fire Chief

National Fire Prevention Week is right around the corner, Oct. 8-14, and I would like to stress just how important it is for you and your family to prepare and practice your plan for the possibility of fire striking your home.

If you plan an evacuation route now, practice getting low to the floor in smoke, and have a safe meeting place once outside, it could save you and your loved ones’ lives.

In a fire, seconds count. Seconds can mean the difference between residents of our community escaping safely from a fire or having their lives end in tragedy. That’s why this year’s Fire Prevention Week theme, “Every Second Counts: Plan 2 Ways Out!” is so important. It reinforces why everyone needs to have an escape plan.

Here’s this year’s key campaign messages:

• Draw a map of your home with all members of your household, marking two exits from each room and a path to the outside from each exit.

• Practice your home fire drill twice a year. Conduct one at night and one during the day with everyone in your home, and practice using different ways out.

• Teach children how to escape on their own in case you can’t help them.

• Make sure the number of your home is clearly marked and easy for the Fire Department to find.

• Close doors behind you as you leave — this may slow the spread of smoke, heat and fire.

• Once you get outside, stay outside. Never go back inside a burning building.

It is important to have operating smoke detectors in each bedroom as well, and on every level of your home. Having these smoke detectors cuts the risk of you dying in a house fire in half. As the matter of fact, three out of five home fire deaths result from fires in properties without working smoke alarms. Be sure to change the batteries in your detector every year.

For more on Fire Prevention week, along with great activities for you and your family, visit www.fpw.org.

•••

It is a popular time of year for recreational fires as the nights are cool, and sitting around a bonfire is enjoyable. Take heed though, that in January 2012, the City Council passed an open burning ordinance.

In a nutshell, the ordinance regulates open fires to be of recreational type, meaning only natural wood can be burned. No burning of lumber, treated lumber, garbage, etc. is allowed.

The fire must be contained to no larger than three feet wide and two feet tall. All fires must be extinguished between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m. No burning of yard waste is permitted, including leaves and sticks. Be sure to always attend your fire, and have a means of extinguishing the fire close by.

One last note: Be sure to join us in concluding Fire Prevention Week with the Charles City Fire Department’s annual pancake breakfast from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 15, at the Fire Department. A freewill donation to our volunteer department will get you all-you-can-eat pancakes, ham and a drink. We hope to see you then!

Our very dedicated group of nearly 30 volunteers and staff of four career firefighters are always willing to assist others in their time of need. If you ever need anything that the Fire Department can help you out with, don’t hesitate to contact me at 257-6313, or by email at fdchief@cityofcharlescity.org.

 

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