Saturday, October 31, 2009

Have a Safe and Spook-tacular Halloween

With Halloween quickly approaching, the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service offers residents some safety tips to help prepare for a safe Halloween:


Plan a safe route.

1. Children are four times more likely to be hit by a car on Halloween than any other night of the year. Accompany children and remind them to stop at all street corners, cross only at intersections and crosswalks. Teach them to look left, right and left before crossing the street and to continue looking both ways as they cross. If you’re a motorist, please slow down and be prepared to give trick or treaters a brake.

2. Stay in familiar neighborhoods and have an adult accompany trick or treaters. Visit only those houses where the lights are on. Accept treats only in the doorway and NEVER go inside a house.

3. Secure emergency identification (name, address, phone number) discreetly within Halloween attire or on a bracelet.

4. Safety in numbers. If they’re old enough to trick-or-treat without an adult, designate a route before the kids go trick or treating, tell your kids to stay in a group, avoid taking short cuts through backyards and alleys and ask them to check in regularly.

5. Have an adult inspect treats BEFORE eating anything. Do not eat any unwrapped, partially wrapped, or homemade looking treats.

6. Stay away from open flames or jack-o-lanterns with candles burning.

7. Stay on the sidewalk. Don't walk or run in the street.

Be a good neighbor.

1. Keep your porch lights on and eliminate tripping hazards on your porch and walkway. Remove outdoor safety hazards such as toys, bicycles and lawn ornaments. Make sure the driveway and steps are cleared of leaves, which can be a slipping and falling hazard. Make sure that the driveway and walks are well lit for incoming trick-or-treaters. Replace burned-out or broken light bulbs.

2. Pets get frightened on Halloween. Confine your pets for their safety and for that of trick or treaters.

Be Safe – Be Seen.

1. Encourage kids to follow all the rules for pedestrian safety. That includes obeying all traffic laws, looking both ways before crossing, using crosswalks, crossing at intersections and corners and never darting between parked cars.

2. Consider adding reflective tape or decals to costumes. Be sure kids carry a flashlight and use glow sticks for extra visibility.

3. Teach children their home phone number and to how call 9-1-1 if they have an emergency or become lost. Remind them that 9-1-1 can be dialed free from any phone.

Decorate Safely.

1. Illuminate your jack-o’-lanterns with flashlights or battery-operated candles instead of real ones. You won’t have the worries of an open flame coming in contact with anything . . .or anyone.

2. If you do use candles, keep them well away from where trick or treaters will be walking or standing.

3. Review with your children the principle of “stop, drop and roll” should their clothes catch fire.

4. When shopping for costumes, wigs and accessories purchase only those with a label indicating they are flame resistant. Shorter IS safer. Ensure costumes are not so long they could trip and shoes should fit - - - even if they don’t go with the costume.

Have a happy and safe Halloween.

Arrive Alive and Don’t Text and Drive!

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue and Calleva Outdoor Adventures are sponsoring a new “Don’t Text and Drive” campaign at Markoff’s Haunted Forest in Poolesville. Each year Markoff’s haunted forest attracts thousands of people from across the Washington DC area.


This year the haunted forest patrons will be greeted by a shocking visual display of what could happen in the event that you text and drive. In addition, volunteers from some of Montgomery County’s local fire and rescue departments are passing out “Don’t Text and Drive” flyers and talking with the patrons about opportunities to volunteer at the local departments.

Calleva Outdoor Adventures sponsors the Markoff’s Haunted Forest every year to help raise funds for their outdoor camps. The haunted forest will be open at sundown all weekend (Friday, Saturday and Sunday), checkout there website for directions www.markoffshauntedforest.com.

On your way out to the haunted forest remember: Arrive Alive and Don’t Text and Drive!

Friday, October 30, 2009

Put a Finger On It! Change Your Clock, Check your Smoke Alarms & Batteries

Firefighters Going Door-to-Door this weekend 10/31/09
Checking your smoke alarms and batteries twice a year to ensure that they are working is one of the simplest, most effective ways to reduce tragic deaths and injuries from fire. In fact, working smoke alarms nearly cut in half the risk of dying in a home fire.


The men and women of the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS) urge ALL residents to check home smoke alarms on a regular basis.
“Put a Finger on It!” Fire Chief Richard Bowers recommends that all residents adopt a lifesaving habit by checking your home’s smoke alarms and batteries when changing clocks twice a year. Protect your family in the event of a home fire – change the battery!

Recent surveys conducted by fire fighters after serious fires and the door-to-door Safety in the Neighborhood campaign in Montgomery County have found that nearly half, 50%, of the smoke alarms checked did not work. That is alarming! Smoke alarms DO save lives!

2 – Change Your Clock, Check Your Battery

The Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service recommend that homeowners follow these tips to help prevent fires, deaths, and injuries:

* Install and maintain smoke alarms on every level of the home

* Properly dispose of all smoking materials

* Maintain and properly use gas and electrical appliances.

* Never leave food cooking unattended; turn off the burner if you leave.

* Keep matches and lighters away from children.

* Never leave candles burning unattended.

* Develop and practice a fire escape plan.

Fire can spread rapidly through your home, leaving you as little as two minutes to escape safely. Your ability to get out depends on advance warning from smoke alarms and advance planning—a home fire escape plan that everyone in your family is familiar with and has practiced.

Because fires can grow and spread so quickly, having working smoke alarms in your home can mean the difference between life and death. Once the alarm sounds, you may have as few as two minutes to escape. Smoke alarms are the most effective early warning devices available. Remember, when you change your clock, check your smoke alarms and batteries – put a finger on it!

NOTE:

Firefighters will be going door-to-door throughout neighborhoods this weekend in conjunction with the “Change Your Clock/Change Your Battery” initiative and the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service “Safety in Our Neighborhood” campaign. To date, in the past 10 months, nearly 28000 homes have been visited and more than 900 smoke alarms and over 1000 batteries have been changed or installed.

Montgomery County residents may schedule a home safety evaluation by calling the Home Safety Hotline at (240)777-2476.

You Could Help Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Earn a $10,000 Fire Safety Pledge Award!

This fall, Liberty Mutual is helping to teach families about fire safety and provide a means to give back to our fire service.

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue could earn one of ten $10,000 Fire Safety Pledge Awards! All you have to do is take the fire safety quiz and credit Montgomery County Fire and Rescue to do your part before 12/21/09.

We need your help and it is easy to participate! Please take the very educational quiz and then follow these simple steps:

- Take the Quiz

- Credit Your Fire Department: Montgomery County Fire and Rescue

- Rally Support: spread the word to help us

When filling out the Fire Department Credit portion, please make sure you enter Rockville as the city/town and 20850 as the zip code as that is where our Headquarters are located. Then select Montgomery County Fire and Rescue. This will benefit all of Montgomery County.

One of Fire Chief Richard Bowers’s prime missions for our service is to “prevent the 9-1-1 call.” During these challenging economic times $10,000 would help us toward that end. All it will cost is your time.

Fire Safety Pledge Award

Saturday, October 24, 2009

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If you happen to be in the Potomac area, please stop by and see us at the Emergency Preparedness Fair being held at 11700 Falls Rd (corner of Fall and Glen Roads). It is the Church located there. Lot's of important information for you and your loved ones as well as fun events. Some of our specialty teams are here.
Stay Safe,

Bill Delaney
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Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Handheld

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Fire Prevention Week October 4 - 10, 2009



Just a friendly reminder that we are in the middle of Fire Prevention Week 2009 (FPW 2009). The theme this year is: “Stay Fire Smart! Don’t Get Burned.”

Our friends at the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) have produced several very good videos as it relates to FPW 2009. I have placed them on our YouTube site for you to view at your convenience. They are very short and to the point and provide great information for you and your loved ones! Visit MCFRS TV to view.

In addition, NFPA has some great safety information on their Fire Prevention Week Website. Take a moment to go there and review.

As always, we here at MCFRS will be promoting fire and injury prevention throughout the month of October. This will include fire and rescue station "Open House" events, senior center and school visits, and participation in community events.

I would like to encourage all of you to make sure you have developed a home escape plan (and practiced it) and that you check all smoke alarms to ensure they are working.

Below, please find a list of Open House events this weekend. Be SAFE out there!
Bill Delaney – Program Manager, Community Life Safety Education

Saturday, October 10:
Chevy Chase, Fire/Rescue, Station 7             10am - 4pm
8001 Connecticut Ave., Chevy Chase, MD.
240.773.4707

Cabin John, Fire/Rescue Station 10              10am - 4pm
8001 River Road, Potomac, MD.
240.773.4710

Sunday, October 11:
Hillandale, Fire/Rescue Station 24                12pm – 3pm
13216 New Hampshire Ave., Silver Spring, MD.
240.773.4724

Burtonsville Fire/Rescue Station 15              12pm - 4pm
13900 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD
240.773.4715

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Blood Drive!


This is in memory of two sorely missed members of our department.  Please join in if you are able.

-Bill