What Time Is It?

Time to CHANGE your clocks & CHECK your smoke alarms this weekend
   

Simple task can be a potentially life-saving one!

Daylight savings time ends November 6^th and the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service is asking all residents to check their smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors to ensure they are working when they change their clocks this weekend.   

“Home fires injure and kill thousands every year,” said Fire Chief Scott Goldstein.  “Smoke alarms that are properly installed and maintained play a vital role in reducing fire deaths and injuries. I encourage everyone to test their smoke alarms, replace any alarms that are 10 years or older and conduct a home fire drill this weekend.”

The peak time for home fire fatalities is between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. when most families are sleeping. A working smoke alarm dramatically increases the chance for survival and provides advance warning of a fire resulting in more time to react and put a home escape plan into action. 

Help keep your family safe by following these fire safety tips:

1.      Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, including the basement, and in all sleeping areas.

2.     Do you know if your smoke alarm is impacted by Maryland’s new law? Battery-only smoke alarms need to be replaced by 1/1/2018 with new smoke alarms that have sealed in, 10-year long life batteries.   

3.      Retire old smoke alarms and replace with new ones every 10 years. Like any electronic device, smoke alarms wear out over time and need to be replaced. The life expectancy of smoke alarms is 10 years. Smoke alarms work by sensing smoke particles and after 10 years, the smoke sensors lose their sensitivity. The test button only confirms that the battery, electronics and alerting system are working; not that the smoke sensor is working.

4.      Plan and practice home fire drills regularly. Decide in advance who will help family members that may need assistance escaping (young children, older adults or people with disabilities).        

6.      Make sure children recognize the sound of your smoke alarm and how to respond to its signal.

7.      Know your battery type. Sealed smoke alarms equipped with 10-year batteries are becoming more common and the batteries do not need to be replaced if they are sealed into the unit. Check your smoke alarms to see what type of battery it uses. While 10-year, long-life batteries do not need to be replaced annually, the entire smoke alarm unit does need to be replaced every ten years.Hard-wired smoke alarms, not affected by the new law, should have a battery backup and like all smoke alarm units need to be replaced every 10 years.

Got questions? Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service conducts free home safety checks of smoke alarms for residents at no cost. Please call 311 for information or visit our website for info as well as year-round safety information at www.mcfrs.org/mcsafe. 

Every Second Counts!

In the event of a home fire, every second counts. Have a home escape plan? If not make one! #SpringIntoSafety

Exit Drills In The Home - Have Two Ways Out!

Having working smoke alarms and residential fire sprinklers play a large role in you and your loved ones surviving a fire in your home. Another crucial part of surviving a fire in your home is developing a home fire escape plan and then PRACTICING the plan! As they say in sports: "If you fail to prepare than prepare to fail!"

While we hope you never experience a fire in your home, the women and men of MCFRS hope that you prepare the right way so as to increase the chances you and your loved ones will survive if fire does occur.

You can go here to learn how to develop a plan: Develop a Home Escape Plan

Once you develop that plan and familiarize all occupants of the home with the plan, make sure you hold a fire drill -- just like you did in school -- to practice the plan!

Below is a great video from our partners in safety at FEMA and the US Fire Administration that provides more information.

Cooking -- The Leading Cause Of Home Fires

Did you know that one out of three home fires begin in the kitchen? This is more than any other location in the home.

Over the next several days there are a few significant religious celebrations that can involve family, friends, and food. Obviously, cooking can and will play a major role at various points.

Please make sure your family or friends do not have to meet our Firefighters, over the next several days, by “accident!” The vast majority of cooking fires are preventable and NOT an accident.

Take a quick moment to review a few safety tips, as well as a short video, below.

How to prevent cooking fires and related injuries (ppt)

Cooking safety checklist

Fireplace and Wood Burning Safety

Several recent fires in Montgomery County have been the result of misplaced fireplace/wood stove ashes.  Please keep ashes AWAY from your home!

Fireplace and wood-stove ashes retain enough heat to ignite other combustible materials for several days after a fire. It is important to learn the following ways to dispose of fireplace and wood-stove ashes properly:

• DO NOT discard your ashes into any combustible container like a paper or plastic bag, a cardboard box, or a plastic trash can.
• DO put ashes into a non-combustible metal container with a lid.
• DO pour water into the container to make sure the ashes are cool.
• DO keep your can OUTSIDE the home, away from combustibles.
• DO teach all family members to be safe with ashes from your fireplace or wood stove.

As always, please make sure you test your smoke alarms monthly and replace batteries twice a year. Practice and plan a family home escape plan.

Smoke Alarms Awaken Sleeping Occupants To House Fire

Just before 1 AM on Monday, December 22^nd fire and rescue units were dispatched to the 2200 block of Kings House Rd. for the report of flames coming from the house. Units from Burtonsville Fire Station 15 arrived on the scene and confirmed heavy fire from the structure. 

The occupants of the house were safely outside the home upon MCFRS arrival and indicated that they were awakened by the smoke alarms sounding thus allowing time to exit the burning home. Working smoke alarms save lives!

Due to the heavy fire conditions firefighters requested a 2^nd Alarm to assist.  At some point during fire suppression operations a Mayday was declared because a firefighter had fallen through a hole on the first floor into the basement. The firefighter was quickly located, rescued and evaluated and suffered no significant injury with no transportation to the hospital required.

Approximately 75 firefighters responded to the scene and brought the fire under control.  The fire is believed to have originated in the basement with the cause currently listed as undetermined.  Two adults were displaced and one cat is currently unaccounted for.  Damages were estimated at $600K to the structure and $200K to the contents of the home.

After the fire had been extinguished a high pressure pipe, below ground under a fire hydrant, broke and began leaking in the 14900 block of Peach Orchard Rd.  WSSC was contacted and responded to the scene to address. 




 Video from WUSA Channel 9

House Fire 13600 Block of Mills Avenue

Just after 6 am this morning (November 3) MCFRS Units were dispatched for a report of a fire on the roof of a house in the 13600 Block of Mills Avenue.

Firefighters arrived on scene with heavy fire evident in a two-story ranch-style house.  Additional fire/rescue units were immediately requested.

It was quickly determined that the house was a residential group home with some special needs residents.  ALL occupants – five (5) total -- were safely out of the house upon MCFRS arrival with care-takers assisting/rescuing three (3) mobility challenged residents.  EMS evaluated residents and found all in good shape.

Initial fire attack was implemented to knock down the well-advanced fire using large diameter hoses and was safely accomplished, at first, from the outside.  Once the bulk of the fire was knocked down, an interior attack to extinguish numerous 'hotspots' was undertaken. 

Damage estimated in excess of $500K to the home.  Approximately 65 firefighters were on the scene.  All group home occupants were relocated to another house.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.  Album of photos below.

Exit Drills In The Home - Have Two Ways Out!

Having working smoke alarms and residential fire sprinklers play a large role in you and your loved ones surviving a fire in your home. Another crucial part of surviving a fire in your home is developing a home fire escape plan and then PRACTICING the plan! As they say in sports: "If you fail to prepare than prepare to fail!"

While we hope you never experience a fire in your home, the women and men of MCFRS hope that you prepare the right way so as to increase the chances you and your loved ones will survive if fire does occur.

You can go here to learn how to develop a plan: Develop a Home Escape Plan

Once you develop that plan and familiarize all occupants of the home with the plan, make sure you hold a fire drill -- just like you did in school -- to practice the plan!

Below is a great video from our partners in safety at FEMA and the US Fire Administration that provides more information.

If There Is a Fire In Your Home - Get Outside and Stay Outside!

From our partners in safety at the NFPA is a video for kids that relates to our Summer of Safety theme this week - Home Escape Planning.

Please take a moment to have your child watch the short video below.  Remember it is important that you include your kids in developing a home escape plan.  As well, it is important you practice the plan by having a fire drill at home!  Practice makes perfect!

Arson Awareness Week May 5-11; “Reducing Residential Arson”

This week is Arson Awareness Week and the theme this year is “Reducing Residential Arson.”  Below please find some information from our partners in fire safety, the United States Fire Administration, that will provide more background as well as safety tips on how you can help to safeguard your home against the crime of arson.

Protecting Homes Against Arson

The Power of Fire

Back in 1986 our friends at the National Fire Protection Association produced an award winning video entitled “Fire Power.”  It was really breathtaking as it took you through the initial ignition of the fire through it burning up a whole room and most of a house.  The video really gave the viewer a deep appreciation of the destructive force of fire.

The below is an update and worth watching.  It is just a little over 7 minutes and worth every minute of your time to view. 

As you will see in the video, and please remember, home fire sprinklers save lives and property.

Fire Prevention Week – Check Your Fire Safety Knowledge & Video

Hopefully all of you are having a happy and SAFE Fire Prevention Week.  A couple of items I believe you will find of interest.

Think you know all there is to know about fire prevention and safety?  Well, put yourself and family members to the test – or should I say quiz.  Please take just a few minutes to complete the Fire Prevention Week Quiz.

After you are done please take one minute out of your busy day to watch the below video from our partners in safety, the U.S. Fire Administration, and learn more about developing a home fire escape plan.

Keeping the Community Safe One Home at a Time

As some of you are aware, each Saturday the women and men of Montgomery County Fire and Rescue go door to door in their various communities handing out fire safety tips as well as offering to check smoke alarms to ensure they are working. Having working smoke alarms in your home/apartment can help you and your loved ones escape a deadly home fire by providing a vital early warning.

If during the check we find a smoke alarm is not functioning, we take immediate steps to correct this life safety issue by installing a new battery and/or smoke alarm.

The door to door program was initiated by Fire Chief Richard Bowers three years ago after a tragic year in which we lost 13 of our fellow residents in home/apartment fires. That, sadly, was our largest one year loss of life in over 30 years! In many instances there were no working smoke alarms in the home/apartment.

Below, you will find the number of homes we have visited over the last three years. Pretty impressive!

Grand Totals since program implementation through August 2012:

Homes Visited:                       44,870

Smoke Alarms Installed:        1,469

Batteries Installed:                  1,630

Happy First Day Of Fall And The Start Of Home Heating Fire Season!

Fall has been in the air this past week and today it is officially here!  With the cooler air also comes the start of home heating fire season!

Did you know that heating fires are the second leading cause of fires in the home?  Take a moment to learn more in the below report from the US Fire Administration.

US Fire Administration Releases Report on Heating Fires in Residential Buildings

The good news is that they are mostly preventable incidents!  Take steps now to get your home ready and to make it a bit safer!

Winter Safety (Fire Safety Tips for the Home)

Fireplace and Wood Burning Safety

National Arson Awareness Week - Prevent Youth Firesetting

Did you know that this week is National Arson Awareness Week?  The theme this year is: Prevent Youth Firesetting.


To learn more about this important topic, please go to the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) web site.


Stay Safe,


Bill D

Apartment Fire 14100 Block of Castle Blvd.

This past Saturday, Montgomery County Fire & Rescue units responded for a report of an apartment fire in the 14100 block of Castle Blvd.  Fire Units from Burtonsville Fire Station #15 arrived on the scene and did find a working fire in an apartment.

Click on the photo link from the fire are below to see the others:

Put A Freeze On Winter Fires – Preventing Wood Stove and Fireplace Related Fires

Wood stoves and fireplaces are becoming a very common heat source in homes. Careful attention to safety can minimize a fire related emergency. To use them safely: 

Be sure the stove or fireplace is installed properly by a professional. Wood stoves should have adequate clearance (36”) from combustible surfaces, and proper floor support and protection.  

Wood stoves should be of good quality, solid construction and design, and should be UL listed. 

Have the chimney inspected annually and cleaned if necessary, especially if it has not been used for some time.  

Do not use flammable liquids to start or accelerate any fire.                         

Keep a glass or metal screen in front of the fireplace opening, to prevent embers or sparks from igniting combustibles outside the fireplace, unwanted material from going in, and help prevent the possibility of bums to occupants.  The stove should be burned hot twice a day for 15-30 minutes to reduce the amount of creosote buildup.               

Don’t use excessive amounts of paper to build roaring fires in fireplaces. It is possible to ignite creosote in the chimney by overbuilding the fire.  

Never burn charcoal indoors. Burning charcoal can give off lethal amounts of carbon monoxide. 

Keep flammable materials away from your mantel. A spark from the fireplace could easily ignite these materials. 

Before you go to sleep, be sure your fireplace fire is out. NEVER close your damper with hot ashes in the fireplace. A closed damper will help the fire to heat up again and will force toxic carbon monoxide into the house.

If synthetic logs are used, follow the directions on the package. Never break a synthetic log apart to quicken the fire or use more than one log at a time. They often burn unevenly, releasing higher levels of carbon monoxide.

Fireplace ashes can maintain enough heat to re-ignite for several days after a fire. When cleaning out the ashes, always assume they are still hot and use a metal can to contain them in for disposal. The metal can should be stored away from the home (at least 20 feet and NEVER keep it in an attached garage or on a deck).

  

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.

Take action today! Test your smoke alarms!

Please take a moment to watch the short safety message below. If your smoke alarm is 10 years old or older, you need to replace it with a new alarm as soon as possible!

Montgomery County has experienced several serious fires over the last few months where there were no working smoke alarms. Serious injury or, worse, death have occurred in some of these fires.

Take action today! Test your smoke alarms! As always, be safe!

Did You Know?

CPSC estimates an annual average of more than 386,000 unintentional residential fires, nearly 2,400 deaths and more than 12,500 injuries each year from 2006 through 2008.


Fire kills and injures!  Make sure you check your smoke alarms today!  Also develop a home escape plan for you and those you love!

Clothes Dryer Fire Safety Tips

While most home appliances are used without incident, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that 15,500 fires associated with clothes dryers occur annually, causing an average of 10 deaths, 310 injuries and more than $84.4 million in property damage. A lack of maintenance, buildup of lint, placing inappropriate items in the dryer and inadequate venting are frequently cited as contributing factors.

Did You Know?

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates that 15,500 clothes dryer fires occur annually, causing an average of 10 deaths, 310 injuries and more than $84.4 million in property damage.

Eighty-percent of American homes have clothes dryers.

A full load of wet clothes placed in a dryer contains about one half gallon of water. As the clothes dry, lint forms and builds up, reducing airflow in the dryer's vent, potentially causing the dryer to work improperly or overheat.

Clothes Dryer DOs:

DO clean the lint screen/filter before or after drying EACH load of clothes.

DO clean the dryer vent and exhaust duct periodically.

DO have a certified service technician clean and inspect the dryer and venting system regularly.

DO replace plastic or vinyl exhaust hoses with rigid or flexible metal venting, which provides maximum airflow.

DO keep the area around the dryer clean and free from clutter.

Always use the appropriate electrical outlet for dryers and all major appliances.

Clothes Dryer DON'Ts:

DON'T place clothing or fabric stained with a flammable substance, such as alcohol, cooking oils, gasoline, spot removers or motor oil, in the dryer. Flammable substances give off vapors that could ignite or explode. Instead, dry the materials outdoors.

DON'T leave a dryer operating if you are not home.

DON'T forget to read the manufacturer warnings in the user manual and on the inside of the dryer door

DON'T dry any item containing foam, rubber or plastic, such as bathroom and non-slip rugs and athletic shoes.

DON'T dry any item that contains glass fiber materials, such as a blouse or sweater with glass buttons or decorations.

DON'T overload the dryer with wet clothes.