Summer. Is. Here.

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Five words that save lives --- All Eyes On The Pool! MCFRS officials are urging residents to take proper precautions around the water and to diligently supervise children when they are around any water sources. Whether you’re a seasoned swimmer or just learning how to swim, many water-related injuries can be avoided by knowing what to do and how to stay safe. The Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service kicks off the 2019 Summer of Safety Campaign with Water Safety:  

Be attentive.  Research from the National Safe Kid Campaign shows that nearly 9 out of 10 children between the ages of 1 and 14 who drowned were under supervision when they died. How is this possible? Distractions – cell phones, ipads, reading materials, chores and socializing needs to be resisted when YOU are on “lifeguard duty” watching your child. Be engaged and committed to watching them constantly. The study defined supervision as being in someone’s care, not necessarily in direct line of sight.

Learn to swim and never swim alone. One of the best things you can do to stay safe around the water is to learn to swim and to always swim with a buddy. Make sure they know how to tread water, float on their backs and get to the edge of the pool and hang on. Even the most experienced swimmers can become tired or get muscle cramps which might make it difficult to get out of the water safely.  

Teaching your child how to swim does not mean that your child is “drown-proof.” If you have a pool or are visiting a pool, protect your children by supervising them at all times and being prepared in case of an emergency. Consider designating a adult “water watcher” when children are participating in water activities.

Seconds count when it comes to water emergencies. Keep a phone (cell or cordless) by the pool or nearby when engaged in recreational water activities so that you can call 9-1-1 in an emergency.

Learn life-saving skills. Know how to prevent, recognize and respond to emergencies. In the time it might take paramedics to arrive, your CPR skills could make a difference in saving someone’s life.

Avoid relying on inflatable swimming aids such as “floaties” and “noodles” to keep your child safe. These toys are not designed to keep your child safe, can deflate or shift quickly and should never be used as a substitute for supervision. Use only Coast Guard approved flotation devices that fits your swimmer properly.

Lifeguards are an important safety feature but are NOT intended to replace the close supervision of parents or caregivers. Remember, lifeguards are not babysitters.

Maintain constant supervision of children around water (bathtubs, pools, ornamental backyard ponds, etc.). Never leave a child unattended in the water or pool area. Don't be distracted by phone calls, chores or conversations. If you leave the pool area, take the child with you. Remember: swim lessons are no substitute for the supervision of children. Formal swimming lessons can help protect young swimmers around the water however constant adult supervision is critical. 

Diving dangers. Diving injuries can cause permanent spinal damage, injuries and even death. Protect yourself by diving only in designated areas that are known to be safe, such as the deep end, of a supervised pool. 

Pay attention to local weather conditions and forecasts. Stop swimming at the first indication of bad weather. 

Know Your Limits. Watch for the “dangerous too’s” . . . too tired, too cold, too far from safety, too much sun, too much strenuous activity. 

Water and alcohol don’t mix. Each year, up to half of all adult drownings are linked to alcohol use. Never swim impaired. 

Partnering Up for Your Safety! RVFD Thanks the City of Rockville for its ALS Chase Car

On Monday, Officers and Members of the Rockville Volunteer Fire Department presented ALS703 to the Rockville Mayor and Council. The unit which was recently placed in service was purchased with grant funding from the City of Rockville.

The RVFD would like to thank Mayor Bridget Donnell Newton and the Council for their support to the RVFD and the citizens we serve. ALS703 is staffed with a Paramedic which responds to reported critical emergency medical calls alongside an ambulance staffed with Emergency Medical Technicians.  ALS703 allows the paramedic to rapidly assess a patient and determine if advanced life support (ALS) is needed.  After the assessment, the paramedic will transport (ride with) the patient in the ambulance to the hospital when advanced care is needed.

There are many benefits of the Paramedic Chase Unit (PCU) which include a rapid return to service if the patient does not require the care of a paramedic during transport. This reduces the time a paramedic is unavailable to provide care to other potential patients.  Prior to the Paramedic Chase Unit or ALS Chase Car, paramedics where assigned to staff transport ambulances. With the paramedic assigned to a transport ambulance, they were the primary care provider even when a patient did not require higher level care.

Currently MCFRS has Paramedic Chase Units at the Rockville Volunteer Fire Department, Wheaton Volunteer Rescue Squad and Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad.  These units are each owned by the local fire and rescue departments and staffed with MCFRS career and volunteer professionals. Over the next couple of months, MCFRS will place additional PCU's in service resulting in a more efficient delivery of ALS service throughout the County.

Going on Vacation? Safety Starts Before You Leave Home

·         Never put your home address on your luggage tags. Write your phone number instead.

·         Make copies of all of your credit cards, important identification information, including your medical insurance cards. Take one copy with you (pack it separately from the cards themselves) and leave one copy at home.

·         Make sure all of the doors and windows to your home are secured and locked. It sounds like a no-brainer but many thieves gain access through unlocked windows and doors. 

·         Never post your travel plans on social media networks. The pictures of your non-stop fun and adventures are great – just wait until you return home to post.

·         Let your trusted neighbors know you’ll be away so they can keep an eye on your home while you are away.

·         Have your mail held at the post office and your newspaper delivery put on hold or ask a family member, friend or neighbor to pick them up for you.

·         Set automatic timers to turn your lights on.

Time to "Retire" Your Smoke Alarms?

Your smoke alarms need to have a retirement plan! Smoke alarms have a life expectancy of 10 years and then need to be replaced with new ones. Like other electronic equipment, smoke alarm components wear out over time and the sensors can begin to lose sensitivity. The test button only confirms that the battery, electronics and the alert system are working, not that the sensor that detects smoke is working. 

Remember:

- Even if your 10-year-old (or older) smoke alarm sounds when you push the test button, it still needs to be replaced.

- Even if a smoke alarm hasn’t reached the 10-year mark, replace it if it chirps after you’ve replaced the battery or if the alarm doesn’t sound when you perform the recommended monthly testing of your fire alarm system.

- Montgomery County Fire Officials recommend replacing all interconnected smoke alarms at the same time (even if some are working).

Remember: smoke alarms are an essential part of your home's fire prevention strategy! Be sure to read about Maryland's New Smoke Alarm law that affects all battery-only smoke alarms.  

Recent Recalls

On Thursday our partners in safety, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, announced several recalls that I wanted to make you aware of.

Please take a moment to review the below recalls and pass along to anyone you feel may benefit from this information. Certainly take a moment to make sure you do not have any of these items in your home.  If you do, please follow the instructions as to actions to take.

Kidde Recalls Disposable Plastic Fire Extinguishers Due to Failure to Discharge 

SRAM Recalls Zipp 88 Bicycle Wheel Hubs Due to Crash and Injury Hazards 

Jackco Transnational Recalls ZETA Battery Pack Due to Fire Hazard 

Preventing Injuries to Child Pedestrians

Parents are the most important models of proper pedestrian behavior for children.

• Children under the age of ten should not be allowed to cross the street by themselves.
• Cross streets safely. Cross at a corner, using traffic signals and crosswalks. Try to make eye contact with drivers before crossing in front of them. Don't assume that because you can see the driver, the driver can see you. Look left, right and left again when crossing, and keep looking as you cross.
• Teach children to recognize pedestrian crossing signals but not to rely on them. Before crossing, children should also be sure the traffic has stopped. Remind them to continue across if the light changes to "Don't Walk" while they are in the crosswalk.
• Walk on sidewalks or paths. If there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic as far to the left as possible.
• Be a safe pedestrian around cars. Watch for cars that are turning or backing up. Parents and children should hold hands in parking lots.
• Remind your children to be extra alert in bad weather. Visibility might be poor and motorists might not be able to see them or to stop quickly enough.
• At dawn and dusk, children should wear reflective clothing and carry flashlights.
• Children should wait for adults on the same side of the street where the school bus loads and unloads students.
• Teach children to cross the street at least 10 feet in front of a school bus.

Set pedestrian safety rules for your children.

• Never allow children under age 10 to cross streets alone. Adult supervision is essential until you are sure a child has good traffic skills and judgment.
• Children should walk on direct routes with the fewest street crossings.
• Make sure children know to cross 10 feet in front of a school bus, never behind, and to wait for adults on the same side of the street as the school bus loading or unloading zone.
• Teach your child never to run out into a street for a ball, a pet or any other reason.

Help create an environment that's safe for pedestrians.

• Make sure your child plays in safe places away from motor vehicles, such as yards, parks and playgrounds - never in the street. Fence off play areas from driveways and streets.
• Buy clothing and accessories incorporating reflective materials for your family to wear at dawn and dusk, in the evening and during other low-light situations, such as rainy or foggy weather.
• Check frequently for children when backing out of a driveway or a parking space.

Follow the same rules that you want your child to follow. Be a good "road" model by obeying traffic signals and markings. Even if your children aren't with you, someone else's children may follow your example.

Safety First Check List

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service has designed the following safety checklist to promote safety in your home. At Montgomery County Fire and Rescue, we're committed to your safety and believe that education, along with a professional commitment from each of our fire fighters, is your family's best defense against fire. Please review these tips and eliminate any potential hazards in your home ~ it could just save your life.

1. Does your home have smoke alarms on each level of your home? Do you test them monthly?

A working smoke alarm doubles your chances of surviving a fire. Be sure to change the batteries yearly and if your smoke alarm makes a "chirping" sound, the batteries are low and need to be replaced immediately. Consider installing smoke alarms with "long-life" (10-year) batteries. Smoke alarm units should be replaced every eight to ten years according to manufacturer's instructions. Always test your smoke alarms immediately after returning from holiday or after a longer period of absence.

2. Does everyone know what to do in case of a fire?

Create a home escape plan, plan two ways out of every room, choose a meeting place outside where everyone will gather after they've escaped to take attendance and practice your plan with a fire drill today. Make sure that each escape route is as direct as possible.

3. Can we find you if we need to?

Are your house numbers clearly visible from the street? Please provide 5 inch numbers with contrasting background. Seconds count in an emergency.

4. Smoke kills - many people don't know that smoke from a fire is a major cause of fire-related deaths.

Instincts may prompt people to run to safety when they encounter smoke when crawling low under smoke is the best thing to do.

5. Cooking left unattended is the leading cause of home fires

Home-fire injuries often occurring within the first 15 minutes of cooking.

6. Call 9-1-1 and Do Not try to extinguish the fire.

A fire can double in size every 60 seconds and a delay in notifying 9-1-1 can cause further injury/death and property damage.

7. Smoking materials are the leading cause of fire deaths in the United States.

If you must smoke, designate an area to smoke and use large non-tip ashtrays, soak cigarette butts and ashes before discarding. These fires typically start when someone abandoned or improperly disposed of smoking materials. Never smoke in bed, when sleepy/impaired or on medication that makes you drowsy.

8. Don't overload electrical outlets/circuits.

Do not place cords under rugs. Replace any that are cracked, frayed or have loose connections.

9. Be vigilant when using candles.

Keep candles away from anything that can burn and put them out when you leave the room or go to sleep. Over the past decade, the number of candle fires has almost tripled.

10. Do you give space heaters space?

Keep fixed and portable space heaters at least three feet away from anything that can burn and follow all manufacturer instructions.

11. Do you put ashes from your fireplace or wood stove in a metal container for proper disposal?

Leftover ashes and embers can start fires long after the intended fire has gone out. Properly dispose of ashes in a metal container with a lid - never in a cardboard box, plastic trash can or bag. Store the container outside away from your house/combustible material and never in the garage.

12. Residential fire sprinklers save lives and property.

Sprinklers contain/control fires. Although smoke alarms are essential in every household, they're designed to detect, not control, a fire. Consider the tax benefits when retrofitting your home with residential fire sprinklers.

The Montgomery County Fire and Rescue is committed to your safety ~ please help us by conducting a home safety check. Many things around the home can be fire hazards and taking the time to look and eliminate them will greatly reduce your risk.. 

Safety, Health and Survival Week

Today Monday June 20, 2011, through Saturday June 25, 2011, is the annual Firefighter/EMS Safety, Health and Survival Week. MCFRS will observe this week in several ways to help ensure our fire fighters safety and well being.

One of the ways MCFRS will be doing this is by honoring those in the past who paid the ultimate sacrifice while in the performance of their duties. On the hour this week, our Emergency Communications Center (9-1-1 Call Center) will make an announcement on our main radio channel remembering a Fire Fighter who lost their life in the line of duty serving the residents of Montgomery County. The announcement will include name, the date and how that Fire Fighter perished and a related safety message.

A good week to honor, remember, and learn.

Clothes Dryer Fire Safety Tips

Over the past couple of weeks, MCFRS has run several fires related to clothes dryers. A vast majority of these fires are not due to an electrical malfunction of some sort but by actions we take or FAIL to take. A lack of maintenance, buildup of lint, placing inappropriate items in the dryer and inadequate venting are frequently cited as contributing factors.

Preventing this type of fire from starting in your home is relatively simple. Please take a moment to go to our web site and learn some “Do’s” and “Don’ts” as it relates to dryers: Clothes Dryer Fire Safety Tips