Driving in Fog - Safety Tips

The below is from Weather.com and I thought it appropriate for this mornings commute. Stay Safe - Bill

Fog can be thought of as a cloud at ground level. It forms when the temperature drops to the dew point (the temperature at which air is saturated), and invisible water vapor in the air condenses to form suspended water droplets. Fog can reduce visibility to 1/4 mile or less, creating hazardous driving conditions. If you can't postpone your trip until dense fog lifts -- usually by late morning or the afternoon -- follow these tips: * Drive with lights on low beam. High beams will only be reflected back off the fog and actually impair visibility even more. * Reduce your speed -- and watch your speedometer. Fog creates a visual illusion of slow motion when you may actually be speeding. * Listen for traffic you cannot see. Open your window a little, to hear better. * Use wipers and defrosters as necessary for maximum visibility. * Use the right edge of the road or painted road markings as a guide. * Be patient. Do not pass lines of traffic. * Do not stop on a freeway or heavily traveled road. If your car stalls or becomes disabled, turn your vehicle's lights off, and take your foot off of the brake pedal. People tend to follow tail lights when driving in fog. Move away from the vehicle to avoid injury. Sources: National Weather Service, Wisconsin Department of Transportation

Arrests Made in Playground Fire in Rockville

                                       Four juveniles charged with arson

Montgomery County, MD - - - Fire and Explosive Investigators from the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service have arrested four juveniles in connection with setting a fire that destroyed a playground located at the Rockville Civic Center on November 21, 2012. Montgomery County Fire and Rescue personnel were dispatched shortly after 8:00 p.m. to the 600 block of Edmonston Drive for the report of a playground on fire. Units arrived and found the playground fully engulfed and quickly extinguished the fire.  

Montgomery County Fire and Explosive Investigators, assisted by Rockville City Police, located and arrested four juveniles and filed charges. Because the suspects are juveniles, their names are not being released and the case has been referred to the Department of Juvenile Services. Investigators estimate that the fire caused $160,000 in damages.

Authorities remind residents that they are often the eyes and ears of the community and can expand police and fire presence simply by being alert and reporting suspicious or potentially dangerous activities to authorities. 

Poster Contest On Carbon Monoxide Safety

Correction 11:47 AM December 6: The CPSC Contest actually does not start until early 2013.  The below information is not accurate.  We will post the new contest information as soon as it comes out in 2013.

Sorry for any confusion this has caused!

Stay Safe,

Bill D

Recently (read yesterday) I was made aware of a wonderful poster contest for middle school children being sponsored by our friends at the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

It is related to Carbon Monoxide (CO) and the dangers of CO in the home.  Because you can not see or smell CO, it is often referred too as the invisible killer.

So if you have a middle school student in your household, or are a middle school teacher, please pass along the below flyer with the contest parameters.  The deadline is already fast approaching but there is still time!

My hope is that the contest will also help spread the word of safety and prevention.  It would be wonderful to see a Montgomery County student win the contest and, indirectly, assist us here at MCFRS to prevent these terrible events from occurring.  

Cpsccontest Poster Final.pdf

Toys for the Holidays …Help Us Help Others

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service and local fire and rescue departments will again be collecting toys for needy families and underprivileged children during the 2012 holiday season starting on December 5, 2012. For many years various Montgomery County volunteer fire and rescue stations have worked with local community groups, civic organizations and government agencies to make the holiday season a little better for area families.

All Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Stations will serve as drop off sites for new unwrapped toys, including those toys to be used for existing annual local volunteer fire department initiatives supporting neighborhood and local community holiday programs, as well as, the regional 2012 Toys for Tots Campaign in conjunction with the United States Marines.

Fire Departments throughout the metro region, including those in Montgomery County will be collecting toys for children during the 2012 holiday season. Toys may be dropped off until December 18, 2012

No Twitter? No Problem! You Can Still Get MCFRS Updates!

Do not have a Twitter account but want to receive Montgomery County Fire and Rescue’s tweets via text? No problem.

A Twitter feature called Fast Follow make it possible for those with a cell phone and a text messaging plan to receive tweet’s on their phone.  Understand that Text messaging rates apply.

Here is how you do it:

Text “follow @mcfrs” to 40404.  You will get a text message back indicating you are now following @MCFRS.  The text will also provide guidance on how to stop the text messages if you no longer wish to receive them.

If you follow, you can expect to receive all of the latest news, updates, and safety tips from Montgomery County Fire and Rescue.