Monday, July 30, 2012

Clothes Dryer Cleaning Day – Preventing A Potential Fire In My Home!

Recently, I spent an off day doing something that I have advised all of you to do over the past couple of months – cleaning in and around my clothes dryer. I last did this a little over a year ago and it is something that you should do at least once a year.

As you can see by the pictures below, there was a ton of lint build up in, on and around my clothes dryer. These pictures show why it is very important you take time to clean both inside and outside the clothes dryer.

A couple of pictures show what happens to the inside of your pipe that runs in and just outside your dryer (Fig 1) that carries the hot air, and lint, out. The next photo (Fig 2) shows the inside of the flexible duct that connects to your dryer pipe and then connects to another pipe that usually runs to the outside of your house.

In the next photo (Fig 3) you can see the cleaning device I used to run up into the pipe and dryer and the large amount of lint I pulled out of the dryer. These photos clearly show the large amount of lint that builds up and can, when heated up by the hot air of the dryer, actually ignite and catch fire! The more the build up, the better chance for ignition and then – a fire in your home!

A couple of the photos (Fig 4 & 5) clearly show just how dusty and dirty the back of your dryer and the floor behind and underneath it can become. This also can create problems and hazards and you need to make sure you clean these spots as well!

For more tips please go here: Clothes Dryer Fire Safety Tips
dryer pipe
Fig 1






flexible duct
Fig 2


cleaning device and lint removed
Fig 3
back of dryer
Fig 4

Floor under dryer
Fig 5


























Friday, July 27, 2012

Chief Bowers Talks About Safety Tips For Grilling Season

Fire Chief Bowers talks about grilling safety below.  Have a safe weekend and please follow these tips if you will be pulling out the BBQ grill!


Thursday, July 26, 2012

Signs and Symptoms of Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke


Another scorcher today!  Over the last couple of weeks, we at MCFRS have preached to everyone to stay cool and stay hydrated.  Hopefully, everyone will be able to do that.

Just in case, I thought it would be useful to post the signs and symptoms of Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke.  Warning signs can vary among individuals but common signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke may include: 

Heat Exhaustion: 
  • Heavy sweating
  • Muscle cramps
  • Pulse rate: fast and weak
  • Breathing: fast and shallow
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Fatigue
  • Weakness
  • Headache and/or dizziness 

Heat Stroke:
  • An extremely high body temperature (above 103 degrees)
  • The absence of sweating
  • Rapid pulse 
  • Difficulty breathing 
  • Throbbing headache
  • Strange behavior and/or hallucinations
  • Confusion, agitation and disorientation
  • Unconscious                             

If you recognize that you, or someone else, are showing signs of a heat-related illness, stop the activity immediately, find a cool place to rest, hydrate and seek medical attention if necessary.

Remember, Heat Stroke is a MEDICAL EMERGENCY that can be fatal if not treated promptly.  Call 911 right away if you suspect Heat Stroke.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Have a Child Who Is Experimenting With Fire? We Have a Free Program For You!


Operation Extinguish (OE) is a FREE program, for Montgomery County residents conducted by The Chrysalis Group and Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service to provide intervention and educational services for juvenile fire setters and their families.  The program combines psychological evaluation and intervention and fire safety education in an effort to eliminate this behavior.

REFERRALS TO THE PROGRAM
Referrals to the OE program originate from a number of sources:

  • State of Maryland Department of Juvenile Justice             
  • Montgomery County Police Youth Division               
  • Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS)
  • Juvenile Court and attorneys
  • Parents
  • Schools
  • Other agencies such as hospitals, residential treatment centers and mental health clinics
PROGRAM COMPONENTS

FAMILY INTERVIEW
This structured interview is designed to assess the severity of the fire setting problem, determine the motive behind the behavior, gather additional information regarding the child and family’s functioning, and develop appropriate recommendations. To complete the assessment, the evaluator also may contact relevant outside agencies and the child’s school.

GROUP SESSIONS
All program participants are required to attend three group meetings. These sessions focus on fire prevention, home safety, survival strategies, and burn injuries as well as peer and family discussions exploring such issues as peer pressure, stress and anger management, impulse control, and healthy decision-making. Participants are encouraged to apply these insights to their fire-related behaviors.

RECOMMENDATIONS may be made for individual, group, or family counseling.

Contact:
William Delaney, Program Manager, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service