Ready for Anything - Add an emergency kit to your vehicle

When you’re on the road, your vehicle is an extension of your home. Having an emergency kit designed for your car and your family can be vital in keeping everyone safe and entertained on long trips or commutes. In addition to water and snacks, add items such as a blanket, protein bars, games, bandages and a cell phone charger  The commuting time in the Washington Metropolitan region is likely to be impacted in the weeks ahead – a little pre-preparation can make all the difference in being “road ready.”

“Anchor It!”

Children like to climb on furniture. As you childproof, you may not be aware that unsecured TVs, furniture and appliances are hidden hazards in many rooms. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recently launched the “Anchor It!” campaign which is a national public education campaign to prevent furniture and TV tip-overs from killing and seriously injuring children.

Tip-overs are one of the top hidden hazards in the home, and CPSC’s new safety campaign is aimed at reducing the number of deaths and injuries from tipping furniture and TVs.

According to CPSC data, unstable and unsecured TVs and large pieces of furniture kill a child every two weeks, on average, in tip-over incidents that are easily preventable. CPSC also reported that 38,000 Americans go to emergency rooms each year with injuries related to tip-overs of top-heavy furniture or televisions placed on furniture, instead of a TV stand.  Two-thirds of those injuries involved children younger than 5.  Additionally, between 2000 and 2013, 84 percent of the 430 deaths reported to CPSC involved children younger than 10.

Safety Tips:

USE STURDY FURNITURE
Televisions should only be placed on furniture designed to hold a television, such as television stands or media centers.

SECURE YOUR TV
Televisions that are not wall mounted should still be anchored to the wall.

MOUNT FLAT-SCREEN TVS
Mount flat-screen TVs to the wall or to furniture to prevent them from toppling over.

FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to secure TVs and furniture properly.

LOW AND STABLE – CRT TV
CRT televisions should only be placed on furniture designed to hold a television, and should be anchored to the wall or the TV stand.

SECURE TOP-HEAVY FURNITURE
Existing furniture can be anchored with inexpensive anti-tip brackets. New furniture, such as dressers, are sold with anti-tip devices. Install them right away.

REMOVE TEMPTING OBJECTS
Remove items that might tempt kids to climb, such as toys and remote controls, from the top of the TV and furniture.

For accessible information as it relates to this graphic please click here.

Carbon Monoxide Incident In Rockville

Earlier this morning at approximately 3 a.m. in the 1000 block of Gaither Road in Rockville, MCFRS units responded for a reported unknown odor. Units arrived on scene to find elevated levels of Carbon Monoxide (CO) in a four story townhouse as a result of a car running in the garage for several hours,

Elevated readings in two additional homes were found as well. Eight people total were impacted. EMS transported two adults and three children to an area hospital with low levels of CO poisoning for a check up.

MCFRS would like to remind all residents that CO can be a silent killer. Please review the below information for more.

Accessible information can be found HERE.

Deck and Balcony Safety

Decks and balconies pose several hazards — the most serious being that your child could slip through the railings and fall, or become wedged in the railings and suffocate. Fortunately, with supervision and a few simple steps, you should be able to prevent these accidents.

Example of safe spacing on deck railing

If the railings on your deck or balcony create any gaps that are wider than 4 inches, you'll need to make some modifications to stop your child from squeezing through and to “child proof” the area. There are a number of options on the market to do this --cover the railings with plastic garden fencing, shade cloth, a sheet of clear plastic, or rigid sheets of Plexiglas.

Get in the habit of keeping patio furniture away from the railings -- this should include potted plants or other climbable objects.

Be aware of furniture light enough for a child to drag to the balcony's edge. You don't want to give your child a chance to climb up and go over the edge. 

Consider adding latches to any doors or windows that lead out to your balcony or deck. These latches should be installed well out of your child's reach.

Ensure children are always SUPERVISED.

Spontaneous Combustion Dangers

Earlier this month, MCFRS made residents aware of the danger of spontaneous combustion. While rare it does happen more often than you think and results in major fire losses each year.

Take a moment to learn more here: Safety Alert: How to Avoid a Disaster in Your Home

Yesterday, to further highlight the dangers of spontaneous combustion fires, Battalion Chief Dee Howard-Richards and Master Firefighter Donnie Boyd appeared on Good Morning America to highlight the dangers of spontaneous combustion. ‪Take the couple of minutes to watch and actually see a spontaneous combustion fire occur.


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