Montgomery County Fire and Rescue officials are recommending smoke alarms as the PERFECT Valentine’s gift for loved ones. Nothing says you mean everything to me like the 24-hour protection that comes with a smoke alarm. And while you are busy planning the perfect evening, make it memorable for all the right reasons. A few tips to keep in mind:
Cooking up a great meal? Stand by your pan. Too many meals are ruined when cooks get distracted or forgetful and leave cooking unattended. As much as Fire/Rescue loves your cooking, you really don’t want us to have to extinguish that perfect meal. Cooking fires are the number one cause of home fires so keep anything that can catch fire – potholders, paper or plastic bags, dish towels, newspapers and curtains – away from your stovetop, oven and appliances that generate heat.
Candles may look festive and set the mood however unattended candles account for thousands of fires annually. The National Fire Protection Association reports that, on average, a candle fire in the home is reported to a US Fire Department every 30 minutes. Consider battery-operated, flameless candles instead. You really can’t tell the difference!
Lighting up the fireplace? Make sure that’s all you light up. Believe it or not, every year people dispose of fireplace ashes before they have sufficiently cooled. Keep your ash out of the trash and only dispose of fireplace ashes in a sealed, metal container located far from anything combustible. Never dispose of fireplace ashes in your recycling bin, trash can, paper or plastic bags or in a garage, carport or on a deck or porch.
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue wants you to have a great Valentine’s Day. Remember, smoke alarms save lives. They make great gifts, one-size-fits-all and MCFRS will even come out and check your alarms for free! Just call 311 or visit www.mcfrs.org/mcsafe for info.
October 31, 2019 (Aspen Hill Inspection Station) – During a
routine car seat appointment at the Safe Kids Inspection Station in Aspen Hill,
technician Master Firefighter Ian St. John with Fire and Rescue Service discovered a potential serious problem
with a car seat.
During the visit, the parent asked the technician about rotating the rear-facing
seat to a forward-facing position for her 3-year-old child. However, the child weighed 25 pounds and,
although this car seat allows children weighing 22 pounds to go forward-facing,
the technician advised the parent that given the child’s lower weight, it was better
to keep the child rear-facing. The parent agreed and taking advantage of the
car seat being out of the car, the technician decided to vacuum the car seat.
While the car seat was being cleaned, the technician noticed that the shoulder
harness straps were twisted. As the harness straps were being readjusted, the
technician noticed a hesitation when the harness strap was pulled. Tracing the
problem through the pathways of the car seat harness system, the technician
found a cut and frayed harness strap. The cut was found in an area not usually
seen and was only found by extending the straps completely during the
inspection.
Frayed and/or cut harness straps can be dangerous because
fraying could cause the harness strap to break. If the straps break, the car
seat is inoperable. In a crash, the straps could break and lead to a serious
injury.
In this case, the technician advised the parent that the
frayed harness rendered the car seat inoperable.The parent ordered a new car seat online and
was provided a loaner car seat until the new one arrived.
Just another instance of the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service Car Seat
Program working with caregivers in a partnership of safety. For more
information or to get your car seat(s) inspected, please call 240-777-2223 or
check us out at:
More cooking fires occur on Thanksgiving than on any other day of the year. With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, Montgomery County Fire Chief Scott Goldstein is urging residents to enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday and to keep safety at the top of everyone’s “to do” list this holiday season. “Whether you’re a seasoned chef or a rookie cooking your first holiday feast, the strategies for serving up a safe meal are the same,” said Chief Goldstein. “Unattended cooking is the leading cause of residential fires and we’re asking residents to follow these simple safety tips and to have a happy and safe Thanksgiving holiday.
Cooking Safety Tips:
Be alert! Stay in the kitchen when using the stove top and use a timer. If you must leave the kitchen, even for a minute, turn off the stove.
Keep anything that can catch fire at least 3 feet from the stove, toaster oven or other heat source. This includes pot holders, food packaging, dish towels, paper/plastic bags, etc.
Do not pour water on a grease fire. Pouring water on a grease fire can cause the fire to spread. In the event of a range-top fire, turn off the burner, put on an oven mitt and smother the flames by carefully sliding a lid or cookie sheet onto the pan. Leave the lid in place until the pot or pan has cooled.
Clean cooking surfaces regularly to prevent grease buildup which can ignite.
Always wear short, tight-fitting sleeves when cooking to prevent clothing from coming in contact with a burner and catching fire.
Do not hold children while cooking or carrying hot foods or drinks. Keep children at a safe distance from hot surfaces, liquids and other kitchen hazards.
Plug microwaves and other kitchen appliances directly into an outlet. Never use an extension cord for a cooking appliance as it can overload the circuit and cause a fire.
Double-check the kitchen before you go to bed or leave the house. Make sure all other appliances are turned off and that any candles or smoking materials are safely extinguished.
Smoke alarms save lives. Install a smoke alarm on every level of your home, test alarms monthly and change batteries annually or as recommended by the manufacturer if your alarm features long-life batteries.
Turkey fryers are becoming an increasingly popular choice to cook the Thanksgiving turkey and can be extremely dangerous if proper precautions are not taken. If your plans include using a turkey fryer, fire department officials urge residents to follow all manufacturer directions closely and to review the following safety tips:
Turkey Fryer Safety Tips:
Never leave a fryer unattended.
By design, turkey fryers are prone to tipping over. Fryers should always be used on a non-combustible, flat surface to reduce accidental tipping.
Fryers should always be used outdoors at least 10 feet from buildings and any flammable materials. Never use a fryer on a wooden deck, under a patio cover, in a garage, porch or other enclosed space.
Do not overfill the fryer. The oil may spill out of the unit when the turkey is placed into the cooking pot. Oil may hit the burner/flames resulting in a potential fire hazard that could engulf the entire unit.
Oil and water do not mix! Make sure the turkey is completely thawed before it is placed in a fryer. Partially frozen turkeys can cause a spillover effect which may result in a fire.
Some units do not have thermostat controls and, if not carefully watched, have the potential to overheat the oil to the point of combustion.
Use well-insulated potholders or oven mitts when touching the pot or lid handle. The sides of the cooking pot, lid and pot handles get dangerously hot and can result in severe burns. If available, use safety goggles to protect your eyes from any oil splatter.
Keep children and pets away from fryers. The oil can remain dangerously hot even hours after use.
Following these simple fire safety tips can reduce injuries dramatically. For more information about our fire safety programs or to request a free home safety evaluation or smoke alarm check, call 311 during business hours or visit our website at www.mcfrs.org/mcsafe any time.
Windows play a vital role in home safety, serving as a secondary escape route in the event of a fire or other emergency, but they also pose a risk for a fall if safety measures are not followed. Montgomery County Fire and Rescue and Safe Kids are providing the following safety tips to help prevent window-related injuries in the home:
Never rely on window screens to keep children from falling out of windows. A screen is not a safety device - - it is designed to keep insects out, not to keep children in.
Keep furniture such as sofas, beds and dressers away from windows. This will discourage children from climbing near any windows.
Keep windows closed and locked when they are not being used.
When windows are open for ventilation, take advantage of all safety features. If possible, open windows from the top and not the bottom if you have double-hung windows – the kind that can open down from the top as well as up from the bottom.
Install safety devices such as window guards or window stops to help prevent falls.
Window falls can happen quickly and, in some cases, can be deadly. When keeping your kids safe, MCFRS reminds parents that no device can replace active supervision. For more safety tips, visit our website at www.mcfrs.org/mcsafe.
This morning crews from Montgomery County Paramedic Engine 719, Paramedic Engine 728, and Battalion Chief 701 conducted several flow tests in high rise apartment buildings in the Gaithersburg area. MCFRS crews wanted to confirm the performance capabilities of their new pumpers and new high-rise fire hose and nozzles. The goal was to obtain specific flows of 250 gpm and 500 gpm at specific pressures on the upper most part of the building using the building's standpipe system.
The roof proved to be the perfect place for flowing and measuring water and all four tests were completed without any problems.
Each test involved a fire department pumper supplying water to standpipe system using the Fire Department Connection located on the front of the building near the lobby entrance. Supply pressures in excess of 220 psi were needed to meet the flow needs of the hose lines operation on the roof. While 200+ psi might seem high, it is well within the operating range of a fire department pumper; these type of pressures are often needed to overcome the loss in system pressure due to the height of a building.
Many thanks go out to the Management and Maintenance Staff of the facilities for keeping their fire protection systems in good working order and for allowing MCFRS to complete this very important flow testing work. Check out the videos below.
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue officials are recommending smoke alarms as the PERFECT Valentine’s gift for loved ones. Nothing says you mean everything to me like the 24-hour protection that comes with a smoke alarm. And while you are busy planning the perfect evening, make it memorable for all the right reasons. A few tips to keep in mind:
