Loading...
The Huron Expositor, 1997-10-08, Page 9Fire Prevention Week - October 5-11, I PHOTO BY DAVID SCOTT SEAFORTH FIRE DEPARTMENT - Members of the 8eaforth Flre Department recently posed for a photo outside the fire hall with two of their pumper trucks. From lett to right: Dave Garrick, Paul Hildebrand, Richard Verberne, Jim Finlayson, Captain Jim Sills, Doug Hildebrand, Don Pletsch, Pete Marten, Ralph Wood, Dan Pearce, Jack Bedard, Dave Deighton, Marty Bedard, Deputy Chief Tom Phillips, John Calms. Above: Dave de Vries. Absent from photo: Chief George Garrick, Captain Rene Dupuis, Paul Hulley, Greg O'Reilly, James Wllbee, Graham Nesbitt, Doug Anstett, Paul Dolmage. Smoke detectors save lives - check your battery Smoke uetector$ Smoke detectors save lives. You will not smell the smoke from a fire when you are asleep. The poisonous gases which are present in the smoke will put you into a deeper sleep. During a fire, the smoke alarm will sound and give you the time you need to escape. A working smoke detector cuts your risk of dying in a house fire in half. Be sure to buy one that is approved by the ULC (Underwriter's Laboratory of Canada), or CSA (Canadian Standards Association). Ionization Smoke Alarms Ionization smoke alarms use a small amount of radioactive material to create as electric current through ionized air. When smoke enters the detection chamber, it impedes or reduces the flow of current and causes the alarm to sound. Photoelectric Smoke Alarms Photoelectric smoke alarms use a light source and a pho- tocell. When smoke enters the detection chamber, it scatters the light beam deflecting it to the photocell and causes the alarm to sound Be sure everyone sleeping in the home can hear the alarm, even with bedroom doors closed. If not install a additional detector inside the bedroom. Because smoke rises, mount detectors high on a wall or ceiling. A ceiling detector should be attached at least 4 inches from the near- est wall. Test all your smoke detec- tors monthly and install new batteries at least once a year. Change your clock, change your battery. Gently vacuum your alarm every six months. Dust and cobwebs reduce its sensitivity to smoke. Never paint a smoke detector. You should replace any smoke detectors that are more than ten years old. Make sure your whole fam- ily is familiar with the sound of your smoke alarm. Plan your escape routes. Crawl low and under smoke. If you must escape through an area with smoke, crawl to the nearest safe exit on your hand and knees. Smoke and poiso- nous gases rise. STOP, DROP and ROIL. If your clothes catch fire, stop, don't run. Drop to the ground, cover your face with your hands, and roll over and over to smother the flames. When an alarm sounds, leave the building imrhediate- ly and go to your meeting place. Call the Fire Department from a neigh- bour's phone. Once you're out, stay outl Never return to a burning house, Public Fire Safety Awareness Program Propane Safety Propane in its natural state is a colorless, odourless gas. An odourant is added to help detect leaks. It is sold in tanks as a liquid which will expand 270 times in volume as a gas. The gas is heavier than air, and will seek the lowest level available. All propane cylinders must be inspected and recertified every ten years. The date of the manufacture is stamped on the cylinder collar. If your cylinder is damaged, replace it with a new or recondi- tioned one. Be sure to trans- port your cylinder in a secure and upright position. Keep the plastic valve plug in place and use it also when the tank is not connected to the barbe- cue or other appliance. Store your cylinder outdoors or in a well -ventilated garden shed. Avoid rough handling and treat empty cylinders with the same precaution and proce- dures as full ones. Check the connector at the end of the hose and regulator assembly. Most connectors have a 0 - ring near the nose to assist in forming a seal against leaks. If your 0 -ring appears worn or damaged, replace it imme- diately. Some barbecue con- nectors have a hard nose with no groove at the tip, and no 0 -ring. All barbecues and appli- ances in Canada since 1980 come with an instruction plate securely attached in an obvious position. The plate has complete instructions for lighting and shutting down the appliance. On barbecues, always open the lid before lighting. If ignition does not take place, tum the control value off, wait for five min- utes and repeat the lighting procedure. When you are fin- ished , close the valve on the cylinder first, to allow the propane in the hose to be consumed. After the burner is extinguished, turn the control to the off position. 'Ist all of your barbecue hose and regulatory assembly for leaks with soap and water solution. If bubbles appear, you have a leak, and must get it repaired before operating the unit. Carbon Monoxide • Carbon Monoxide (CO), a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas, is a natural by-product of combustion, and can be found anywhere fuel is burned. • When inhaled, CO com- bines with haemoglobin in red blood cells to form a sub- KIDS KLOZE 527-2320 stance called carboxyhaemo- globin (COHb). CO com- bines with haemoglobin 200 times faster than oxygen. As COHb levels increase, oxy- gen decreases, asphyxiating the victim. • Often referred to as "The Great Imitator." CO poison- ing is difficult to diagnose because it often mimics other common illnesses like the flu. According to a study at the University of Kentucky Medical Centre, an estimated 23.6% of people who have flu or stress symptoms could actually be suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning. • Symptoms of low level CO poisoning can include mild headaches and shortage of breath. Higher levels can cause severe headaches, men- tal confusion, nausea, dizzi- ness, impairment of vision and hearing, fatigue and col- lapse. Severe CO poisoning can cause arrhythmia, amne- sia, brain damage, coma, and eventually death. • Medical studies have determined that a high per- centage of the population are particularly vulnerable to CO, including low levels over longer periods of time. This high-risk group includes fetuses, children, the elderly and those with heart and lung disorders. • Each year some 200 Canadians are killed by car- bon monoxide, and more than 1,500 others are exposed to levels so dangerous that medical attention is required. • The National Building Code requires that a carbon monoxide detector conform- ing with CAN/CGA-6.19 be installed on or near the ceil- ing 'in each room in which there is installed a solid fuel - burning appliance which does not incorporate doors that substantially close off the firebox opening when the appliance is in operation. Carbon Monoxide Safety Tips • Ensure that all fuel -burn- ing appliances in the home are cleaned and inspected annually by a qualified tech- nician. • Never block or obstruct secondary air openings, vents, exhaust ducts or flues on fuel -burning equipment. MAICHES &VGHTER5 DANGEROUS Teach young children tothey � P matches and fighters. ,,s • Have your chimney and vents cleaned and inspected annually by a qualified ser- vice technician. • Always open at least one window in your home when operating a fireplace. • Never operate a barbeque, gasoline -powered engine or propane appliance in an enclosed area. • Never run a vehicle for an extended period of time in the garage, even with the garage door open. •Install at one ULC -listed carbon monoxide detector in your home, near the sleeping area. For added protection, install a second detector near the home's primary heating source. Never ignore a CO detec- tor that has alarmed. If your detector alarms, and anyone in your home is expe- riencing symptoms of CO poisoning, call 911 or the local fire department and evacuate immediately. If no one is experiencing symp- toms, ventilate the home, tum off all fuel -burning appli- ances and call a qualified ser- vice technician to inspect and repair the problem. Smoke can kill. Never enter a smoky corridor or stairway. Always protect yourself from smoke. In case of fire, don't try to save possessions - go directly to your meeting place. Smoke can kill. Never enter a smoky corridor or ktalrway. Always protect yourself from smoke. SEAFORTH INSURANCE BROKERS LTD. 527-1610 WHITNEY RIBEY FUNERAL HOME 527-1390 KEATING PHARMACY 527-1990 41111111 HILDEBRAND FLOWERS & GIFTS 527-0555 STEDMANS V&S 527-1950 SEAFORTH MANOR 527.0030 TMP 527-2291 THE TOWN OF SEAFORTH SEAFORTH P.U.C. Public Utilities Commisssion SEAFORTH AUTOMOTIVE 527-0880 SIZZLERS 527-2911 SUSAN'S SEWING 527-0673 CULLIGAN REAL ESTATE 527-1577 WOOD YOU LIKE TO PAINT 527-2233 MIDDEGAAL POOLS & SPORTS 527-0104 527.0770 PETE'S PAPER CLIP 527-1681