F.F.A.M.

News From District 7 – 03-2018

Winter’s end brings hope for brighter days and warmer temperatures. Unfortunately, Spring also ushers in its own challenges and unique safety issues. There’s a lot more to spring cleaning than vacuuming up the dust that accumulated over the cold, dark months of winter. The fresh start of spring is the best time to ensure your home is prepared for the spring and summer season. As we spring forward change the batteries in your smoke detectors

To verify your smoke detectors are in good working condition, test each one individually. Ask a family member to stand as far away as possible from the detector you are testing. It’s vital that your family can hear every detector from anywhere in the house.

You should have a carbon monoxide detector outside every room and on every level of your home, and check the batteries in each one every month. The gas sensors in CO detectors have a limited lifespan, and the test button tests only the battery, not the sensor. So replace or recalibrate your detectors at least every five years, even if the detector still beeps when you push the test button.

Every home should have at least one fire extinguisher in an easy-to-access location. Although fire extinguishers can have a long shelf life, they do eventually expire and once they do, they are useless in a fire. Make sure you check the expiration date on your fire extinguishers and keep them updated.

Take advantage of the new season by reviewing your disaster preparedness plan with every member of your household and update it to reflect anything that may have changed in the last year. Your plan should include at least two rendezvous points, an emergency contact person, and an evacuation route. Once you have reviewed the plan, run a few drills for the natural disasters that can occur in your area, like fire, flooding.

A reminder that all fire prevention posters have to be turned into the Auxiliary before the start of the 2018 Firefighter convention in St Joseph May 4, 2018, with the submission information filled out. Hope to see ya at the convention. Have a happy Easter.