10 Heating Safety Tips

Heating equipment is one of the leading causes of home fires during the winter months. In fact, half of all home heating fires occur in December, January, and February. According to the NFPA's Home Fires Involving Heating Equipment report, heating equipment was involved in an estimated 66,100 reported home structure fires in 2008, resulting in 480 civilian deaths, 1,660 civilian injuries, and $1.1 billion in direct property damage. With this in mind Central Alexander/Taylorsville Fire Department would like to give you a few simple reminders to make sure you winter season is safe and warm.

1. Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment, such as furnaces, fireplaces, wood stoves, or portable space heaters.
2. Never use your oven to heat your home.
3. Have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected every year by a qualified professional.
4. Remember to turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.
5. For fuel burning space heaters do not fill them while they are hot, do not overfill them, and make sure to use the factory recommended fuel.
6. Make sure the fireplace has a sturdy screen to stop sparks from flying into the room. Ashes should be cool before putting them in a metal container. Keep the container a safe distance away from your home.
7. Test smoke alarms monthly, replace the batteries twice a year, and make sure that you have at least one smoke detector on every floor.
8. Install at least one carbon monoxide detector in every home.
9. Burn only hard wood in a wood stove or fireplace that is clean and dry. Never burn plastics, garbage or wood that has been treated with a preservative, paint or other chemicals.
10. When using a space heater, never use an extension cord, never hang items to dry above the heater and never leave the space heater unattended.

So go ahead, grab a blanket and a book and curl up by the fire, just be smart and stay safe.

For more information visit our website at www.taylorsvillefire.org.

“Click It Or Ticket Campaign Launched”

RALEIGH — N.C. Department of Transportation Secretary Conti announced today the launch of a state-wide “Click It or Ticket” campaign to crack down on motorists who are not wearing their seat belts. State and local law enforcement officers will increase seat belt enforcement activities during the campaign, which runs May 23-June 5.
“This life-saving campaign reminds us to buckle up, every trip, every time,” said Conti. “Wearing a seat belt no matter where you are seated in a vehicle is the law in North Carolina, so I remind all citizens to Click it or Ticket.”
Regular seat belt use is the single most effective way to protect people and reduce fatalities in motor vehicle crashes. In 2010, 425 unbuckled motorists died in North Carolina.
In 2010, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that North Carolina’s seat belt usage rate was 89.7 percent. The state’s usage rate was 65 percent when the program started 18 years ago.
“Click It or Ticket” is administered by the N.C. Governor’s Highway Safety Program. GHSP will sponsor “Click It or Ticket” nights at the following minor league baseball parks across the state during the campaign to raise awareness about the importance of buckling up:

Friday, May 20 at 7:05 p.m.
Durham Bulls, Durham

Friday, May 27 at 7:15 p.m.
Carolina Mudcats, Zebulon

Friday, June 3 at 7 p.m.
Greensboro Grasshoppers, Greensboro

Saturday, June 25 at 7 p.m.
Hickory Crawdads, Hickory

Saturday, July 16 at 7:15 p.m.
Charlotte Knights, Charlotte

For more information regarding “Click It or Ticket” activities, contact Don Nail (919) 733-3083, or visit the GHSP website.