WILDWOOD – With temperatures expected to stay in the at-or-below freezing range for the next week, City of Wildwood fire fighters remind residents to stay safe and stay warm.
Heating equipment is the leading cause of home fire deaths, according to the National Fire Protection Association. The national organization also states almost half of home heating equipment fires occur in December, January and February.
Firefighters throughout the City of Wildwood encourage everyone to be vigilant when it comes to staying warm and staying safe.
With many homes using portable heating sources to offset high heating bills and boost their home’s warmth, firefighters urge residents to keep anything that can burn at least three feet from any heat source, including fireplaces, wood stoves, radiators and space heaters. Children should also be kept a minimum of three feet away from any portable heat source.
Emergency power outages often means portable generators are plugged in. “Keep those generators outside and away from any windows,” said Wildwood firefighter Daniel Dunn. “And be sure to keep a generator as far away as possible from your home.”
Dunn said to reduce the possibility of an electrical fire, electric space heaters should never be plugged into an extension cord. “And plug only one heat-producing appliance, such as a space heater, into an electrical outlet at one time.”
Chimneys and heating systems should be professionally inspected once a year to ensure everything is in shipshape and ready for winter.
With houses closed up tightly to fight off the winter chill, the danger of carbon monoxide poisoning increases.
Carbon monoxide is called the “invisible killer.” It is odorless, colorless poisonous gas that kills more than 150 people in the United States annually.
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the use of generators, faulty, improperly-used or incorrectly-vented fuel-burning appliances such as furnaces, stoves, water heaters and fireplaces can all produce toxic carbon monoxide fumes.
Low exposure to the deadly gas includes flu-like symptoms including headache, fatigue, shortness of breath, nausea and dizziness. Higher exposure includes mental confusion, vomiting, loss of muscle coordination, lost of consciousness and ultimately death.
The only way to detect carbon monoxide is through a carbon monoxide detector. All homes should be protected by properly installed carbon monoxide alarms, said Dunn, in addition to smoke alarms.
Carbon monixde alarms should be placed in the immediate vicinity of sleeping areas or bedrooms. Multi-level home with bedrooms on each floor there should be a carbon monoxide alarm located on each floor.
If a carbon monoxide alarm goes off, firefighters urge residents to evacuate the building immediately.
“The safest thing to do if your carbon monoxide alarm is going off is to immediately call 911,” said Dunn. “Let the fire department respond to check your home. It may turn out to be just a malfunctioning alarm or a low battery but it is always better to be safe than sorry. Many people are hesitant about calling but that is what the Fire Department is here for. We are trained professionals who are ready to respond to any time of emergency. Our goal everyday is to keep our residents and visitors safe.”
Wildwood – So Liberals here on spout off, here's a REAL question for you.
Do you think it's appropriate for BLM to call for "Burning down the city" and "Black Vigilantes" because…
