Posted by: oneeye
Modified: 11/21/2012 6:47:13 AM
THE ATLANTIC FIRE DEPARTMENT IS A STRONG PROMOTER OF FIRE PREVENTION. PROGRAMS ARE HELD ALL YEAR LONG, WITH FIRE PREVENTION WEEK BEING THE BUSIEST. PROGAMS ARE HELD WITH THE CARE FACILITIES, HOSPITALS, SCHOOLS, DAYCARES AND BUSINESSES. EVERY YEAR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT PROVIDES EACH KINDERGARDEN STUDENT WITH A SMOKE DETECTOR,ALONG WITH FIREFIGHTER TALK,VISITS FROM “SPARKY” THE FIRE DOG AND “FREDDY” THE FIRE TRUCK. FIRE EXSTINGUISHER CLASSES AND FIRE DRILLS WITH EVACUATION TECHNIQUES, ARE ALSO HELD THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. FIRE PREVENTION IS A COMBINATION OF UNDERSTANDING HUMAN BEHAVIOR, COMMUNICATING INFORMATION, EDUCATING, ENFORCING LAWS AND REGULATIONS, AND BASIC COMMON SENSE.
Smoke Detector Program - Our smoke detector program provides area residents with free smoke detectors for the home, as well as yearly checks upon request to ensure the detector is working properly. AFD members will come to the home and aid in installation. Community Education AFD Fire Prevention provides Fire/Life Safety Education to the residents of Atlantic. Programs on fire safety, first aid and careers in the Fire/EMS Service are available for pre-school thru high school students. EDITH, (Exit Drills in the Home) the Fire Safety Trailer may be available soon. It provides "hands-on" experience in fire safety, with smoke generators, hot doors, and hot door handles to simulate fires behind doors.
Fire Extinguisher - AFD has a great resource for training people in the correct use of fire extinguishers.
Burn Permits - AFD works with the City of Atlantic to assess and control the use of residential, controlled burns.
SMOKE DETECTORS SAVES LIVES.....The majority of fatal home fires happen at night, when people are asleep. Contrary to popular belief, the smell of smoke may not wake a sleeping person. The poisonous gases and smoke produced by a fire can numb the senses and put you into a deeper sleep. Inexpensive household smoke detectors sound an alarm, alerting you to a fire. By giving you time to escape, smoke detectors cut your risk of dying in a home fire, nearly in half. Smoke detectors save so many lives that most states have laws requiring them in private homes.
CHOOSING A DETECTOR - Be sure that the smoke detectors you buy carry the label of an independent testing laboratory (UL). Several types of detectors are available. Some run on batteries, others on household current. Some detect smoke using an "ionization" sensor, other use a "photoelectric" detection system. All approved smoke detectors, regardless of the type, will offer adequate protection provided they are installed and maintained properly. IS ONE ENOUGH? Every home should have a smoke detector outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home, including the basement. The National Fire Alarm Code, developed by NFPA, requires a smoke detector in each sleeping room for new construction. On floors without bedrooms, detectors should be installed in or near living areas, such as dens, living rooms, or family rooms. Be sure everyone sleeping in your home can hear your smoke detectors' alarms. If any residents are hearing-impaired or sleep with bedroom doors closed, install additional detectors inside sleeping areas as well. There are special smoke detectors for the hearing impaired; these flash a light in addition to sounding an audible alarm. For extra protection, NFPA suggests installing detectors in dining rooms, furnace rooms, utility rooms, and hallways. Smoke detectors are not recommended for kitchens, bathrooms, or garages where cooking fumes, steam, or exhaust fumes could set off false alarms - or for attics and other unheated spaces where humidity and temperature changes might affect a detector's operation.
WHERE TO INSTALL - Because smoke rises, mount detectors high on a wall or on the ceiling. Wall-mounted units should be mounted so that the top the the detector is 4 to 12 inches (10 to 30cm) from the ceiling. A ceiling-mounted detector should be attached at least 4 inches (10cm) from the nearest wall. In a room with a pitched ceiling, mount the detector at or near the ceiling's highest point. In stairways with no doors at the top or bottom, position smoke detectors anywhere in the path of smoke moving up the stairs. But always position smoke detectors at the bottom of closed stairways, such as those leading to the basement, because dead air trapped near the door at the top of a stairway could prevent smoke from reaching a detector located at the top. Don't install a smoke detector too near a window, door, or forced-air register where drafts could interfere with the detector's operation.
INSTALLATION - Most battery-powered smoke detectors and detectors that plug into wall outlets can be installed using only a drill and a screwdriver, by following the manufacturer's instructions. Plug-in detectors must have restraining devices so they cannot be unplugged by accident. Detectors can also be hard-wired into a building's electrical system. Hard-wired detectors should be installed by a qualified electrician. Never connect a smoke detector to a circuit that can be turned off by a wall switch or a circuit containing only smoke detectors (too easy to switch off breaker). FALSE ALARMS: Cooking vapors and steam sometimes set off a smoke detector. To correct this, try moving the detector away from the kitchen or bathroom, or install an exhaust fan. Cleaning your detector regularly, according to the manufacturer's instructions, may also help. If "nuisance alarms" persist, do not disable the detector. Replace the detector.
MAINTENANCE - Only a functioning smoke detector can protect you. Never disable a detector by "borrowing" its battery for another use. Following the manufacturer's instructions, test all your smoke detectors monthly and install new batteries at least twice a year. A good reminder is when you change your clocks in the spring or fall: change your clock, change your battery. Clean your smoke detectors using a vacuum cleaners without removing the detector's cover. Never paint a smoke detector. Smoke detectors don't last forever. Replace any smoke detector that is more than 10 years old. Make sure everyone is familiar with the sound of the detector's alarm.
Thanks for visiting....... for questions or concerns about Fire Prevention, send an email - email@example.com
Email this page to a friend -->
Back to Top^ | Make AtlanticFire.com your Home Page
AtlanticFire.com is the Official website for the Atlantic Volunteer Fire Department
1203 SW 7th St. | Atlantic, IA 50022
|Site Hits - 4754948|