Fire Prevention and Safety

CHILD SAFETY

911 for Kids! Bicycle Helmets
Budget Direct Hazards in the Home
Ready.gov – Emergency Preparedness for Kids
Safe Kids Coalition
Sesame Street Emergency Preparedness
Smokey the Bear
Sparky the Fire Dog

City of Spokane – Virtual Classroom for preschoolers
U.S. Fire Administration – Keeping Kids Safe from Fire

WILDLAND FIRE PREPAREDNESS

Firewise Communities – https://www.firewise.org/wildfire-preparedness
Washington State Department of Natural Resources – https://www.dnr.wa.gov
National Interagency Fire Center – https://www.nifc.gov

https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Fire-causes-and-risks/Wildfire/Firewise-USA

ACT TO SAVE A LIFE CLASSES

ACT stands for “Antidote, CPR and Tourniquet” program. This one-hour class focuses on three skills you can use to save a life during the first few minutes of an emergency.
• Antidote for suspected opiate overdoses.
• CPR and AED training for cardiac arrest.
• Tourniquet for bleeding control.

Benton County Fire District #4 offers classes for interested parties. Contact us at (509) 967-2496 for more information.

SLIP AND FALL PREVENTION

According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than one-third of adults over 65 years of age fall each year. Falls can lead to hip fractures, traumatic brain injuries, and are the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries in older adults – and they are mostly preventable. That’s why Benton County Fire District 4 has launched a program to reduce injury from slips and falls.

Firefighter/EMTs will now visit residents’ homes at their request and perform a comprehensive evaluation of the property exterior and interior. The inspections take approximately an hour. Once the survey is complete the Firefighter/EMT will sit down with the homeowner and review a list of recommendations to reduce the risk of injury from a fall. This initiative is the first step to Benton County Fire District 4 launching its own medical emergency prevention program called “FD Cares” (Fire Department Community Assistance, Referral and Educational Services) to reduce calls to 911 and lower health care costs. Historically, the fire district was simply there to put out fires. Now, a large part of what it does is prevention-related including safety inspections, educating the community about fire prevention through local schools, homes and area businesses, and now reducing injuries.

If you would like to schedule a complimentary fall prevention inspection, please contact Lieutenant Gaidos at (509) 967-2945 or [email protected].

FIREWORKS

• Always check for local fire danger and/or restrictions
• Never allow young children to handle fireworks
• Older children should use them only under close adult supervision
• Never use fireworks while impaired by drugs or alcohol
• Anyone using fireworks or standing nearby should wear protective eyewear
• Never hold lighted fireworks in your hands
• Never light them indoors
• Only use them away from people, houses and flammable material
• Never point or throw fireworks at another person
• Only light one device at a time and maintain a safe distance after lighting
• Never ignite devices in a container
• Do not try to re-light or handle malfunctioning fireworks
• Soak both spent and unused fireworks in water for a few hours before discarding
• Keep a bucket of water nearby to fully extinguish fireworks that don’t go off or in case of fire
• Never use illegal fireworks

SMOKE ALARMS

Operational smoke alarms are your family’s first line of defense in case of fire. Benton County Fire District #4 encourages residents to purchase and install smoke alarms with 10-year Lithium 9V batteries. Take a few minutes today to ensure your home has the appropriate number of smoke alarms and that they are properly located, regularly tested and maintained.

• Place smoke alarms outside each sleeping area, inside any bedroom where the door is typically shut and every story of the house, including the basement.
• Test smoke alarms monthly.
• Clean smoke alarms regularly by vacuuming them with a brush attachment.
• Replace smoke alarms every 10 years to achieve optimum performance.

The fire district will change batteries and install new smoke alarms if a homeowner is unable to do so. Our ability to visit is limited due to the pandemic; however, your safety is our priority. Please contact Kevin Gaidos for more information about this program at (509) 967-2945 or [email protected].

Learn how to change batteries, smoke alarms, and troubleshooting for chirping detectors:

CANDLE SAFETY

• Candles are safe products, but unless they are used safely and watched carefully, they can lead to an accidental fire.
• More than 15,000 candle fires are reported annually. According to fire experts, the bulk of candle-fire incidents are due to consumer inattention to basic fire safety or to the misuse of candles.
• The National Candle Association urges consumers to be careful when burning candles, and to following these rules for burning candles safely.
• Always keep a burning candle within sight. Extinguish all candles when leaving a room or before going to sleep.
• Never burn a candle on or near anything that can catch fire. Keep burning candles away from furniture, drapes, bedding, carpets, books, paper, flammable decorations, etc.
• Keep candles out of the reach of children and pets. Do not place lighted candles where they can be knocked over by children, pets or anyone else.
• Trim candlewicks to ¼ inch each time before burning. Long or crooked wicks cause uneven burning and dripping.
• Always use a candleholder specifically designed for candle use. The holder should be heat resistant, sturdy and large enough to contain any drips or melted wax.
• Be sure the candleholder is placed on a stable, heat-resistant surface. This will also help prevent possible heat damage to counters and table surfaces and prevent glass containers from cracking or breaking.
• Keep the wax pool free of wick trimmings, matches and debris at all times.
• Always read and follow the manufacturer’s use and safety instructions carefully. Don’t burn a candle longer than the manufacturer recommends.
• Keep burning candles away from drafts, vents, ceiling fans and air currents. This will help prevent rapid, uneven burning, and avoid flame flare-ups and sooting. Drafts can also blow lightweight curtains or papers into the flame where they could catch fire.
• Always burn candles in a well-ventilated room. Don’t burn too many candles in a small room or in a “tight” home where air exchange is limited.
• Don’t burn a candle all the way down. Extinguish the flame if it comes too close to the holder or container. For a margin of safety, discontinue burning a candle when 2 inches of wax remains or ½ inch if in a container.
• Never touch a burning candle or move a votive or container candle when the wax is liquid.
• Never use a knife or sharp object to remove wax drippings from a glass holder. It might scratch, weaken, or cause the glass to break upon subsequent use.
• Place burning candles at least three inches apart from one another. This is to make sure they don’t melt one another, or create their own drafts that will cause the candles to burn improperly.
• Use a candle snuffer to extinguish a candle. It’s the safest way to prevent hot wax from splattering.
• Never extinguish candles with water. The water can cause the hot wax to splatter and might cause a glass container to break.
• Be very careful if using candles during a power outage. Flashlights and other battery-powered lights are safer sources of light during a power failure. Never use a candle during a power outage to look for things in a closet, or when fueling equipment – such as a lantern or kerosene heater.
• Make sure a candle is completely extinguished and the wick ember is no longer glowing before leaving the room.
• Extinguish a candle if it smokes, flickers repeatedly, or the flame becomes too high. The candle isn’t burning properly and the flame isn’t controlled. Let the candle cool, trim the wick, then check for drafts before re-lighting.
• Never use a candle as a night light