Make your holiday fire-safe!

Decorating homes and businesses is a long-standing tradition around the holiday season. Unfortunately, these same decorations may increase the chance of fire.

Based on data from the National Fire Protection Association and the U.S. Fire Administration, each year an estimated 250 home fires occur involving Christmas trees and another 170 home fires involve holiday lights and other decorative lighting. Together, these fires result in 21 deaths and 43 injuries annually.

Following a few simple fire-safety tips can keep electric lights, candles and the ever popular Christmas tree from creating a tragedy. Learn how to prevent a fire and what to do in case a fire starts in your home. Make sure all exits are accessible and not blocked by trees or other decorations.

Live Christmas Trees:

- If you buy a real tree, try to get the freshest one possible. Christmas trees are frequently cut as early as October and placed in cold storage until the tree lots begin sales. Remember, a dry tree will ignite explosively and burn.

- A fresh tree will have a strong pine or spruce scent and a deep-green color. Needles will not fall off the tree at a touch. To test freshness, grasp a branch near the trunk and gently pull the branch through your fingers. If needles feel brittle, stiff or come off easily, choose another tree. A truly fresh tree will have sticky sap at the base.

- Prior to placing the tree in a tree stand cut off about two inches of the trunk, preferably at a slight angle if your stand will permit this. An angle cut permits maximum water absorption. Water the tree daily. The average tree will consume between a quart and a gallon of water per day. Recent tests prove that commercial additives are of little value. They also indicate that tap water is best for keeping the tree hydrated.

- Fireplaces and other heat sources, such as space heaters, will dry the tree out quickly. So, avoid placing the tree to close to them. Be careful not to block access to doors and exits with the tree or with furniture that has been rearranged to allow space for a tree to be set up.

- Never use candles or other open flame decorations on or near the tree.

Artificial Trees:

- If purchasing an artificial tree, look for the label stating it meets flammability standards. Many of these trees have a spray coating applied that may wear off over the years. You can test this by removing a small piece of the tree, taking it to a safe area outside, and applying a flame. If it readily burns, it is time to replace or re-treat the tree.

- Do not string electric lights or other wiring on the tree as this creates a possible electrical shock hazard. Illuminate metal trees with multicolor flood lamps designed for this purpose. Artificial trees come with safety instructions that should be read carefully and followed closely.

Holiday Lights:

- Inspect holiday lights each year for frayed wires, bare spots, gaps in insulation, broken or cracked sockets and excessive kinking.

- Use lighting only listed by an approved testing laboratory.

- DO NOT overload electrical outlets.

- Unless directions allow, DO NOT link together more than THREE light strands.

- Make periodic checks to wires - they should not be warm to the touch.

- DO NOT leave holiday lights unattended.

- Presents under the tree are very pretty, but keep tissue paper wrappings away from tree lights.

- Do not run lights or extension cords under carpets or rugs, through door jambs or across walkways.

Holiday Decorations:

- Use only nonflammable decorations of flame resistant decorations and ensure they are not located near any heat vents.

- DO NOT block exits. Trees and decorations should not block any exits within your home or work facility.

Remember, check your live tree daily throughout the holiday season. If it becomes dry, brittle or the needles turn brown and fall off, it needs to be removed from the home or office as the risk of fire becomes too great.

When disposing of your Christmas tree, never burn it in the fireplace. Most communities establish plans for either the recycling or disposal of Christmas trees, so watch your local papers.

In case of an emergency on base, dial 911.

Help ensure that you have a fire-safe holiday season.

For more information, visit: http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/citizens/focus/holiday.shtm.

Ten Fire Safety Tips:

Here are 10 fire safety tips that will help keep you and your family safe from fire, please read through them and discuss them with your family.

1. Install and test smoke detectors

Working smoke detectors can alert you to a fire in your home in time for you to escape, even if you are sleeping. Install smoke detectors near each sleeping area, it is best if you install one inside your sleeping area as well. Test detectors every month (always follow the manufacturer's directions) and replace batteries once a year, or whenever a detector "chirps" to signal low battery power. Never "borrow" a smoke detector's battery for another use - a disabled detector can't save your life. Replace detectors that are more than 10 years old.

2. Plan Your Escape From Fire

If a fire breaks out in your home, you have to get out fast. Prepare for a fire emergency by sitting down with your family and agreeing on an escape plan. Be sure that everyone knows at least two ways out - including doors and windows - from every room. (If you live in an apartment building, do not include elevators in your escape plan.) Decide on a meeting place outside where everyone will meet after they escape. Have your entire household practice your escape plan at least twice a year.

3. Keep An Eye On Smokers

Careless smoking is the leading cause of fire deaths in North America. Smoking in bed or when you are drowsy could be deadly. Provide smokers with large, deep non-tip ashtrays and soak butts with water before discarding them. Before going to bed or leaving home after someone has been smoking, check under and around cushions and upholstered furniture for smoldering cigarettes.

4. Cook Carefully

Never leave cooking unattended. Keep cooking areas clear of combustibles and wear clothes with short, rolled-up or tight-fitting sleeves when you cook. Turn pot handles inward on the stove where you can't bump them and children can't grab them. Enforce a "Kid-Free Zone" three feet (one meter) around your kitchen stove. If grease catches fire in a pan, slide a lid over the pan to smother the flames and turn off the heat. Leave the lid on until cool.

5. Give Space Heaters Space

Keep portable heaters and space heaters at least three feet (one meter) from anything that can burn. Keep children and pets away from heaters, and never leave heaters on when you leave home or go to bed.

6. Remember: Matches And Lighters Are Tools, Not Toys

In a child's hand, matches and lighters can be deadly. Use only child-resistant lighters and store all matches and lighters up high, where small children can't see or reach them, preferably in a locked cabinet. Teach your children that matches and lighters are tools, not toys, and should be used only by adults or with adult supervision. Teach young children to tell a grown-up if they find matches or lighters; older children should bring matches or lighters to an adult immediately.

7. Cool A Burn

Run cool water over a burn for 10 to 15 minutes. Never put butter or any grease on a burn. If the burned skin blisters or is charred, see a doctor immediately. Never use ice.

8. Use Electricity Safely

If an electrical appliance smokes or has an unusual smell, unplug it immediately, then have it serviced before using it again. Replace any electrical cord that is cracked or frayed. Don't overload extension cords or run them under rugs. Don't tamper with your fuse box or use improper-size fuses.

9. Crawl Low Under Smoke

During a fire, smoke and poisonous gases rise with the heat. The air is cleaner and cooler near the floor. If you encounter smoke while you are escaping from a fire, use an alternate escape route

10. Stop, Drop And Roll

If your clothes catch fire, don't run. Stop where you are, drop to the ground, cover your face with your hands, and roll over and over to smother the flames.

Using prevention techniques will greatly improve your chances of never having to escape from a fire. Don't be fooled though, you never know when or where a fire will break out--always be ready! Be Fire Safe!

“Beep! Beep! Beep! Smoke Alarms: A sound you can live with.”

This week, Oct. 3-9 is Fire Prevention Week and the 2010 theme is “Beep! Beep! Beep! Smoke Alarms: A sound you can live with.”

There’s nothing more important than to have an early notification of a fire, especially if it’s in the home. This year’s fire prevention & fire safety issue that is being highlighted is the importance of having working, operational smoke detectors.

In 2009, fire departments in the United States responded to an estimated 1,348,500 fires. These fires resulted in 3,010 civilian fire fatalities. About 80 percent of the fatalities occurred in the home between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. There was a civilian fire death every 175 minutes and a civilian fire injury every 31 minutes in 2009. In addition, there were 17,050 civilian fire injuries and an estimated $12,531,000,000 in direct property loss. These statistics are alarming to say the least.

There is a simple list of steps or guidelines that could possibly save you or your loved ones in the event of a fire in the home. By taking a little time out with your family to go over and practice these procedures will ensure that everyone knows what to do if or when a smoke alarm is sounded. The early notification of a fire gives you the needed time to escape with smoke alarms which are credited for saving approximately 8,000 lives each year, Stoll said.

Placement of smoke alarms:

•Should occur in every level of the home, along the exit paths and in the sleeping areas.

Installation of smoke alarm:

•Follow the manufacturer’s guidelines.

•Ceiling mounted alarms should not be installed near air vents or ceiling fans.

•If detectors are wall mounted, install between 2 and 4 inches below the ceiling on the wall to avoid the dead air space.

•Test smoke alarms monthly, and change alkaline batteries twice a year. Lithium batteries may last up to 10 years.

•Mark the detector with the date installed.

Here are some additional items in that simple list of steps or guidelines that should be gone over with along with smoke alarms in the home.

Escape planning:

•Plan and discuss with your family two ways out of every sleeping area in your home.

•Secondary escape routes from the sleeping areas may include windows.

•Insure bedroom windows open easily for quick use. During a fire, never hesitate to break a window if it will not open. Throw a blanket over the window ledge to help prevent cuts.

•Encourage residents to sleep with their bedroom doors closed. This prevents the room from filling with heat and smoke as quickly.

•Check the doors for heat before opening. If the door is hot, don’t open it. You must use the secondary escape route.

•If there is smoke in the room, crawl low near the floor to reach your exit.

•Have a designated meeting place outside your home where everyone can meet after exiting.

•Never go back inside a burning home.

Things that may be needed:

•ABC fire extinguisher for kitchen and garage.

•Escape ladder for upper levels of the home.

•Quality power strips and extension cords.

•New smoke detectors to replace ones five to 10 years old

•Artificial battery operated candles to replace the open flame candles in our youths’ bedrooms.

•Carbon monoxide detectors.

Help make sure that every home has the appropriate amount of working detectors to keep your family, your community, and co-workers safe from fire. It is encourage that you practice these fire prevention & fire safety steps with your family, and if you need further assistance contact your local community fire department with any questions you may have.

Test Smoke Detectors . . . Save Your Life

The Nichols Fire Department reminds you to test smoke & CO2 detectors at least once a month. A broken detector provides no protection. Don't go without early warning. Make periodic checks routine in your home. Use the "Press To Test" button on detector to test. Train everyone to respond quickly at the sound of the detector. Seconds count! Test your smoke & CO2 detectors and save your live.

Follow these 10 easy tips on smoke alarms:

1. One of the best ways to protect yourself and your family is to have a working smoke alarm that can sound fast for both a fire that has flames, and a smoky fire that has fumes without flames. It is called a "Dual Sensor Smoke Alarm."
2. Place a smoke alarm on the ceiling of every level of your home and outside bedrooms. Children and older people can sleep though the loud sound of a smoke alarm. Make sure your escape plan includes someone that can help children and others wake up immediately to escape from the home.
3. If you keep your bedroom doors closed, place a smoke alarm on the ceiling of each bedroom.
4. Check smoke alarms monthly by pressing the test button.
5. Never take smoke alarm batteries out to put into other items like games or remote controls.
6. Teach children what the smoke alarm sounds like and what to do when they hear the alarm sound.
7. If there is a fire, leave the home right away by crawling low under the smoke and never go back inside.
8. If smoke from cooking makes the alarm sound, press the �hush� button, if your alarm has one. You can also turn on the kitchen fan, open a window or wave a towel near the alarm until it stops making the sound. Never take the battery out of the alarm.
9. Most alarms need a new battery at least once a year. Some smoke alarms have batteries that last for up to 10 years. If your smoke alarm is over 10 years old, replace it with a new alarm and a new battery.
10. If you rent, talk to your landlord about placing a working smoke alarm in your home. You still need to buy a new battery at least once a year for the alarm.

NFPA urges grilling fire safety

As grilling season approaches, remember recipes for fire safety:

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is reminding outdoor cooks not to forget about grill fire safety as the peak months for grill fires arrive. People with gas grills should take extra precautions. In 2003-2006, gas-fueled grills were involved in 81 percent of reported home grill fires and were involved in 6,400 home fires, including structure and outside fires. The leading cause of gas grill fires was a leak or break in hoses.

“Nobody wants to see their backyard barbeque go up in flames,” said Lorraine Carli, vice president of communications for NFPA. “There are simple measures that can be taken to avoid charring dinner and setting anything on fire.”

Although gas grills are used approximately one-and-a-half times more often than charcoal grills, they were involved in five times as many fires. Charcoal or other solid-fueled grills were involved in 1,300, or 16 percent, of home grill fires. The leading cause of these fires was something that could burn being located too close to the grill.

In 2007, approximately 9,600 people went to hospital emergency rooms because of thermal burns caused by grills. About one-third of the burns from gas grills happened while lighting the grill. Gasoline or lighter fluid was involved in roughly one-quarter of charcoal or wood grill burns. Children under five accounted for roughly one-quarter of thermal grill burns. Most of these burns occurred when the child bumped or touched the grill.

NFPA offers the following grill safety tips:

* Use propane and charcoal grills in outdoor areas only.
* Make sure the grill is located well away from the home, deck railings and out from under eaves and overhanging branches.
* Keep children and pets away from the grill area: declare a three foot “kid-free zone” around the grill.

* Use long-handled grilling tools to give plenty of clearance from heat and flames.
* Remove grease or fat build up from the grills and in trays below the grill so it cannot ignite.
* Never leave the grill unattended.

Gas grills:

* Check the gas tank hose for leaks before using it for the first time each year by applying a light soap and water solution to the hose. If there is a propane leak, it will release bubbles. If you do find a leak and there is no flame, do the following:
- Turn off the gas tank and grill.
- If the leak stops, have the grill serviced by a professional before using it again.
- If it does not stop, call the fire department.
* If you smell gas at any point while cooking, get away from the grill immediately and call the fire department.
* Use only equipment with the label of a recognized testing laboratory. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions on how to set up the grill and maintain it.
* Never store propane gas tanks in buildings or garages. If you store a gas grill inside during the winter, disconnect the cylinder and leave it outside.

Charcoal grills:

* If you use a “charcoal chimney” to start charcoal for cooking, use a long match to avoid burning your fingers when lighting the paper.
* If you use starter fluid, only use charcoal starter fluid and never add charcoal fluid when coals or kindling have already been ignited.
* Never use gasoline or any other flammable liquid to get the fire going.
* Keep charcoal fluid away from children and heat sources.
* When you are finished grilling, let the coals cool completely before disposing of them in a metal container.

For more safety tips, videos, facts and figures, and audio clips, please visit www.nfpa.org/grilling.

NFPA has been a worldwide leader in providing fire, electrical, building, and life safety to the public since 1896. The mission of the international nonprofit organization is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating consensus codes and standards, research, training, and education.

"Reproduced from NFPA's Web site, © NFPA (2010)."

Lawn Mower Safety

Each year 75,000 people are injured annually in lawn mowing accidents and 16,000 of those are children. Many of these injuries are burns caused by careless use of mowers before using or cleaning your mower. Before using or cleaning follow these safety tips:

1. Do not smoke while fueling lawn mowers. As we all know, gasoline is flammable and is explosive too.

2. Wait for machines to cool before refueling. Wipe up spilled fuel immediately. Never fuel a running mower.

3. Store and pour gasoline carefully and keep it in an approved container with a tight-fitting lid.

4. Check electrical mower cords for frayed or damage spots. Frayed insulation added to a metal mower, damp or wet grass, can cause lethal shocks or severe electrical burns.

5. Leave blade sharpening and electrical repairs to professionals.

6. If you do your own cleaning and tune up, disconnect the spark plug or remove it before beginning. If your mowers clogs up with grass it’s safe to make sure they are shut off first. If a blade is turned by hand, the mower can start if the spark plug is still intact.

7. Never leave the mower without turning it off. It takes only a few seconds to run inside and only a few seconds for the mower to run over someone and caused serious injury.

Here is a very funny but good to the point on Lawn Mower Safety YouTube video that shows how important Lawn Mower Safety is …

When you're mowing your lawn, be mindful of children. “Awareness,” it's everything. Always be conscious of your surrounding and know what's around you while mowing.

Have a safe enjoyable lawn mowing season.

Learn Not T0 Burn! Be Fire Safe!

Exit Drills In The Home (E.D.I.T.H)

Once a fire has started, there is no time to plan how to get out. Sit down with your family today, and make a step-by-step plan for escaping a fire. Draw a floor Plan of your Home, marking two ways out of every room - especially sleeping areas. Discuss the escape routes with every member of your household.

Agree on a Meeting Place, where every member of the household will gather outside your home after escaping a fire to wait for the fire department. This allows you to count heads and inform the fire department if anyone is missing or trapped inside the burning building.

Practice your escape plan at least twice a year. Have a fire drill in your home. Appoint someone to be the monitor, and have everyone participate. A fire drill is not a race. Get out quickly, but carefully.

Install smoke detectors and keep them in working order. Make an escape plan and "practice" it.

Use what you've learned. . .

SET UP YOUR PLAN, including two ways out, a meeting place and. . .

CONDUCT A PRACTICE DRILL to determine if anything has been overlooked.

EVERYONE in the household NEEDS TO PARTICIPATE for it to be successful.

It may SAVE YOUR LIFE!!!

Play It Safe…Plan Your Escape!

Good Housekeeping Helps Prevents Fire

Spring Cleaning is here again! Make sure you include getting rid of trash, boxes, piles of cloths and other combustibles that can start a fire. The Nichols Volunteer Fire Department suggests you clean out storage areas on a regular basis. Don’t give fire a place to start. A clean house is a safe house.

Remember: Keep Your Place Firesafe: Hunt for Home Hazards and Fire Won't Wait...Plan Your Escape!

Electricity . . . Friend or Foe

Short circuits, misuse and abuse of appliances and cords top the list of one of the major causes of fatal home fires . . . Electricity. Pay attention to warnings against overloading electrical outlets. Plug in only what outlets can take directly – without the use of adapters. Overloading causes fires. Damaged cords should be replaced, not repaired. Do not risk your family and possessions to save a few dollars it would cost to buy a new cord.

KEEP A LID ON COOKING FIRES‏!

It is strongly suggested you keep a lid on cooking fires. These common accidents cause painful and serious burns. Handle them properly if grease ignites in a pan, slide the lid or a larger pan on the fire to smother it. Don't use water or flour. They'll make the fire bigger. Don't carry the burning pan. Always call the fire department when any fire occurs.

One way to prevent cooking fires is to never leave the cooking area unattended. It takes only seconds for grease to ignite. A “watched pot” may never boil, but it is less likely to catch fire.

IN LOVING MEMORY of LeRoy A. Kemp...

January 14, 2009:

LeRoy A. Kemp July 24, 1928 - January 13, 2010

LeRoy A. Kemp, 81, of S. Vanderkarr Rd., Barton, passed away while responding to the aid of others on January 13, 2010. LeRoy was born on July 24, 1928 in Smithboro, NY, a son of the late Olin and Hazel (Thompson) Kemp. He was a graduate of Owego High School Class of 1945 and for many years owned and operated Kemp's Poultry Farm with his family in Barton. On January 13, 1946 in Smithboro, he married the love of his life, Marion Aldrich, and together they have celebrated 64 years of happiness. Always willing to assist in a time of need, LeRoy was a lifetime member of the Tioga Center Fire and Emergency Departments, where he had served as Chief, EMT and Fire Police. In addition, he was Chairman of the Board for the Fire Commissioners and had assisted with the Tioga County Fire Investigation Team. He was a dedicated and well respected fireman who will be greatly missed by his community and his fellow members. LeRoy is survived by his wife, Marion; his daughters and sons-in-law, Susan and Gary Mandrino of New London, NC, Pamela and Richard Mott of Waverly, NY; a son and daughter-in-law, Milton and Nancy Kemp of Barton; brother-in-law, Edward Aldrich; sisters-in-law, Frances Gascon, Nelly Short, Betty Schmidt, Joann Rumsey, Florence Zimmerer and Julie Green; seven grandchildren, Roxann (Matthew) Galster, Karen Stewart, Michelle (Patrick Tart) Grimes, Andrea Grimes, Thomas (Melissa) Kemp, David (Brenda Hubbs) Kemp, and Sarah (Heath Bennett) Kemp; great grandchildren, Andy Garey, Samantha Stewart, Elizabeth, Catherine, Christopher and Benjamin Galster, Victoria Grimes, Kennedy and MacKenzie Hill. Several nieces, nephews and their families also survive. LeRoy was predeceased by his sister, Ella May Bill; and a sister-in-law, Adele Bettis.Family and friends are invited to attend a period of visitation and time of sharing memories on Saturday, January 16th, from 2-5 p.m. at the Nazarene Church, Route 17C, Owego, NY. A memorial service will be held on Sunday, January 17th, at 2 p.m. at the Nazarene Church with his nephew, Pastor Alan Bill and Rev. William Wells, officiating. Flowers will be provided by the family and memorial contributions are be directed to the Tioga Center Emergency Squad/Fire Dept., PO Box 185, Tioga Center, NY 13845 in loving memory of LeRoy A. Kemp. Memories and condolences may be shared by visiting our website at http://www.sutfinfuneralchapel.com/. Caring assistance is being provided by the Cooley Family of the Sutfin Funeral Chapel, 273 S. Main St., Nichols.

REF: Greater Binghamton Pressconnects

January 13, 2009:

In Memory of Leroy Kemp…

With the lost of Fire Fighter Leroy Kemp early today, our condolences, thoughts & prayers go out to the Family, Friends, and Members of the Tioga Center Fire Department. Leroy Kemp a 59-year Volunteer Fireman lost his life in the Line of Duty this morning while responding to an emergency ambulance call. Leroy Kemp, age 81, was killed in a fatal motor vehicle crash while responding to the Tioga Center Fire Station.

Leroy Kemp served in the Tioga Center Fire Department as a Fire Fighter and Ambulance Driver. A past Fire Chief of the Tioga Center Fire Department, he last served as the Chairman of the Tioga Fire District, Captain of the Fire Police and Company Chaplin. Leroy Kemp was also a retired member of the Tioga County Fire Investigation Team.

Leroy Kemp was a valued member of the Tioga Center Fire Company and will be deeply missed by his family, friends, the Tioga Center Fire Department, the Tioga County Fire Service and the community that he served so faithfully.

FD Memorial Maltese Cross by Vestal Fire Fighter Dave Hitt.