It is important for the citizens of Plano to know that City ordinance states by law the possession, manufacture, storage, sale, handling and use of fireworks is prohibited within the City of Plano.  Fireworks are defined as any device for the purpose of producing a visible or an audible effect for entertainment purposes that is activated by ignition with a match or other heat-producing device.

The National Fire Protection Association has a very informative Fireworks fact sheet on their website that outlines and highlights the dangers of fireworks.  Review it at http://www.nfpa.org/assets/files//PDF/fireworksfactsheet.pdf/.  The website also has video stories of people who have learned the hard way about the dangers of consumer fireworks.

If you have any questions concerning fire and life safety information please contact the Plano Fire Department at 972-941-7421 or peggyha@plano.gov.

Home Safety Month focuses on five major safety topics:
1. preventing poisonings
2. being smart around water
3. preventing falls
4. preventing choking and suffocation
5. preventing fires and burns

Follow these safety tips concerning each topic!

Prevent Falls
• Have grab bars in the tub and shower.
• Have bright lights over stairs and steps and on landings.
• Have handrails on both sides of the stairs and steps.
• Use a ladder for climbing instead of a stool or furniture.
• Use baby gates at the top and bottom of the stairs if babies or toddlers live in or visit your home.

Prevent Poisonings
• Lock poisons, cleaners, medications and all dangerous items in a place where children can’t reach
them.
• Keep all cleaners in their original containers.  Do not mix them together.
• Use medications carefully.  Follow the directions.  Use child resistant lids.
• Call the Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222 if someone takes poison.  This number will connect
you to emergency help in your area.

Prevent Fires and Burns
• Have working smoke alarms and hold fire drills.  If you build a new home, install fire sprinklers.
• Stay by the stove when cooking, especially when you are frying food.
• Keep space heaters at least three feet away from anything that can burn.  Turn them off when you
leave the room or go to sleep.
• If you smoke, smoke outside.  Use deep ashtrays and put water in them before you empty them.  Lock matches and lighters in a place where children can’t reach them.
• Only light candles when an adult is in the room.  Blow the candles out if you leave the room or go to sleep.

Prevent Choking and Suffocation
• Things that can fit through a toilet paper tube can cause a young child to choke.  Keep coins, latex balloons and hard round foods, such as peanuts and hard candy, out of children’s reach.
• Place children to bed on their backs.  Don’t put pillows, comforters or toys in cribs.
• Clip the loops in window cords and place them up high where children can’t get them.
• Read the labels on all toys, especially if they have small parts.  Be sure that your child is old enough to play with them.
• Tell children to sit down when they eat and to take small bites.

Be Smart Around Water
• Stay within an arm’s length of children in and around water.  This includes bathtubs, toilets, pools and spas—even buckets of water.
• Put a high fence all the way around your pool or spa.  Always keep the gate closed and locked.
• Empty large buckets and wading pools after using them.  Keep them upside down when not in use.
• Make sure your children always swim with a grownup.  No child or adult should swim alone.
• Keep your hot water at or below 120°F degrees to prevent burns.

The Home Safety Council has launched its new, interactive home injury prevention teaching tool, MySafeHome.org. The Site invites visitors into a virtual home, identifying major risk areas, room-by-room, indoors and out, and presents key safety devices and preparedness plans.  If you have any questions concerning fire and life safety information please contact the Plano Fire Department at 972-941-7421 or peggyha@plano.gov.

In Texas, about 300 people drown each year and for each child who drowns it is estimated that four children are hospitalized for near-drowning.  Near-drowning is defined as survival after submersion in fluid.

The ease with which a child can experience a near-drowning or actually drown is frightening.  One inch of water covering a child’s mouth and nose can cause drowning.  Any standing water is a danger but specific risks include home pools, spas, ponds, natural bodies of water, bathtubs, toilets and buckets.

The Home Safety Council and the American Red Cross, along with the Plano Fire Department, urge you to take the following basic safety precautions around water outdoors and in the home.

• Watch your children in and around water.  Assign a “Water Watcher,” an adult who knows how to swim, to watch over children in the pool during parties and gatherings.  Make sure this person takes this responsibility seriously and does not leave his or her duty until relieved by another adult.
• Instruct babysitters and other caretakers (like grandparents) about potential pool hazards and emphasize the need for constant supervision.
• Place a phone, a lifesaving ring and a shepherd’s hook at pool side.  It is important to post the address of the home near the pool as well in case a guest is responsible for calling 9-1-1 in an emergency.
• All family members 13 years and older should learn CPR.
• Remember that nobody is drown proof!  Do not assume that your child is safe just because he or she has taken swimming lessons.
• Do not use floatation devices as a substitution for supervision.
• When on large bodies of water like a lake or river children and adults should always wear personal floatation devices or life jackets.  The life jacket should fit snugly.
• The home should be isolated from the pool with a fence at least 60” tall, with a self-closing, self-latching gate.  The gate should open away from the pool and should never be propped open.
• Doors and windows should be alarmed to alert adults when opened.  Doors should be self-closing and self-latching as well.
• Remove toys from in and around the pool when not in use.
• If a child is missing, check the pool first.  Seconds count!
• Always supervise young children during bath time.  Baby bath seats are not a safety device and should never be substituted for adult supervision.
• Never leave standing water in the bathtub and keep toilet lids shut.  Use toilet seat locks.
• Empty large buckets and wading pools after using them.  Keep them upside down when not in use.

All the fire safety agencies agree!  Cooking is the leading cause of home fires and attention to safety can prevent nearly all cooking fires.
The kitchen is where the majority of families like to gather and spend time together.  It can, however, be one of the most dangerous rooms in the home if you are not aware of and practice safe cooking behaviors.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the Home Safety Council (HSC), and the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) all agree that cooking was involved in an estimated 146,400 home structure fires in the United States in 2005.  Cooking fires accounted for 40 percent of the home structure fires in 2005 and these cooking fires resulted in 480 deaths, 4,690 injuries, and $876 million in direct property damage.

A report compiled by the NFPA, Home Fires Involving Cooking Equipment, states that cooking equipment left unattended was a factor in ignition in 38 percent of home structure fires for 2002-2005.  The next closest contributing factor was combustibles too close to a heat source and then equipment being unintentionally turned on or not turned off.

With a little attention and some safety behavior changes, these fires could be prevented.  Cooking fires peak between 5 and 7 pm with extra cooking, as on major US holidays, often meaning extra home cooking fires.  Typically, more cooking fires occur on Thanksgiving than on any other day of the year.

Some consistent safety tips from the three agencies include:

• Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling, or broiling food.  If you leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove.
• If you are simmering, baking, roasting, or boiling food, check it regularly, remain in the home while food is cooking, and use a timer to remind you that you are cooking.
• Stay alert!  To prevent cooking fires you have to be alert.  You won’t be if you are sleepy, have been drinking alcohol, or have taken medicine that makes you drowsy.
• Keep anything that can catch fire—potholders, oven mitts, wooden utensils, paper or plastic bags, boxes, food packaging, towels or curtains—away from your stovetop.
• Keep the stovetop, burners, and oven clean.
• Keep pets off cooling surfaces and nearby countertops to prevent them from knocking things onto the burner.
• Wear short, close fitting or tightly rolled sleeves when cooking.  Loose clothing can dangle onto stove burners and catch fire if it comes in contact with a gas flame or electric burner.
• Always turn pot handles inward to prevent small children from reaching and pulling down a hot pot or pan.

If you have any questions concerning fire and life safety information please contact the Plano Fire Department at 972-941-7421 or peggyha@plano.gov .

Children are more at risk for tap water scalds because:

People of all ages can be burned by liquid at 140 degrees Fahrenheit in as few as thirty seconds.  It takes only five seconds for a young child to be injured by 140 degree liquid; and only one second at 160 degrees.  According to a Home Safety Council survey of American parents, 71.5 percent of those surveyed did not know the correct setting for their hot water heater which is 120 degrees.
Follow this simple advice from the Home Safety Council and the Plano Fire Department to help reduce the risk of scald injuries at home:
• Set your water heater at 120 degrees Fahrenheit or less.  On the appliance this setting will be just below the MEDIUM setting.
• Test the water before your children get into the tub.
• Always start and finish with cold water when filling the bathtub.
• Face your child away from the taps to reduce the risk of the taps being turned on.
• When children are in the tub, watch them closely.
• Install special tub spouts and shower heads that prevent hot water burns to avoid injury to babies and young children with delicate skin.
• When drinking hot drinks, keep them away from the edge of tables and counters so children cannot reach them.
• Avoid drinking hot drinks when you are holding a young child.  Using a “travel mug” with a tight-fitting lid can help reduce a hot spill if the beverage tips over.
 

How do I find out just how hot my water is at the faucet?

Cooking-related scalds are preventable.

Treat a minor burn injury immediately with cool running water for three to five minutes.  Do not apply ice which can harm the skin.  Do not apply butter or lotions that can keep the skin temperature hot, increasing the injury.  Apply a sterile bandage to the injured area.
If the scald is serious, get medical attention fast.

If you have any questions concerning fire and life safety information please contact the Plano Fire Department at 972-941-7421 or peggyha@plano.gov.

Gasoline, when ignited in a controlled manner to power engines, serves a very useful purpose.  Because it is so commonplace we sometimes take its presence for granted.  It is important to remember, however, that the same quality of explosive ignition that makes gasoline to valuable as a fuel can cause terrible life-threatening injuries when it is handled carelessly or in a manner for which it is not intended.

Gasoline and flammable liquid-related burns are a preventable problem!

It is estimated that in the United States each year:
• There are a total of over 140,000 gasoline-related fires, including 120,000 vehicles (most unoccupied, fortunately).
• There are over 6,000 gasoline-related residential fires.
• About 500 people die from gasoline-related injuries.
• Thousands of people visit hospital emergency rooms and/or are hospitalized for gasoline-related injuries.
• Nearly $500 million in direct property damage costs are incurred due to gasoline-related fires.

There are two simple rules regarding gasoline:
1. Gasoline has only ONE function: to fuel an engine.  Never use gasoline as a cleaning fluid or solvent.
2. Gasoline should never be used or stored indoors or in close proximity to sources of heat or flame.

Most gasoline injuries are avoidable through proper use and storage of gasoline.

Gasoline Use:

• Do use gasoline only to fuel an engine.
• Do remember that gasoline vapors can be ignited by a spark, flame, or other source of heat that is located many feet away.
• Don’t use gasoline to light a barbecue grill or to start or accelerate a fire.
• Don’t use gasoline as a cleaning fluid or solvent.

Handling Gasoline:

• Do handle gasoline in a responsible manner.
• Do remember that an engine that is still warm can ignite gasoline vapors.  Only add gasoline when an engine is completely cool.
• Don’t allow children to touch gasoline or a gasoline container, even under supervision.
• Don’t handle gasoline near a flame source such as matches, lighters, pilot lights on stoves and water heaters.
• Don’t use gasoline indoors.
• Don’t siphon gasoline by mouth.  It is harmful or fatal if swallowed.
• Don’t induce vomiting if gasoline is swallowed.  Instead, seek medical attention.
• If gasoline is spilled on clothes, remove them immediately.  Place clothing outdoors for several days before washing and drying so the gasoline vapors can evaporate.

Storing Gasoline:

• Do store gasoline only in an approved gasoline container.
• Do store gasoline in a well-ventilated outside storage area that is not attached to your home, such as a shed or garage, preferably in a locked cabinet.  Be sure there are no ignition sources nearby.
• Do place the gasoline container out of reach of children.
• Don’t store gasoline in a glass jar, milk jug, or any other non-approved container.
• Don’t store gasoline near a source of heat or sparks, such as a water heater, furnace, clothes dryer or any appliance that uses a pilot light.

About Gasoline Containers:

• Do check gasoline containers for compliance with the ASTM F852 standard which establishes performance requirements for portable gasoline containers intended for use by consumers.  This compliance is indicated in writing on either side or the underside of all approved plastic gasoline containers.
• Don’t put anything other than gasoline in a gasoline container.
• Don’t drink anything out of a gasoline container.

A children’s coloring book about gasoline safety can be downloaded at the following link: http://www.shrinershq.org/files/baw/pdf/coloring_book_pdf.pdf

Heating equipment, especially portable and space heaters, fireplaces and wood stoves, require careful use and proper maintenance.  Together, the Plano Fire Department, Lowe’s and the Home Safety Council offer the following tips to help families prevent fire- and burn-related injuries during the winter months.

Portable Space Heaters

•    Purchase electric space heaters that bear the mark of an independent testing laboratory, such as UL, ETL, CSA, etc.
•    Place space heaters at least three feet away from anything that can burn—including furniture, people, pets and window treatments.
•    Turn off space heaters before leaving a room or going to sleep.
•    Supervise children and pets at all times when a portable space heater is in use.
•    Never use space heaters to dry clothing or blankets.

Fireplaces and Wood Stoves

•    Burn only seasoned hardwood—not trash, cardboard boxes, or Christmas trees.  These items burn unevenly, may contain toxins, and increase the risk of uncontrolled fires.
•    Have a professional chimneysweep inspect chimneys annually for cracks, blockages and leaks.  Have your chimneys cleaned and repaired as needed.
•    Keep all persons, pets and flammable objects, including kindling, bedding, clothing, at least three feet away from fireplaces and wood stoves.
•    Open flues before fireplaces are used.
•    Use sturdy screens or doors to keep embers inside fireplaces.
•    Install at least one smoke alarm on every level of your home and inside or near sleeping areas.
•    Keep young children away from working wood stoves and heaters to avoid contact burn injuries.

Carbon Monoxide (CO) Poisoning Precautions

Carbon monoxide is commonly known as “the silent killer.”  It is colorless, odorless, and tasteless—none of your senses can detect it.  CO claims the lives of nearly 300 people in their homes each year according to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).  CO is a potentially deadly gas that is produced by fuel-burning heating equipment, such as furnaces, wood stoves, fireplaces, and kerosene heaters.  Follow these guidelines to help keep your family safer.

•    Install at least one CO alarm near sleeping areas.
•    Have a trained professional inspect, clean, and tune-up your home’s central heating system and repair leaks or other problems; fireplaces and woodstoves should also be inspected each year and cleaned or repaired as needed.
•    Keep gas appliances properly adjusted and serviced.
•    Never use an over or range to heat your home.
•    Never use a gas or charcoal grill inside your home or in a closed garage.
•    Portable electric generators must be used outside only.  Never use them indoors, in a garage, or in any confined area that can allow CO to collect.  Follow usage directions closely.

Power Outage Precautions:  Lighting Sources and Perishable Food

•    Stock up on batteries, flashlights, portable radios, canned foods, manual can openers, bottled water and blankets.
•    Use flashlights or battery-operated lanterns instead of candles to avoid a possible fire hazard.
•    Run water at a trickle to help prevent pipes from freezing and bursting if outside temperatures are below freezing for an extended period of time and your home has no heat.
•    Store perishable food outside or in an unheated outside building if power goes out for an extended period of time.

If you have any questions concerning fire and life safety information please contact the Plano Fire Department at 972-941-7421 or peggyha@plano.gov.

Does your family have a Home Safety Checklist?  Smoke Alarms   Fire Extinguishers   Carbon Monoxide Alarm  Poison Control   Fire Safety   Escape Plan Click here to download and print a Home Safety Checklist for your family