Safety Tips

Calling 911
You should call 911 anytime there is a:

• Fire
• Serious medical condition
• Crime
• Any situation requiring immediate response from Fire, Police or Emergency Medical Personnel

Information for the Operator
The 911 Operator will need to know:

• Address of the emergency
• Phone number you are calling from
• Nature of the emergency

Carbon Monoxide (CO)
CO is an odorless, colorless, deadly gas. It can kill you before you know it because you can’t see it, taste it, or smell it. Some people may be more vulnerable to CO poisoning such as infants, children, senior citizens and those with heart or lung problems. CO can cause headaches, fatigue, nausea, dizzy spells, confusion and irritability. Later stages of CO poisoning can cause vomiting, loss of consciousness and eventually brain damage or death.

Fumes from automobiles contain high levels of CO. Appliances such as furnaces, space heaters, clothes dryers, ranges, ovens, water heaters, charcoal grills, fireplaces and wood-burning stoves produce CO. Carbon monoxide usually is vented to the outside if appliances function correctly and the home is vented properly. Problems occur when furnace heat exchangers crack or vents and chimneys become blocked. Insulation sometimes can trap CO in the home.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Russellville Fire Department recommend installing at least 1 carbon monoxide detector with an audible alarm near the bedrooms. If a home has more than one story, a detector should be placed on each story.

Tips

• Have a qualified professional check all fuel burning appliances, furnaces, venting, and chimney systems at least once a year.
• Never use your range or oven to help heat your home.
• Never keep a car running in the garage.

Electrical Safety

• Plug only 1 appliance into an extension cord.
• Don’t run extension cords across doorways or under carpets or pinch them under or behind furniture.
• Check all electric cords for cracks, frays, broken plugs and loose connections.
• Only 1 high wattage appliance should be plugged into a receptacle at a time.
• In homes with small children, use plastic safety covers in unused wall sockets.

Home Escape Plans

• Every home needs an escape plan. Use the Escape Plan Grid (PDF) for your home.
• Know 2 ways out of every room.
• Decide on a meeting place outside the home.
• Practice your escape plan.
• Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, including in or near all sleeping areas.
• Tell guests or visitors to your home about your plan.
• If windows or doors in your home have security bars, make sure that the bars have emergency release devices inside so that they can be opened immediately in an emergency.

Public Assembly
Are you prepared when you enter a public assembly building? Unexpected events such as fire, a chemical spill, an act of terrorism or other disaster can happen at any time. Any disaster can have lasting effects – people can be seriously injured, killed or costly property damage can occur. Some safety tips include:

• Before you enter: Does the building appear to be in good condition? Is the main entrance unobstructed? Do you have an outside meeting place?
• When you enter: Know your exits closest to you. Are they well lit? Is your exit path clear? Are there at least 2 clear exits? Make sure your exits are not blocked or chained. Report any violation to management and exit the building if it is not immediately addressed. Contact the local fire marshal to register a complaint.
• Feeling safe: Does the building appear to be overcrowded? Are there fire sources such as pyrotechnics?
• During an emergency: If an alarm sounds or you see smoke, fire or unusual disturbances, immediately and calmly exit the building. Use your closest exit.

Scooter, Bicycle & Pedestrian Safety

• Scooters, bikes, in-line skates and skateboards are associated with numerous injuries yearly.
• Wear a comfortable, properly fitted helmet bearing the label of an independent testing lab. Be sure that the helmet sits level on top of the head not rocking in any direction and always fasten the safety strap.
• Be sure that safety gear (wrist, elbow and knee pads) fit properly and does not interfere with the rider’s movement, vision or hearing. Wrist pads are not recommended for scooter riders as they may affect their ability to maneuver.
• Ride scooters and bikes only on smooth, paved surfaces and only ride during daylight hours.
• Learn the proper hand signals and use them when you turn or stop.
• Come to a complete stop before entering driveways, paths, or sidewalks, then look left, right and left again for bikes, cars or pedestrians heading your way.
• Teach crossing safety to children by example.

Seat Belt Safety
The Russellville Fire Department responds to numerous motor vehicle accidents annually. Unfortunately many of the victims of these accidents suffer injuries due to the lack of seat belt use. As annoying or uncomfortable as seat belts may be, they may well save the life of you or your loved one.

Myths About Seat Belts

• I don’t need a seat belt when driving at slow speeds or on short trips.
  • Fatalities have been recorded as slow as 12 miles per hour on non-belted occupants. Most crashes occur at speeds less than 40 miles per hour. Of all crashes, 75% occur within 25 miles from home.
• Seat belts are uncomfortable and too confining.
  • Seat belts are designed to allow motion around the vehicle. They are designed to activate immediately should a car come to a sudden halt. After regular use, seatbelts are very comfortable.
• If I wear a seat belt, I might get trapped in a burning car or caught in one underwater.
  • Less than 1 out of 200 traffic related incidents involve fire or water submersion. Even so, you’re much more likely to be knocked out and rendered unconscious if you are not wearing a belt. Your changes of escape are better while wearing a seat belt.
• I might be saved if I’m thrown clear of a car in a collision.
  • You are 25 times more likely to be killed in a crash when thrown from a vehicle. The force of an impact can throw you 150 feet…15 car lengths! Seat belts also prevent you from smashing your head into the windshield, which could cause spinal damage.
• When I see a collision happening, I’ll brace myself.
  • Crashes happen in the blink of an eye. It is impossible to prepare for crashes, and the forces generated are enormous.
• I don’t want to offend my passengers by telling them to buckle up.
  • Most people willingly put on seat belts if someone reminds them.

Smoke Alarms

• Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, including in or near all sleeping areas.
• Test smoke alarms once a month.
• Change batteries once a year, or when it chirps.
• Replace smoke alarms that are 10 years old or older.
• Don't disable smoke alarms even temporarily. If your smoke alarm is sounding "nuisance alarms," try relocating it farther from kitchens or bathrooms, where cooking fumes and steam can cause the alarm to sound.

Watching for Emergency Vehicles
When an emergency vehicle has its lights and siren on, it is responding to an emergency. It is your responsibility to:

• Pull to the right side of the road and stop until the emergency vehicle has passed.
• Give all emergency vehicles the right-of-way.
• Keep back at least 500 feet from an emergency vehicle when it is responding with lights and sirens.
• Do not drive over fire hoses.
• Drive carefully around an emergency scene.

Water Safety

• Extra caution should be used when around water, for children and adults.
• Only swim in approved areas.
• Always supervise children near water at all times and make sure that children learn to swim.
• Check the depth of the water with a lifeguard before jumping in.
• Always wear a US Coast Guard – approved PFD (personal floatation device) when boating, jet-skiing, tubing or water-skiing. Air-filled swimming aids, like water wings or inner tubes, are not substitutes for approved PFDs. An adult should always supervise children using these devices.
• Be sure to extinguish all smoking materials and shut down motors, fans and heating devices before fueling a boat.
• In case of a spill, wipe up fuel immediately and check the bilge for fuel leakage and odors.
• After fueling and before starting the boat’s motor, ventilate with the blower for at least 4 minutes.