Chilly weather brings an added danger for a home heating equipment fire to happen. This month we will delve into preventing home heating fires. About half of all home heating fires occur in the months of December, January, and February. Having a good understanding of the fire triangle is essential in understanding fire. Each side of the triangle represents one of three components needed for a fire to happen: oxygen, fuel, and heat.
December holidays usually consist of family gatherings, Christmas tree lightings, holiday decorations and many other festivities and traditions. Unfortunately, it is also a time of increased risk for fire. Holiday fires can be linked to kitchen fires, dry Christmas trees, candles, and even faulty wiring of decorations. There are simple safety precautions you can take to avoid a visit from your local fire department and ensure that your December holidays are memorable, safe, and filled with joy.
Thanksgiving is a natural favorite for a November safety article. Holiday safety issues, like many safety issues involves a Who, What, Where and Why analysis. Who will be coming to your house? What are the special needs of your guests? What preparations are necessary to accommodate these special needs? Why is this accommodation important?
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has been in existence for over one hundred years and every year in October they designate a topic for National Fire Prevention Week. This year the topic is: “Smoke Alarms: Make them work for you.” The week is Sunday, October 6th through Saturday, October 12th.
Per the Cambridge Dictionary the definition of a fall is “to suddenly go down onto the ground or toward the ground without intending to or by accident.” The key to this definition is the word “accident” and most accidents are preventable. Anyone at any age can fall, however, per the CDC millions of people sixty-five and older fall more frequently. In the senior population, one of four fall and unfortunately once a person falls it doubles their chance of another.
As the outside temperatures rise, so do the news reports of accidental drownings. Any body of water can increase the risk of drowning. Drowning happens when a person’s nose and mouth are under water too long, making it impossible for them to breathe.
Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention drowning deaths in the United States have increased from 2020 to 2022. This statistic prompted a US National Water Safety Action Plan.
The July safety tips arrive in the setting of an unusually hot Southern Arizona summer. Recognition and prevention of harmful effects of extreme heat to people and pets will be our focus. Additionally, no summer safety article would be complete without discussing fire prevention and fireworks safety.
Extreme Heat is defined as a period of two days or longer, of temperatures above 90 degrees. Residents of Southern Arizona are exposed to extreme heat every summer. Let’s review how to prevent and respond to heat emergencies.
What a scary topic! As we all know, knowledge is power. The better educated we all are about what desert pests and snakes are in our environment, the safer we will all be. We will be reviewing the most common venomous desert pests and snakes in the southwest. How to recognize them, where to find them and what to do if bitten or stung.
Multiple factors in the recent past have contributed to an increase in the number of wildfires year-round: Fuel is readily available from timber, wild grasses, and brush. Temperatures favor wildfires in that both higher environmental temperatures and high velocity winds result in increased size, speed and intensity of fire spread.