Facts About Carbon Monoxide

Did you know that half of all fatal poisonings in the United States each year are caused by carbon monoxide? Half! In fact, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), over 10,000 people each year suffer from carbon monoxide poisoning, and tragically hundreds of them die. Because some symptoms of CO poisoning  can be similar to the flu, many victims are misdiagnosed. 

 

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Any home - new or old - can have a CO problem.

 
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Even appliances in good working order can produce dangerous levels of CO.

 
• Carbon monoxide poisoning can be prevented. With early detection, developing problems can usually be easily corrected.

 
• When you inhale carbon monoxide (CO), it robs your body of what you need most - oxygen. Exposure to enough CO can cause you to suffocate.

 
• Pregnant women, unborn babies, newborns, people with heart or respiratory problems, and the elderly may be more vulnerable to CO poisoning.

 
• Symptoms of mild exposure to carbon monoxide are similar to the flu. Many victims of CO poisoning are misdiagnosed.

 
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Carbon monoxide can sneak into your home through an attached garage, blocked vent or chimney.

 
• You can't see, smell or taste carbon monoxide.

 
 

 
 
Mild Exposure:
You might feel flu-like
symptoms, like slight
headaches, nausea,
vomiting and fatigue.

 
Moderate Exposure:
You might experience a throbbing headache,
drowsiness, confusion,
and a fast heart rate.

 
Extreme Exposure:
This can cause convulsions, unconsciousness or heart & lung failure. Prolonged
exposure can cause brain damage or death.

 

 
Carbon monoxide alarms often sound at night, so it's important everyone can hear and be awakened by the alarm if they are asleep. Where does your family sleep? Are all bedrooms located off the same hallway? If so, install your first CO alarm there. Test the alarm and make sure everyone can hear it from their bedroom or sleeping area.
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If bedrooms are located throughout your home, make sure there is a CO alarm in hearing distance from each bedroom.

 
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If family members sleep with their doors closed, install additional CO alarms inside each bedroom.
•
For added protection, you can install a CO alarm near (but not too close) to your furnace or other heating source. To help prevent unwanted alarms try to keep at least a 15-20 foot distance between the CO alarm and the heating appliance. (Remember, all fuel-burning appliances can produce some trace amounts of CO).
 
It's a good idea to have at least one CO alarm installed on every level of your home. The sooner you know there is a problem the sooner you can react!

 

 

Fire Extinguisher Tips
 
Portable fire extinguishers are extremely useful tools for putting out small fires when used in the correct manner. The following information will give you the knowledge to pick an extinguisher that will meet your particular needs, to install your extinguisher in the proper place, and to extinguish or contain a small fire.

 

Choosing a Portable Fire Extinguisher
It's As Easy As You're "ABC's"

     The labels on your portable fire extinguisher will let you know the type of fire that it will put out. These labels can be found on the side of your extinguisher.

 
Symbol on Fire Extinguisher
Description of materials extinguished by respective Class of Extinguisher.
Class A: Ordinary combustibles such as wood, cloth, paper, rubber, and many plastics... (material that produces Ashes)
Class B: Flammable liquids such as gasoline, oil, grease, tar, oil-based paint, solvents, lacquer, and flammable gas... (remember that liquids Boil)
Class C: Energized electrical equipment including wiring, fuse boxes, circuit breakers, machinery, and appliances... (anything that carries an electric Charge)
Class D: Combustible metals such as magnesium, titanium, or sodium. These types of fire are very dangerous and seldom handled by the general public... (in other words, Don't mess with it!)

 

 

  Number Rating 

     Fire extinguishers also have a number rating. For Type A fires, a 1 would stand for 1 1/4 gallons of water, a 2 would represent 2 1/2 gallons, 3 would be 3 3/4 gallons of water, etc. For Type B and Type C fire, the number represents square feet covered by the extinguisher. For example, 2 would be two square feet, 5 is five square feet, etc.

     Fire extinguishers are also made to extinguish more than one type of fire. For example, you might have an extinguisher with a label that reads 2A5B. This would mean this extinguisher is good for Type A fires with a 2 1/2 gallon equivalence and it is also good for Type B fires with a 5 square feet equivalency. A good extinguisher to have in each residential kitchen is a 2A10BC fire extinguisher. You might also get a Type A for the living room and bedrooms and an ABC for the basement and garage.

      Some portable extinguishers will show multiple labels with one or more of the labels crossed out with a line. These are only to be used for those types of fires indicated by labels that do not have a line through them.

Types of Extinguishers

 

     There are three main types of fire extinguishers available for use by the general population:

 
  • pressurized water (seldom used today),
  • carbon dioxide, and
  • multipurpose dry chemical.

NOTE: there are other specialty extinguishers that are available in specific locations for special hazards. These extinguishers include:

 
  • sodium bicarbonate based BC extinguishers for kitchen use,
  • halon extinguishers for use on computers and other sensitive electronic equipment, and
  • Metal X extinguishers for use on highly flammable metal fires.

Portable extinguishers should be installed within plain view and out of the reach of children. They should be near an escape route and always away from stoves and other heat sources.
Unless it is a disposable extinguisher, which should be replaced after each use, an extinguisher requires care. Follow your extinguishers operating instructions regarding its routine maintenance. Before purchasing an extinguisher, ask your dealer how often it should be inspected and serviced. NOTE: All rechargeable models must be serviced after each use.

Check your extinguisher gauge every month, making sure the needle is always in the green section of the gauge. If it is not, replace it or have it recharged. It is extremely important that the pin is always kept in the handle and only pulled out just before use. NOTE: Some pins are metal and others are plastic.

Alternate heating devices are the leading cause of fire deaths in the Southeastern U.S. The elderly and small children are the most vulnerable.

 

  • Maintain AT LEAST 3 feet of clearance between heat sources and combustibles like furniture.

  • Use alternative heating devices—electric space heater, kerosene heaters, wood stoves—only in well-ventilated areas. Follow manufacturers’ directions. For portable devices, make certain they are not subject to tipping over and/or have a shut-off switch if they do.

  • Use kerosene ONLY in kerosene heaters, and never fill them inside a building.

  • Use well-seasoned wood in wood-burning stoves and fireplaces. Never burn paper or gift wrapping in stoves and fireplaces.

  • Do not use extension cords to “create extra circuits” for electric blankets, mattress warmers, space heaters.

  • Make certain that your smoke detectors are working. You should have one on every level of your house and in all sleeping areas. 60% of fire fatalities occur in homes without a working smoke detector.

  • Plan exit drills from your home. Have a designated meeting place.

  • If you have fuel-burning appliances—gas furnace, wood stove, kerosene heater—make certain you also have a carbon monoxide (CO) detector.

  • Be careful about wearing lose clothing around heat sources like heaters and stoves.

  • Keep all heating devices away from holiday decorations.

For additional information, please contact Chief Pete Oakley or Asst. Chief Glen Storie At (413)-443-2321.
Fire Safety Tips Fire Safety Tips

1. Install 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 on every level of your home, including the basement, and outside each sleeping area. If you sleep with the door closed, install one inside your sleeping area as well.

Test detectors every month, following 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 unobstructed exits - 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 & 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 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.