LFD and LISD - Partners in Safety

The Lewisville Fire Department wants to remind drivers that school is back in session. Please be cautious in school zones and watch for pedestrians.

Walkers:

• Walk on the sidewalk when one is available, and facing traffic if forced to walk on the street.
• Stop fully and looking left and right – twice – to make sure there are no cars coming before crossing a road.
• Cross at crosswalks and make eye contact with drivers to ensure they are stopped.
• Avoid distractions, such as texting and loud music.

Bikes:

• Ride on the right side of the road, with traffic, in a single-file line.
• Stop completely before crossing a street, and walk the bike across the road.
• Wear properly fitting helmets and bright clothing.

Bus Riders:

• Stand 6 feet, or three giant steps, away from the curb.
• Avoid walking behind the bus or in other places the driver cannot see.
• Sit facing forward and remain seated as the wheels on the bus get rolling.
• Listen to the bus driver and report anything unusual, such as an unfamiliar adult or bullying.

Every year, over 430 people in the United States die from accidental carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.

CO is found in fumes produced by furnaces, kerosene heaters, vehicles “warmed up” in garages, stoves, lanterns, and gas ranges, portable generators, or by burning charcoal and wood. CO from these sources can build up in enclosed or partially enclosed spaces. People and animals in these spaces can be poisoned and can die from breathing CO. Others die from carbon monoxide produced while burning charcoal inside a home, garage, vehicle or tent.

How to recognize CO Poisoning:

The most common symptoms of CO poisoning are headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, chest pain and confusion. People who are sleeping or who have been drinking alcohol can die from CO poisoning before ever having symptoms.

Prevention Tips:

• Check or change the batteries in your CO detector every six months. If you don’t have a battery-powered or battery back-up CO detector, buy one soon.
• Have your heating system, water heater and any other gas, oil, or coal burning appliances serviced by a qualified technician every year.
• Keep vents and flues free of debris. Debris can block ventilation lines.
• Never leave the motor running in a vehicle parked in an enclosed or partially enclosed space, such as a garage.
• Never run a motor vehicle, generator, pressure washer, or any gasoline-powered engine less than 20 feet from an open window, door, or vent where exhaust can vent into an enclosed area.
• Never use a charcoal grill, hibachi, lantern, or portable camping stove inside a home, tent, or camper.
• Never run a generator, pressure washer, or any gasoline-powered engine inside a basement, garage, or other enclosed structure, even if the doors or windows are open.
• If you suspect CO poisoning, call 911 and get to fresh air.

What to do if your carbon monoxide detector/alarm sounds:

• Never ignore the alarm.
• Operate the reset button.
• Call 9-1-1.
• Immediately move to fresh air outdoors or by an open door/window.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Every year in the United States there are an estimated 4,000 fatal unintentional drownings and 8,000 nonfatal drownings. Additionally, more children ages 1-4 die from drowning than any other cause of death, and for children ages 5-14, drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death after motor vehicle crashes. Drowning happens in seconds and is often silent.

You can prevent drowning:

• Learn basic swimming and water safety skills.
• Build fences that fully enclose pools.
• Supervise closely.
• Wear a life jacket.
• Learn CPR.
• Know the risks of natural water.
• Avoid alcohol.
• Use the buddy system - never swim alone.
• Take additional precautions for medical conditions such as epilepsy.
• Consider the effects of medication.
• Don’t hyperventilate or hold your breath for a long time.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

As part of your family's routine, discuss your home escape plan in case of a fire or emergency. Below are some helpful tips:

• Post house numbers in a visible place: Numbers should be posted on the front of your home and in the rear when rear access is available. They should be clearly visible from the street and alley. For one and two-family dwellings, the numbers should be a minimum of three inches high and of a contrasting color, or reflective.
• Immediately leave the home and dial 9-1-1: Do not waste any time saving property. Take the safest exit route, but if you must escape through smoke, remember to crawl low under the smoke. Call 9-1-1 from a neighbor’s home.
• Know two ways out of each room: If the primary way is blocked by fire or smoke, you will need a second way out. This might be a window onto an adjacent roof or by using an escape ladder. Practice escaping in the dark. Make sure that windows are not stuck and screens can be taken out quickly.
• Feel the door: When you come to a closed door, use the back of your hand to feel the top of the door, the door knob, and the crack between the door and door frame to make sure that fire is not on the other side. If it feels hot, use your secondary escape route. Even if the door feels cool, open it carefully. If heat and smoke come in, slam the door and use an alternate escape route.
• Have an arranged meeting place: Use a fixed object such as a tree or mailbox in the front of your home or adjacent property. This will allow you to take an accurate headcount and no one will be hurt looking for someone who is already safe. Once you have the head count, designate one person to go to a neighbor’s home to phone the fire department (9-1-1).
• Once out, STAY OUT: Never go back into a burning building for any reason. If someone is missing, tell the firefighters. They are equipped to perform rescues safely.

Additional Resources available at National Fire Protection Association

Home fires occur more in winter than in any other season. As you stay cozy and warm, be fire smart.

Half of all home heating fires occur in December, January, and February.

1 in every 7 home fires and 1 in every 5 home fire deaths involves heating equipment.

Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet from any heat source, like fireplaces, wood stoves, radiators or space heaters.

Keep portable generators outside, away from windows, and as far away from your home as possible.

Install and test carbon monoxide alarms at least once a month.

Plug only 1 heat-producing appliance (like a space heater) into an electrical outlet at a time. 

Have a qualified professional clean and inspect your chimney and vents every year. 

Store cooled ashes in a tightly covered metal container, and keep it outside at least 10 feet from your home and any nearby buildings.

Source: National Fire Protection Association

Water Safety

Each year about 4,000 Americans drown. Approximately one-quarter of those who drown are under the age of 14. Drowning can be quiet. The misconception is that when someone is drowning they are yelling and thrashing in the water. Water safety experts say many, if not most, drownings are eerily quiet, which is why they can occur in a crowded lake or pool with no one noticing before it’s too late.

Some safety tips to follow for lake safety:

• An adult watching children in the water is a potential lifesaver and needs to be as alert and attentive as any lifeguard.
• Do not dive into unknown water. Neck and head injuries are a major hazard around the water.
• Do not drink alcoholic beverages around the water.
• Unlike car passengers, drunken boat passengers are at the same drowning risk as the driver.
• There should be a lifejacket for everyone in any kind of recreational boat.
• Make sure the lifejacket is accessible and the right size.
• The key to lifesaving is speed. Resuscitation efforts (CPR) should begin as soon as possible, even as the person is being pulled from the water.
• Check water conditions before you head to the lake. Plastic and foam flotation devices should not be used as anything more than the toys they are.

Have safety layers around your pool. This means:

Access doors to the pool area with high locks are a secondary layer of protection. Alarms on access doors are another layer of protection. A pool safety barrier (fence) separating the pool from your home and all access doors and entrances is one more layer of protection.

Water survival training for a child when he is capable of crawling or walking to the pool. CPR and your knowledge of rescue techniques are a final layer of protection should there be an accident.

More than 73% of burn injuries occur in the home.

Suggestions to help decrease the risk of a burn:

• Use the back burners of the stove and keep pot handles turned away from the edge to keep hot food and liquid out of reach of children.
• Have a “kid free zone” of at least 3 feet around the stove and areas where hot food or drink is prepared or carried.
• Keep hot drinks off of low tables and away from edges of countertops. Use a travel mug with a lid around children.
• Set water heaters at 120° F or just below the medium setting. Never leave a child unattended in the bathtub. Child’s bath water should not be higher than 104° F.

Source: American Burn Association

The most effective way to survive a house fire is to have functioning smoke alarms. When there is a fire, smoke spreads fast! Working smoke alarms give you an early warning so you can get outside quickly. Smoke alarms save lives! Almost two-thirds of home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms. House fires burn faster and hotter than ever. Modern home design and furnishings contribute to faster burning fires. Forty years ago, you would have 17 minutes to get out of a house on fire. Today, you have three minutes or less. 

There are two types of smoke alarms: (It is best to use both types of smoke alarms in your home).

• Ionization smoke alarms are quicker to warn about flaming fires.
• Photoelectric smoke alarms are quicker to warn about smoldering fires. 

Safety Tips:

• Install smoke alarms inside and outside each bedroom and sleeping area.
• Install smoke alarms on every level of your home.
• It is best to use interconnected smoke alarms. When one smoke alarm is activated, they all sound the alarm.
• People who are deaf or hearing-impaired should use smoke alarms with bed shakers and/or strobe lights.
• Replace smoke alarms when they are ten years old. Older smoke alarms use a 9 volt battery and should be replaced every six months.
• Smoke alarms should be placed on the ceiling or high on the wall. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for placement.
• Test all smoke alarms once a month.  Press the test button to be sure the smoke alarms are working.