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Vidalia Fire Department

Fire Prevention
Vidalia Fire Department
Fire Prevention Department
604 John Dale Drive - Vidalia, La. 71373
Phone (318) 336-6262
Captain Tim Vanier - Fire Prevention
Assistant Chief Adams - Arson Investigator


Assistant Chief Adams
Captain Vanier
The Vidalia Fire Department is a proud
participant in the
To Hell And Back
Fire Prevention and Juvenile Fire Setter
Program
For More Information Please email Lt. Vanier

The Vidalia Fire Department
Offers Community Burn Education Program
To Hell and Back program
teaches the reality of burn injuries and prevention
Sustaining
a severe burn is one of the most painful and devastating injuries a body
can endure. More than 250,000 of burn injuries occur every year in the
United States and more than 10 percent of those injuries result in
death. The Vidalia Fire Department is working to lower those statistics
by first changing behaviors in our own community through a new
nationally recognized and distributed burn education and prevention
program called To Hell and Back: Community Awareness.
The
program is geared for adults and high school students and is the first
of its kind offering “reality TV” on what happens to the skin when a
burn injury occurs and the life-long impact of severe burn injuries.
Using real life experiences of burn survivors, the program was developed
by The People’s Burn Foundation and a national team of fire service
experts to ultimately teach the importance of being proactive in
practicing burn prevention. It is a free program funded with an
Assistance to Firefighters Grant through the Department Homeland
Security.
“I thought
this program was a great reality check,” said one high school student
during pilot site testing. “I always knew about burns, but never the
severe physical, mental, social, and financial consequences. I believe
this program will be good for all high school students.”
“I believe
this is ‘must see TV’ for every high school student, parent and adult in
our community,”. “It is graphic and powerful, and it is the reality of
burn injuries. Our community is fortunate to have this program available
because it will save lives.”
“I thought
the program gave a good look at what it would be like to be a burn
victim,” said one high school student. “Following the recovery of four
severely burned people made it more real and helped us understand burn
care and prevention. It makes me thankful for everything I can do and
will do to make myself and others more cautious about preventing burns
in the future.”
Another student said: “The video did a
great job of explaining the sequence of events with helping and caring
for burn victims. From a science standpoint, the explanation of the
layers of skin and how they are affected was great. Hopefully this DVD
will help others think about the consequences of playing with fire and
why it is important not to be burned.”

Fireworks Safety Tips
Fireworks is one of the greatest American traditions in celebration.
If you and your family follow these fireworks safety tips we can keep this
tradition fun and safe for not only those lighting the fireworks but also
your audience.
-
CHILDREN SHOULD
NOT HANDLE FIREWORKS.
NEVER LET CHILDREN HANDLE, PLAY WITH, OR LIGHT ANY FIREWORKS. ONLY
ADULTS SHOULD HANDLE AND LIGHT THE FIREWORKS. The fireworks are great
family fun, but they burn very hot and are intended to be handled only
by adults.
-
DO NOT USE ALCOHOL
WITH FIREWORKS.
Please do not consume any alcohol while lighting or handling any
fireworks. Fireworks must be used only by individuals who act in a
responsible manner and who are not under the influence of alcohol or
drugs. If you are impaired in any way when you use fireworks, you
increase the possibilities of misuse and injury to yourself and others.
-
FOLLOW THE LAWS;
USE COMMON SENSE
Follow your local and state laws regarding the possession and use of
fireworks, and use good common sense when using fireworks. Read all
directions, cautions, labels, and warnings on each individual firework
item to understand the product performance and hazards associated with
the use of the item. If your state has shooters' sites, use them. Use
only those fireworks permitted under the laws of the state and local
jurisdiction in which you are using the fireworks.
-
USE FIREWORKS ON A
HARD SURFACE.
Always light fireworks on a hard, flat, and level surface to insure the
stability of the items. Grass is generally not suitable for any item
intended to be used in an upright position. (If lighting fireworks on
grass, lay down a flat wooden board for a shooting surface.)
-
USE IN A CLEAR,
OPEN AREA.
Always keep the audience (and particularly children) a safe distance
away from the shooting site. Always light your fireworks in a clear open
area away from buildings, vehicles, and shrubbery. A minimum clear
radius of 30 feet for fountains and other ground based items and 100
yards for any aerial product is recommended. You should avoid lighting
the fireworks in any area where there is dry grass or brush that could
catch fire or near any flammable items. Never use fireworks indoors.
Never shoot fireworks in metal or glass containers.
-
KEEP CLEAR OF THE
FIREWORKS.
Never put your head or any part of your body over the top of any
fireworks product. Never look into a tube to check on the firework item.
Never hold a lighted firework item in your hand. Keep as far from the
firework item as possible when lighting.
-
USE
CARE IN LIGHTING THE FIREWORKS.
Always light fireworks products with punk, a Phantom Pyro Torch, a flare
or an extended butane lighting device. This will enable you to keep as
far from the firework item as possible. If needed, use a flashlight at
night so the fuse can be easily seen; never use a lantern or other flame
producing device near fireworks for illumination. Light the fireworks
product and get away quickly. Respect the fireworks, because if used
improperly, they can be dangerous.
-
ONE AT A TIME.
Light only one firework item at a time.
-
DON'T USE
MALFUNCTIONING OR "DUD" ITEMS.
Never attempt to re light, alter, or fix any "dud" firework item. If a
firework item fails to ignite, let it stand for at least five minutes,
then immerse it in water. Dispose of the item properly. You can always
return the item to your Phantom dealer for replacement.
-
HAVE WATER CLOSE
BY.
Have an accessible fire extinguisher, water supply, hose, or bucket of
water nearby for emergencies. During any fireworks shoot, there should
always be one individual assigned as the fireman, whose sole job is to
be alert and at the ready with a water source.
-
WINDY CONDITIONS.
Be cautious of lighting any fireworks during strong wind conditions. The
fireworks should be lit with the prevailing wind blowing away from the
spectators. If there is a significant wind shift during the time you are
lighting the fireworks, the shooting site should be rearranged to
accommodate the wind shift or the shooting should be stopped until the
windy conditions subside.
-
USE CARE IN
HANDLING FIREWORKS.
Do not carry fireworks in your pocket or on your person. It is
preferable to keep the products in a closed container before ignition.
Always be careful in handling fireworks to prevent dropping them. Never
smoke when handling fireworks.
-
NEVER USE THE
FIREWORKS AS WEAPONS.
Never aim, point, or throw any fireworks at another person or at any
property.
-
STORAGE OF
FIREWORKS.
Always store fireworks in a cool, dry place and dispose of fireworks
properly.
-
USE FIREWORKS
OUTDOORS.
Never use fireworks indoors; only use them outdoors under safe
conditions.
Smoke Detector Maintenance/Installation
Smoke alarms contribute significantly to a families
ability to escape from smoke and heated gases in the event of a fire by
detecting the presence of smoke before the fire has spread through
out the house. Flames, heated gases, and smoke move quickly through
a residence reducing your chance of escape and visibility greatly.
Statistics show that most residence fires occur during the night between
the hours of 12:00 and 8:00, while your family is sleeping. Against
popular belief your family will not be awaken by smoke or heat from a
fire, the dangerous gases puts you into a deeper sleep.
Every home needs devices through out your home that
will alert you to these dangerous conditions giving you and you and your
family time to evacuate the residence to safety.
Choosing A Smoke Detector For Your
Home
There are many different brands of smoke detectors
to chose from that are inexpensive but adequate. Whatever brand of
smoke detector that you choose be sure to check for the Underwriters
Laboratory or Factory Mutual approval tag. Please read the owners
manual carefully for installation, maintenance, and testing procedures.
If you have any questions regarding your
smoke
detector feel free to call your local fire department for assistance.
Number of Smoke Detectors Needed For
Your Home
Every home should have a smoke detector
outside each sleeping area to awaken any member of your family in the
instance of a fire. It is not recommended that you place smoke
detectors in the kitchen area of your home due to the heat, steam, and
smoke from normal cooking will cause multiple false alarms It is
recommended however that you install a heat detector in the kitchen area
of your home. If you live in a multiple story home, it is also
recommended that you install a smoke detector on each level of your home,
and in each bathroom of your home.
Where And How Should I Install My New
Detector
-
If you prefer to rent instead of own your home,
the owner is responsible for installation.
-
Only a screw driver and drill is required to install a
smoke detector.
-
Heated smoke rises, so your new detector should be
mounted high on the wall or on the ceiling.
-
Your new detector should be mounted 4" to 12" from the
ceiling if you decide to mount it on the wall.
-
Your new detector should be mounted a minimal of 4"
from the wall if you decide to mount it on the ceiling..
-
To be sure that smoke is not pulled from your detector
do not mount it near air vents if possible.
Properly Maintain Your Detector To
Assure Performance
-
DO NOT PAINT YOUR SMOKE DETECTOR under any
circumstance.
-
Replace your batteries at least twice a year to assure
proper performance when needed
-
Test your detectors weekly. Simply push the test
button and hold for 2-3 seconds until alarm is activated. If alarm
does not activate replace batteries and repeat process, if no alarms
sounds at this point replace and discard your smoke detector
-
Keep your detector free from dust, spider webs, and
other debris. Keep locations of detectors clean and dust free as
possible.
-
Replace your detectors at least every ten years, and
discard old detectors properly
Outdoor Grilling Safety Tips
With
the warm weather of summer, the aroma of outdoor grills is prevalent in
the air. Here are some outdoor grilling tips to keep your pastimes
running smooth and free of injury and harm and to keep you the popular man
with your friends and neighbors.
Gas Grill Safety Tips
-
Make sure that your hoses are free of cracks, leaks, holes and sharp
bends that could cause damage or breaks.
-
Keep your hoses as for as possible from leaking hot greases and from
the heat of the grill.
-
Never store your spare propane cylinders beneath the grill, always
keep your spare cylinder in a cool and open area.
-
Never place your propane cylinder in areas such as the trunk of a
car, especially during the warmer days of summer. As the heat
increases inside the trunk of a car the gaseous propane inside the
cylinder expands. Once the gas has expanded beyond the capacity of
the cylinder the pressure relief valve will begin to discharge the
excess pressure.
-
Always keep you propane cylinders in the upright position.
-
Under no circumstance should you store any other flammable liquids
such as gas or kerosene near your grill.
-
Check your igniters on your grill regularly for consistent sparking.
If your igniter is not functioning properly it could allow the release
of propane into the air thus causing an explosion.
-
Never bring propane cylinders inside of your home or attempt to use
an outdoor grill inside of your home.
Charcoal Grill Safety Tips
-
Never add lighter fluid to the grill once the coals have been
ignited
-
Avoid horseplay around the grill and keep children a safe distance
from the grill.
-
Never burn charcoal inside of tents, campers, vehicles, or homes.
-
Charcoal should never be used inside your home, no matter how proper
you may think your ventilation is.
-
Charcoal produces CO while being burned. Carbon Monoxide is a
odorless, colorless gas that can cause serious illness and even death if
used in an enclosed area.
-
Never store a charcoal grill indoors with freshly burned coals
remaining inside the grill. If storing indoors be sure to properly
discard the used coals and rinse grill completely.
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