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.”
Winter Fire Prevention Tips & Safety
HOLIDAY LIGHTS
Be sure all decorative lights, indoor and outdoor bear
the label of an independent testing laboratory. Replace any light sets that
have cracked or frayed cords or have loose connections. Do not overload
outlets or run extension cords under carpets, across doorways, on or under
heaters, or behind furniture. Unplug all decorative lights before leaving
home or going to bed.
FIREPLACES
Keep fire where it belongs - in the fireplace! Make sure
you have a screen large enough to catch flying sparks and rolling logs.
Clean your chimney regularly - creosote build-up can ignite your chimney,
roof and the whole house! Have your chimney inspected annually for damage
and obstructions. Store cooled ashes in a tightly sealed metal container.
Cardboard boxes and paper bags can quickly catch fire. Only burn materials
appropriate for a fireplace, never burn trash or paper, burning paper can
float up a chimney and onto your roof or into your yard.
FURNACES
Furnaces should have regular maintenance to operate
properly. Annual cleaning, inspection are recommended. As mentioned before,
have your chimney inspected and cleaned annually. Don’t use the oven for
heating!
SPACE HEATERS
Space heaters need their space! Keep combustibles at least
three feet away from each heater. When buying a heater, look for a
thermostat control mechanism and a switch that automatically shuts off the
power if the heater falls over. Heaters are not dryers or tables! Don’t dry
or store objects on top of your heater.
Safety is a top consideration when using space
heaters. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that more
than 25,000 residential fires every year are associated with the use of
space heaters, causing more than 300 deaths. An estimated 6,000 persons
receive hospital emergency room care for burn injuries associated with
contacting hot surfaces of room heaters, mostly in non-fire situations.
When buying and installing a small space heater, follow these guidelines:
- Only purchase newer model heaters that have all of
the current safety features. Make sure the heater has the Underwriter's
Laboratory (UL) label attached to it.
- Choose a thermostatically controlled heater, since
they avoid the energy waste of overheating a room.
- Select a heater of the proper size for the room
you wish to heat. Do not purchase oversized heaters. Most heaters come
with a general sizing table.
- Locate the heater on a level surface away from
foot traffic. Be especially careful to keep children and pets away from
the heater.
When buying and installing an electric space heater,
you should follow these general safety guidelines:
- Electric heaters should be plugged directly into
the wall outlet. If an extension cord is necessary, use a heavy-duty
cord of 14-guage wire or larger.
- For portable electric heaters, buy a unit with a
tip-over safety switch, which automatically shuts off the heater if the
unit is tipped over.
CANDLES
Always put candles in non-tip candleholders before you
light them, and do not burn candles near decorations or displays. Keep
candles well away from curtains, and never put candles in windows or near
exits. Never leave a room with a candle burning or within reach of small
children.
|
