Tag Archives: safety tips

Fire Chief Offers Holiday Safety Tips

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By Christopher P. DeNaples
Fire Chief, Dunmore Fire Department

Every year there are house fires and injuries reported, as a result of improper set up of indoor and out door Christmas decorations. The following tips can prevent some of this incidents. The last thing we should worry about during the holiday season is a fire or injury, that can be prevented by just having some situational awareness.

When decorating outdoors some items to keep in mind are:

  1. Use extension cords and decorations that are recommenced for outdoor use by the manufacturer.
  2. Make sure all outdoor extension cords and decorations are plugged into a receptacles that is protected by Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI’s)
  3. Check all new/reused decorations and extension cords for damage before plugging in.
  4. Keep all decorations, lights and extension cords free of standing water or snow.
  5. Keep all spotlights and any decoration that produces heat clear of flammable items and in well ventilated areas.
  6. Use fiberglass ladders that are in good condition when decorating outdoors, metal ladders conduct electricity.
  7. Use the proper size ladder for the height you need.
  8. Keep yourself and any equipment you are using to decorate at least 10 feet from any power lines.
  9. Do not mount/secure decorations or extension cords in a manner that will cause damage to the cord or decoration.

When picking a Christmas tree and indoor decorations keep in mind:

  1. Purchase lights and decorations that require electricity from a reputable retailer.
  2. When possible use LED lights, which use less energy and run cooler than traditional incandescent lights.
  3. Do not overload any receptacles/circuits, per-plan before placing decorations in accordance with the number and locations or receptacles.
  4. Always follow the manufacturers use and care instructions for all electrical decorations and extension cords.
  5. Make sure that extension cords are not pinched in doors, windows or are under furniture or heavy objects; this can cause damage to the cords.
  6. Do not mount or secure decorations or power cords in a manner that will cause damage to the cord or decoration.

When choosing, decorating and caring for a real Christmas tree:

  1. Choose a tree with fresh green needles that do not fall off when touched.
  2. Make sure the tree is a least three feet away from any heat source.
  3. Place tree in an area that it is not blocking an exit.
  4. Add water to the tree stand daily.
  5. Use lights that are inspected and make sure all bulbs are tight.

Any indoor/outdoor electrical decorations, as well as extension cords should not be used if they are not Underwriter Laboratories (UL) listed, which can be found on the tag or label. There has been some fraudulent labeling, if you have any doubt that your item may be incorrectly labeled (UL) you can send an email with a photo of the label to UL at Market.Surveillance@UL.com.

Both indoor/outdoor decorations should be turned off before going to bed or leaving your home. Many of the safety recommendations listed in the article are based off literature from the National Fire Protection Assocation (NFPA), which are meant to prevent fire and injuries that are found to cause most incidents regarding Christmas decorations nationally.  

Have a safe and happy holiday season!

Governor and PennDot Prepares for Winter Season

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511With the winter season approaching, Governor Tom Wolf has announced that a new online tool is available to inform the public of Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) operations this winter. He made the announcement in conjunction with a news conference that PennDOT Secretary Leslie S. Richards held today outlining the agency’s plans for winter services, and sharing job opportunities and driver preparation tips.

New this winter, the public can view a color-coded map of when each of the nearly 40,000 miles of state-maintained roadway was last plowed by visiting the www.511PA.com plow trucks section. The information is the latest enhancement made possible by PennDOT’s Automated Vehicle Location (AVL) technology, which uses units in each of the more than 2,200 department-owned and rented plow trucks to send a cellular signal showing truck locations.

The AVL program, started in 2014, is part of Governor Tom Wolf’s GO-TIME initiative that leverages inter-agency coordination and collaboration to maximize efficiency, modernize state government operations, and provide the highest quality services.

During the news conference at the PennDOT maintenance facility in Norristown, Montgomery County, Richards noted that PennDOT is actively seeking approximately 480 temporary equipment operators statewide for the winter season to supplement the department’s full-time staff. Details on minimum requirements, such as possession of a CDL, as well as application information, are available at www.employment.pa.gov. Through the same website, job seekers can apply for seven other types of non-operator, winter positions such as diesel and construction equipment mechanics, welders, clerks and more.

In discussing PennDOT’s readiness for the season ahead, Richards said that the department has compiled its information about winter services and winter-driving resources for motorists at www.penndot.gov/winter. The site also has a complete winter guide with detailed information about winter services in each of PennDOT’s 11 engineering districts.

snowThe 40,000 miles for which PennDOT is responsible translates into 96,000 snow-lane miles — enough miles to circle the globe nearly four times. A snow-lane is calculated as the miles of road multiplied by the number of lanes, which means a one-mile section of four-lane roadway would equal four snow-lane miles.

The department maintains roughly the same number of miles maintained by the state in New York, New Jersey and all of the New England states combined.

 When winter weather hits, PennDOT’s primary focus is on interstates and expressways, and equipment may be redirected to those routes during significant winter events. The more traffic a roadway has, the more attention it will receive from plows, so motorists may find deeper accumulations on less-traveled routes and should adjust their driving for those conditions.

If motorists encounter snow or ice-covered roads, they should slow down, increase their following distance and avoid distractions. Last winter in Pennsylvania, preliminary data shows that there were 252 crashes resulting in 129 injuries on snowy, slushy or ice-covered roadways where aggressive-driving behaviors such as speeding or making careless lane changes were factors.

In addition to planning for traffic impacts, Richards noted that vehicle preparation is critical to safe winter travel. Tires should be checked often for the correct level of air pressure and adequate tire-tread depth to perform on ice and snow. A quick way to check tread depth is to insert a penny in the tread groove with Lincoln’s head upside down. If you can see the entire head, the tires are worn and traction will suffer. 

Once vehicles are travel-ready, drivers should be prepared for winter or vehicle emergencies especially if long-distance travel is planned. PennDOT urges motorists to carry an emergency kit, which should include items such as non-perishable food, water, first-aid supplies, warm clothes, a blanket, cell phone charger and a small snow shovel. 

In addition to viewing plow information, motorists can use www.511PA.com to check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles, including color-coded winter conditions on 2,900 miles. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information, and access to more than 850 traffic cameras.