Now available in Lewis County "Text to 9-1-1"
Heating your Home:
Check all smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to make sure they work and change batteries.
Central Heating: Get your central heating system cleaned, inspected and serviced by a certified HVAC contractor every year before using it.
Fireplaces and Woodstoves: Have heating appliances serviced and chimney flues examined for defects, also have fireplaces and fireplace dampers checked.
Space Heaters: Make sure that any space heaters are surrounded by at least three feet of empty spaces. Never place clothing or any other objects on a space heater to dry. Do not place space heaters near furniture or drapery. Turn space heater off when you leave the house or go to bed. Avoid storing any combustible items near heaters.
Check all smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to make sure they work and change batteries.
Central Heating: Get your central heating system cleaned, inspected and serviced by a certified HVAC contractor every year before using it.
Fireplaces and Woodstoves: Have heating appliances serviced and chimney flues examined for defects, also have fireplaces and fireplace dampers checked.
Space Heaters: Make sure that any space heaters are surrounded by at least three feet of empty spaces. Never place clothing or any other objects on a space heater to dry. Do not place space heaters near furniture or drapery. Turn space heater off when you leave the house or go to bed. Avoid storing any combustible items near heaters.
Handshake alternatives that germs don't like.
Greetings and goodbyes can be germ-transferring fests when handshakes are involved. Be polite and avoid potential problems by using other gestures.
-Fist bump, Thumbs up, Flash the peace sign, Smile and nod, Bow, or wave.
Carry a small container of hand sanitizer, and use it after those times when nothing other than a handshake will do.
The Importance of Posting an Address Number for 911
With having a 911 system in place, the importance of having an address number on your home can not be emphasized enough. To make sure your house number is visible, walk out to the street in front of your home and see if your house numbers can be easily seen. If they can be, then we have a greater chance of possibly saving a life.
Good guidelines to go by when picking out address numbers
~The numbers on residences should be at least 3 inches high and the numbers on businesses should be at least 4 inches high.
~Numbers should be a contrasting color to the background.
~Numbers should be placed on, above, or at the side of the main entrance, so that they can be easily detected from the street.
~If the entrance is more than 50 feet from the street, or cannot be seen from the street, a second set of numbers should also be displayed on the mailbox or on a post at the street or end of the driveway.
~Remember - your mailman always comes the same way. Police cars and fire trucks may come from any direction. Be sure to mark both sides of your mailbox or mark your house number in such a way that it may be easily seen, no matter which direction they are approaching.
~Reflective numbers or a light-up sign is recommended.
In life-threatening situations, every minute is critical.
For frequently asked questions click here
With having a 911 system in place, the importance of having an address number on your home can not be emphasized enough. To make sure your house number is visible, walk out to the street in front of your home and see if your house numbers can be easily seen. If they can be, then we have a greater chance of possibly saving a life.
Good guidelines to go by when picking out address numbers
~The numbers on residences should be at least 3 inches high and the numbers on businesses should be at least 4 inches high.
~Numbers should be a contrasting color to the background.
~Numbers should be placed on, above, or at the side of the main entrance, so that they can be easily detected from the street.
~If the entrance is more than 50 feet from the street, or cannot be seen from the street, a second set of numbers should also be displayed on the mailbox or on a post at the street or end of the driveway.
~Remember - your mailman always comes the same way. Police cars and fire trucks may come from any direction. Be sure to mark both sides of your mailbox or mark your house number in such a way that it may be easily seen, no matter which direction they are approaching.
~Reflective numbers or a light-up sign is recommended.
In life-threatening situations, every minute is critical.
For frequently asked questions click here
May is Mental Health Month
The Washington State Department of Health joins
Mental Health America in raising awareness of the important role mental health
plays in our lives and in encouraging people to learn more about their own
mental health and to take action if they are experiencing symptoms of a mental
illness.
Mental health disorders are treatable.
Recovery from mental and substance abuse disorders is possible.
Mental health disorders are treatable.
Recovery from mental and substance abuse disorders is possible.
Fitting Your Bike Helmet
Kidde Fire Extinguisher RECALL
9 VOLT BATTERY SAFETY
Seat Belts Save Washington
We Challenge You -Headlight Safety
| Window Safety Check List |
Windows are Vital to Survival, but Keep Safety in Mind
National Window Safety Week April 5th -11th 2015
National Window Safety Week April 5th -11th 2015
- Learn How Falls Can Be Prevented
There’s no way to hear the story about rock guitarist Eric Clapton’s 4-year-old son, Conor, without being overcome with shock and sadness.
Conor fell 49 stories to his death in New York City in March 1991 after a maintenance worker opened a 6-by-4-foot window in the apartment where Conor was staying with his mother on vacation. According to the New York Times, Conor, unaware the window was open, ran across the room and fell through the opening. The window did not have a protective apparatus around it.
This tragedy is well known because it involved a public figure, but falls from windows are more common than people might think. According to the Safe Kids Worldwide 2015 Report to the Nation: Protecting Children in Your Home, about eight children under age 5 die each year from falling out a window, and more than 3,300 are injured seriously enough to go to the hospital.
The National Safety Council Window Safety Task Force offers these suggestions to help protect children:- Remember, there is no substitute for adult supervision when it comes to window safety; keep an eye on children and keep their play safely away from windows
- Keep windows closed and locked when children are present
- When opening windows for ventilation, make sure children can't reach them
- For a double-hung window on an upper floor of the home, open the top sash nearest the ceiling for ventilation while keeping the bottom sash closed
- Don't rely on insect screens to prevent a fall; they are not designed to withstand the weight of a person
- Keep furniture away from windows as they could tempt a curious child to climb and potentially fall
- Don't allow children to jump on beds or other furniture, which could lead to a fall
- If there are young children in the home, install ASTM-approved fall prevention devices on limited-opening hardware, which only allows a window to open a few inches
Since its inception, the Task Force has distributed thousands of information kits with tips for preventing falls and using windows as emergency escape routes. These efforts seek to decrease residential fire deaths.
Windows Save LivesAccording to most residential building codes, bedrooms and other sleeping areas must have a secondary means of escape in case of fire or smoke, and that exit is often a window.
Just having windows designated for escape is not enough; they also must be safe and accessible.
- Test windows to make sure they open easily and are not sealed shut by paint, dirt or weathering
- If windows can't be opened quickly and easily, replace them
- Keep escape routes free from clutter to speed your escape and to help prevent potential falls; you could be exiting in the dark or through smoke
- Practice fire escape routes with everyone in the home
- Conduct daytime and nighttime drills (most fires occur at night) and assign someone to assist sound sleepers, young children or those with limited mobility
- Keep emergency escape ladders in second- or third-story bedrooms and teach everyone in the home how to use them
- Examine window hardware and make sure windows lock to help seal out air and moisture and help keep intruders out
- National Window Safety Week is April 5-11
The Window Safety Task Force works year-round to promote window safety awareness, and every April it sponsors National Window Safety Week. For 2015, Window Safety Week is observed April 5-11.
The week coincides with the arrival of spring, when homeowners naturally want to open their windows and let in fresh air. During this time, NSC and the Task Force encourage homeowners and caregivers to think about ways to help keep families safer, whether it’s protecting children from falls or practicing an escape route.
For safety's sake, print our window safety brochure, checklist and kids’ activity book, and share them with everyone in your household so they are aware of their role in window safety.
By all means, let the warm spring breezes in. Just don’t throw safety to the wind.
REF: http://www.nsc.org/learn/safety-knowledge/Pages/about-national-window-safety-week.aspx
How To Fall Safely
If you are outside in the winter and feel yourself start to lose your balance and fall, try to roll with the fall so that you are moving backwards rather than falling forward onto your face. Try to relax as much as you can; tensing up as you fall increases your chances of getting hurt.
If you are carrying an object in your arms, toss it away from you when you are starting to fall. You want to avoid being injured by landing on top of it.
It will take less than a couple of seconds for you to land on the ground if you fall while walking on snow or ice, even though it may feel as though you are falling in slow motion. Try to avoid putting your hand down to break you fall, since this can lead to a wrist injury.
Practice Falling Safely
To avoid injury from snow safety and falling, practice rolling yourself into a ball when falling. Start by sitting down on the floor with your legs out in front of you. To practice how to handle falling backwards, slowly start to lie back towards the floor and move your head forward so that your chin is toward your chest. Lift your knees toward your chest and move your arms away from your body. Slap the floor with the palms of your hands and your forearms. Using this technique will help avoid hitting the ground with your head, elbows or wrists.
To practice falling sideways, start from the same position but start to roll to either side. As you roll out, move your arm parallel to your body to that your forearm makes contact with the floor first. At the same time, lift your head up and move it toward the shoulder that is opposite to the direction of your "fall." Practice this move in the opposite direction.
You can also practice a front fall. Start by kneeling on the floor and lean forward. As you fall, roll to the side. Your arm should be parallel to your body so that your forearm makes contact with the floor instead of your wrist. Lift your head and turn it towards the opposite shoulder as you roll down to the floor.
By keeping these suggestions in mind and practicing how to fall safely, you lower your risk of injury due to snow safety and falling.
If you are outside in the winter and feel yourself start to lose your balance and fall, try to roll with the fall so that you are moving backwards rather than falling forward onto your face. Try to relax as much as you can; tensing up as you fall increases your chances of getting hurt.
If you are carrying an object in your arms, toss it away from you when you are starting to fall. You want to avoid being injured by landing on top of it.
It will take less than a couple of seconds for you to land on the ground if you fall while walking on snow or ice, even though it may feel as though you are falling in slow motion. Try to avoid putting your hand down to break you fall, since this can lead to a wrist injury.
Practice Falling Safely
To avoid injury from snow safety and falling, practice rolling yourself into a ball when falling. Start by sitting down on the floor with your legs out in front of you. To practice how to handle falling backwards, slowly start to lie back towards the floor and move your head forward so that your chin is toward your chest. Lift your knees toward your chest and move your arms away from your body. Slap the floor with the palms of your hands and your forearms. Using this technique will help avoid hitting the ground with your head, elbows or wrists.
To practice falling sideways, start from the same position but start to roll to either side. As you roll out, move your arm parallel to your body to that your forearm makes contact with the floor first. At the same time, lift your head up and move it toward the shoulder that is opposite to the direction of your "fall." Practice this move in the opposite direction.
You can also practice a front fall. Start by kneeling on the floor and lean forward. As you fall, roll to the side. Your arm should be parallel to your body so that your forearm makes contact with the floor instead of your wrist. Lift your head and turn it towards the opposite shoulder as you roll down to the floor.
By keeping these suggestions in mind and practicing how to fall safely, you lower your risk of injury due to snow safety and falling.
