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Health & Fitness

Celebrate Safely

Being the public relations guy, I sometimes feel like an over-protective parent, or the party pooper collecting the car keys. I’m always telling you what NOT to do. Unfortunately, “common sense” reminders will be necessary as long as people put safety second to having fun.

Here are some summertime fire prevention tips from the Haddam Volunteer Fire Company. Call it, “Advice from Mr. Obvious.”

America’s birthday signals cookouts, backyard fireworks shows and “ooing and aahing” at large professional displays.

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July also happens to be the peak month for grill fires.

The first thing to remember is that a grill placed too close to anything flammable is a fire hazard.

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Tips for a worry-free feast:

- Unless you’re using a George Foreman, only grill outdoors. Last summer, a concerned neighbor called in a potential structure fire, which turned out to be a person grilling inside their enclosed second story porch. There was no fire, but the smoke and heat could easily have damaged the house, not to mention the full response of the Fire Company when not needed.

- Keep children and pets at least three feet away from the grill area.

- Place the grill well away from the home, deck railings and out from under eaves and overhanging branches.

- Check to make sure the grill is grease-free.

- Never leave an active grill unattended.

- Check your propane grill for leaks by applying a light soap and water solution to the hose and regulator. Any bubbles produced while the tank is turned on briefly indicate a leak and you should not use the unit until serviced. A propane tank fire is a very high risk – should one explode, the force is similar to a small bomb.

If you smell gas at any point, get away from the grill and call 911.

With charcoal grills, be sure to carefully handle lighter fluid. Never add fluid to a smoldering fire as flames can travel back to the can and create an explosion.  Fully soak coals and ash before discarding, following the same precautions as removing ash from a wood stove.

Consumer fireworks continue to be a major source of injuries and fires. This week the National Fire Protection Association released its annual fireworks report. The NFPA estimates that in 2011, 17,800 reported fires were started by fireworks and 9,600 fireworks-related injuries were treated in U.S. hospital emergency rooms. Read the full report here.

More fires are reported on a typical Fourth of July than on any other day of the year, with fireworks accounting for two out of five of those fires.

All fireworks are illegal in the State of Connecticut, with the exception of sparklers and fountains. But while seemingly simple and safe, the NFPA report notes that sparklers, fountains and novelties alone accounted for 34 percent of the emergency room fireworks injuries in 2011.

Sparklers in particular are designed to throw off showers of hot sparks where temperatures can exceed 1,200 degrees, enough to cause third-degree burns. For that reason, children should never be allowed to handle them.

“Incidents involving consumer fireworks lead to thousands of people being treated in U.S. emergency rooms each year. These injuries are often extremely painful and require long-term recovery - using consumer fireworks is simply not worth the risk,” said NFPA President James Shannon. “We encourage families to enjoy public displays of fireworks conducted by trained professionals.”

Public fireworks displays are the safest way to get the most “bang for your buck” – considering that most are free. Professional displays are required to follow very strict safety rules. 

Our area hosts several events that allow everyone to view excellent shows and avoid the risk of fires and injury. For a list of events in our area, click here. Just remember that more pets are lost on the Fourth of July than any other day, so best to leave the pooches at home.

Have a safe holiday everyone!

Do You Have What It Takes? Find more information on the activities of the Haddam Volunteer Fire Co. and ways you can get involved at our website www.HaddamFire.com, or connect with us on Facebook

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