Spring/Summer FIRE Safety Tips:

BBQing Season comes with HIGH RISK!!!

• Never BBQ while indoors
• Check your propane tanks for leaks or cracked stems. (and if damage swap your tank)
• Never BBQ close to your house. BBQ fires can lead to a house fire.
• Clean the grease trap on your grill
• Keep a fire extinguisher and/or garden hose nearby.
• Never leave a grill unattended.
• Never discard charcoals into a plastic garbage can - metal cans only (leave can outside with lid on overnight to cool down)

                                     

Fire Pit’s / Chiminea

• Never leave a Fire-pit or Chiminea unattended. 
• Place the Safety Lid over the fire-pit or chiminea to keep the ember's down.  
• Always have a water source close by when enjoying the Fire-pit
• Be sure the Fire-pit or Chiminea is enclosed and the fire is small. (Town of Cortlandt does not Authorize OPEN BURNS.)
• Be sure your Fire-pit or Chiminea is away from all standing structures and overhead trees.
• Make sure the Fire is Completely out before calling it a night. 

Boating Fire Safety                                           

Fuel-related fires happen most frequently outnumbering other causes by two to one. Yet these are also the most avoidable and using proven prevention techniques is free. When fueling your boat, follow the Coast Guard-recommended procedures.

• Close all hatches and other opening before fueling.
• Extinguish all smoking materials.
• Turn off engines, electrical equipment, radios, stoves, and other appliances.
• Remove all passengers.
• Keep the fill nozzle in contact with the tank and wipe up any spilled fuel.
• Open all ports, hatches, and doors to ventilate when finished.
• Run the blower for at least four minutes.
• Check the bilges for fuel vapors before starting the engine.

Electrical Hazards

• Keep all wire capped and protected from the elements 
• Inspect all wire before starting your new boating season (be sure no animal used your boat as winter storage and ate your wires)
• Any smell of wires or smoke shut down all engines and call for HELP. 

Inspect Your Boat before your first Journey

• Front and Rear Marker Lights are in working condition
• Life Jackets for ALL Occupants of the Vessel
• Flare Gun with in-dated flares
• Whistle/ Air Horn
• Anchor with enough rope to cover the depths of your boating area.
• Working CO Detector if you are deciding to Sleep over with in your boat
• Working and in-date Fire Extinguisher
• Working Radio to call for Assistance if needed Coast Guard Channel 9 and/or 16 (Channel 68 is Talk around Channel) 
• NEVER hold more people then what the boat capacity is allowed to hold

First Time Boater?                                         
Please take a US Coast Guard Course to learn the Rules of the Water. 
(See Links Listed Below)

Pool Safety

• If you have a pool at home, install a fence.  The fence should be at least four-feet high and have a self-closing, self-latching gate that has a locking mechanism beyond a child's reach.
• Supervision is a must.  Follow the 10/20 rule when you are at the pool.  The 10/20 rule states the supervising adult needs to position themselves to be able to scan the pool within 10 seconds and reach the water within 20 seconds.
• Always check the pool first if a child is missing.  Child drowning is often a silent death that alerts no one with splashes or yells for help.  Many drowning accidents happen when children have been missing for less than five minutes.
• Empty small wading pools after children are done playing and remove all toys.  Infants can drown in just a few inches of water.  Pool toys may attract children to the pool when it is unattended.
• Teach your child to swim but remember that younger children should not be left unsupervised around water even if they know how to swim.
• Have a phone poolside and learn CPR in case of emergencies.                                                   

Weather Safety Tips


Lightning
Lightning is a threat anywhere thunderstorms occur.  If you hear thunder, it is time to take shelter. 

When inside:
- Avoid using the telephone, or other electrical appliances. 
- Do not take a bath or shower or stand near plumbing. 

If caught outdoors:
- Seek shelter in a sturdy building.  A hard-top automobile can also offer protection. 
- If you are boating or swimming, get out of the water and move to a safe shelter on land. 
- If you are in a wooded area, seek shelter under a thick growth of relatively small trees. 
- If you feel your hair standing on end, squat with your head between your knees. Do not lie flat! 
- Avoid isolated trees or other tall objects, water, fences, convertible cars, tractors, and motorcycles.

                                     
Heat Index Chart: Know the Dangers - NOAA's National Weather Service