The warm spring weather is finally here. It’s time for spring cleaning and time for you to replace your smoke detector batteries and review your home fire safety plan.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, almost two-thirds of home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
What you can do to prevent this from happening is install Underwrites Laboratories or CE approved smoke detectors on every level of your home. When a fire occurs, smoke spreads very fast throughout the house, and you need smoke detectors to give you time to get out fast. Simply put, smoke detectors save lives.
Also, don’t forget to have a fire escape plan. Identify two escape routes from each room, and designate a place to meet outside. Practice the fire escape plan with your family at least twice a year so everyone knows what to do in case of an emergency.
Tips for cleaning/checking smoke detectors:
• Test your smoke alarms at least once a month.
• Replace smoke alarm batteries at least annually, such as when resetting clocks forward in spring.
• Vacuum the outside of the smoke alarm with a vacuum cleaner, a brush attachment might help in removing accumulated dust on the cover of the alarm.
Springtime is also a time to start cooking on your grill. Before you use your gas-fired barbecue grill for the first time this season, you should inspect it to ensure there is not a build-up of grease or spider webs that inhibit the flow of gas to the controls. Ensure rodents have not made a nest in the area of the hoses and controls over the winter. This can cause propane to leak and ignite when the grill is lit for the first time resulting in a fire. If such a condition occurs, you should turn off the gas supply at the controls (if not involved in fire). If the controls are on fire, turn off the gas at the supply (propane tank). Call 1-1-2 to report such an incident and the fire department will respond to ensure that the fire is out and the gas is properly turned off.
Fire safety tips for your grill:
• Check for a gas leak by applying a light soap and water solution to the hose and watch for bubbles to form indicating a leak.
• Propane and charcoal barbecue grills should only be used outdoors.
• Never leave your grill unattended.
Camp fire safety is also extremely important during this time of the year. All it takes is one spark for things to go wrong. A carelessly abandoned campfire or a campfire built without safe clearance can turn a small fire into a dangerous and fast-moving blaze. Be sure to build your campfire in a way that does not endanger anyone or the surrounding forest.
Enjoy a safe campfire by following these campfire safety tips:
• Choose a spot that’s downwind protected from wind gusts, and at least 15 feet from your tent and gear.
• Clear a 10-foot diameter area around the site, by removing any grass, twigs, leaves and firewood.
• Dig a pit and circle the edge with rocks.
• Always be sure to keep a bucket of water or shovel nearby.
The springtime is a great time here in Germany, and we at the KMC Fire Department want it to be a safe season for you and your family.
If you have any questions, call the Fire Prevention Office at 480-5940 or 06371475940.
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News for the Ramstein, Kaiserslautern, Landstuhl & Baumholder military communities in Germany 
The warm spring weather is finally here. It’s time for spring cleaning and time for you to replace your smoke detector batteries and review your home fire safety plan.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, almost two-thirds of home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
What you can do to prevent this from happening is install Underwrites Laboratories or CE approved smoke detectors on every level of your home. When a fire occurs, smoke spreads very fast throughout the house, and you need smoke detectors to give you time to get out fast. Simply put, smoke detectors save lives.
Also, don’t forget to have a fire escape plan. Identify two escape routes from each room, and designate a place to meet outside. Practice the fire escape plan with your family at least twice a year so everyone knows what to do in case of an emergency.
Tips for cleaning/checking smoke detectors:
• Test your smoke alarms at least once a month.
• Replace smoke alarm batteries at least annually, such as when resetting clocks forward in spring.
• Vacuum the outside of the smoke alarm with a vacuum cleaner, a brush attachment might help in removing accumulated dust on the cover of the alarm.
Springtime is also a time to start cooking on your grill. Before you use your gas-fired barbecue grill for the first time this season, you should inspect it to ensure there is not a build-up of grease or spider webs that inhibit the flow of gas to the controls. Ensure rodents have not made a nest in the area of the hoses and controls over the winter. This can cause propane to leak and ignite when the grill is lit for the first time resulting in a fire. If such a condition occurs, you should turn off the gas supply at the controls (if not involved in fire). If the controls are on fire, turn off the gas at the supply (propane tank). Call 1-1-2 to report such an incident and the fire department will respond to ensure that the fire is out and the gas is properly turned off.
Fire safety tips for your grill:
• Check for a gas leak by applying a light soap and water solution to the hose and watch for bubbles to form indicating a leak.
• Propane and charcoal barbecue grills should only be used outdoors.
• Never leave your grill unattended.
Camp fire safety is also extremely important during this time of the year. All it takes is one spark for things to go wrong. A carelessly abandoned campfire or a campfire built without safe clearance can turn a small fire into a dangerous and fast-moving blaze. Be sure to build your campfire in a way that does not endanger anyone or the surrounding forest.
Enjoy a safe campfire by following these campfire safety tips:
• Choose a spot that’s downwind protected from wind gusts, and at least 15 feet from your tent and gear.
• Clear a 10-foot diameter area around the site, by removing any grass, twigs, leaves and firewood.
• Dig a pit and circle the edge with rocks.
• Always be sure to keep a bucket of water or shovel nearby.
The springtime is a great time here in Germany, and we at the KMC Fire Department want it to be a safe season for you and your family.
If you have any questions, call the Fire Prevention Office at 480-5940 or 06371475940.