One of the most important functions of any Fire Department is to educate the public on the dangers of fire and on fire safety. This Public Education page of our web site aims to do just that. Please check back here often for new information on fire safety and educational items. Enjoy!

Fire and Safety Fun Sites for Children - Click Here!

 

Visit the United States Fire Administration's web site to learn more about fire safety - Click Here

 

 

Glastonbury Fire Department Cautions Residents
About Potential Safety Cost of Alternative Heating Equipment

As energy costs reach record highs, many Americans are turning to portable electric space heaters and wood-, pellet- coal or kerosene-burning stoves, and other non-traditional heating sources to defray costs. With the increase in use comes an increase in fire risk. Glastonbury Fire Department encourages residents to use caution when using alternative heating equipment this winter. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), nearly half of all home-heating fires occur during the winter months. On average, NFPA research show that heating equipment is involved in roughly 70,000 reported U.S. home structure fires, with associated loss of more than 600 civilian deaths, almost 1,600 civilian injuries and more than $1 billion in direct property damage. “As a leading cause of home fires, heating safety is a concern for every community every winter. This year, with the projected increase in use of alternative heating equipment, families need to be especially vigilant to use all heating appliances properly,” said Deputy Chief McKinney. Glastonbury Fire Department is encouraging residents using pellet stoves, wood stoves, space heaters or any other home heating equipment this winter to follow this advice: Space heaters need space. Keep all things that can burn, such as paper, bedding or furniture, at least 3 feet away from heating equipment.

• Turn portable heaters off when you go to bed or leave the room.
• Have your chimney inspected each year and cleaned if necessary.
• Use a sturdy fireplace screen.
• Wood stoves should bear the label of a recognized testing laboratory.
• In wood stoves, burn only dry, seasoned wood. In pellet stoves, burn only dry, seasoned wood pellets.
• Allow ashes to cool before disposing. Dispose of ashes in a covered metal container outside and away from any structures.
• Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home. For the best protection interconnect all smoke alarms throughout the home — when one sounds, they all sound.
• Test smoke alarms at least once a month.
• When using a fuel-burning portable heater, always use the proper fuel as specified by the manufacturer.
• When refueling, allow the appliance to cool and refuel outside or in a well ventilated area where there are no other heat sources. 
• Do not store replenishment fuel inside the home.
• Install and maintain a carbon monoxide alarm in a central location outside each sleeping area.
• Never use an oven to heat your home.

Learn why firefighters do what they do at a fire!

"Smoke Showing" is a short film that visually demonstrates the dangers and challenges faced by firefighters during a structural fire. This film will serve to educate recruit firefighters, elected officials and the public in fire operations. "Smoke Showing" demonstrates the need for an aggressive interior attack coupled with adequate resources in order to save lives and reduce property loss. The film is opened by the cast of "Rescue Me." It is dedicated to the proud service of Tom F. Brennan. Click Here to watch the Video courtesy of Fire Engineering Magazine

2007 Glastonbury Apple Harvest Festival

At the 2007 Apple Fest the Glastonbury Fire Department provided fire safety demonstrations to the public. Demonstrations of stove fires, car accidents, and Department apparatus were conducted. The GFD Cadet program handed out information on general fire safety. Also on hand was the Connecticut Fire Academy, along with their "Kids Fire Safety House". An overview of the fire safety area at the 2007 Apple Fest. GFD File Photo GFD Captain Scott Bidwell teaches fire safety to children attending the Apple Festival. GFD File Photo Smokey the Bear gets a hug. GFD File Photo Please click here to see more photos from the 2007 Apple Festival.

2007 Home Depot Safety Day

Recently the GFD Cadet program and Home Depot sponsored Safety Day, an opportunity to teach Home Depot customers about Fire Safety. An overview of the activities at the 2007 Home Depot Safety Day GFD File Photo GFD Cadets and Cadet Advisors pose with Home Depot Employees at the Safety Day event. GFD File Photo

Coldwell Banker Kids Safety Day

Recently Coldwell Banker sponsored a Kids Safety Day event at Coldwell Banker's office on Main Street. Members of the Glastonbury Fire Department, along with employees of Liberty Mutual (a GFD partner in Fire Prevention activities), participated in the event, showing GFD Engine 11 and its equipment to the public. 2007 Coldwell Bankers Kids Safety Day GFD File Photo GFD Members pose with Liberty Mutual employees and members of the public at the Kids Safety Day. GFD File Photo

A General Safety Tip

Put your car keys beside your bed at night. If you hear a noise outside your home or believe someone is trying to get in your house, just press the panic button for your car. The alarm will be set off, and the horn will continue to sound until either you turn it off or the car battery dies. This tip comes from a neighborhood watch coordinator. Next time you come home for the night and you start to put your keys away, think of this: It's a security alarm system that you probably already have and requires no installation. Give it a try...it will go off from most anywhere inside your house and will keep honking until your battery runs down or until you reset it with the button on the key fob chain. If your car alarm goes off when someone is trying to break in your house, odds are the person won't stick around... and after a few seconds all the neighbors will be looking out their windows to see who is out there and sure enough the person won't want that. And remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking lot. The alarm can work the same way there.

I.C.E.

ICE - In Case of Emergency Have you put ICE in your mobile phone? Putting ICE along with a name and telephone number will enable the emergency services to contact your family in the event of an emergency. Governor M. Jodi Rell, Public Safety Commissioner Leonard C. Boyle and State Representative Pamela Z. Sawyer today urged Connecticut residents to “ICE” their cell phones by storing the phone numbers of family members or friends to be notified “In Case of Emergency” (ICE). In view of the recent events in London, A paramedic has launched a national campaign to encourage people to store emergency contact details in their mobile phones. Bob Brotchie, hatched the plan last year after struggling to get contact details from shocked or injured patients. By entering the acronym ICE – for In Case of Emergency – into the mobile’s phone book, users can log the name and number of someone who should be contacted in an emergency. In an emergency situation, ambulance and hospital staff will then be able to quickly find out who your next of kin are and be able to contact them. It's as simple as that, and for more than one contact name you can use ICE1, ICE2, ICE3 etc. Appearently research shows more than 75 per cent of people carry no details of who they would like telephoned following a serious accident. Bob, said: “I was reflecting on some of the calls I’ve attended at the roadside where I had to look through the mobile phone contacts struggling for information on a shocked or injured person. It’s difficult to know who to call. Almost everyone carries a mobile phone now, and with ICE we’d know immediately who to contact and what number to ring. The person being contacted may even know the victim’s medical history. By adopting the ICE advice, your mobile phone will now also help the rescue services quickly contact a friend or relative – which could be vital in a life or death situation.” Bob hopes that all emergency services will promote ICE in their area as part of a national awareness campaign to highlight the importance of carrying next contact numbers at all times. This demonstrates through practical example, the important role a mobile phone can play when minutes matter in an emergency. People should think carefully about who will be their ICE partner - with helpful advice on who to choose - particularly if that person has to give consent for emergency medical treatment. EAA, The Regiter, St. of CT.

Change Your Clock Change Your Battery

A Simple Change that Could Save Your Life! When you change your clocks back to Eastern Standard Time, be sure to change the batteries in all your smoke detectors too! Working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in a home fire by 50%. This is important because a home fire starts somewhere in this country every 82 seconds and doubles in intensity every 30 seconds. For safety’s sake, there should be a smoke alarm on every level of a home and in the halls outside of the bedrooms. If any family member sleeps with his or her door closed, a smoke alarm should be installed inside the room – because by the time the fire reaches the hallway, it could be a dangerous situation. Change Your Clock Change Your Battery is a national home fire safety program sponsored by the Glastonbury Volunteer Fire Department, Energizer/Max, and the International Association of Fire Chiefs.