Fall Fire Safety Tips
As summer turns to fall, it's a good idea to refresh your memory on fall fire safety tips. Some safety tips are the same regardless of the time of year, but many safety concerns are seasonal, particularly those that involve keeping your home warm.
From LoveToKnow Safety

Time Changes Mean Battery Changes
Get in the habit of changing the batteries in your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors every fall and spring when changing the clocks for Daylight Savings Time. It is also a good idea to make it standard procedure in your household to verify that all fire extinguishers are fully charged and in working order when you adjust the clocks each season.

Home Heating Tips
No matter what type of device you use to heat your home, making sure your heating devices and/or systems are in good working order is an important part of learning some fall fire safety tips. Many things can go wrong with heating equipment during the spring and summer months. Verify that everything you need to keep your home warm throughout fall and winter is in good working order before you experience the first cold snap of the season.

Central Heating System Safety Tips
- Get your central heating system cleaned, inspected and serviced by a certified HVAC (heating, venting and air conditioning) contractor every year before using it.
- If you have a gas heater, make sure that you have a sufficient quantity of fully functioning carbon monoxide detectors installed in your home.

Space Heater Safety Tips
- Make sure that any space heaters are surrounded by at least three feet of empty space.
- Never place clothing or any other objects on a space heater to dry.
- Do not place space heaters near furniture or drapery.
- Turn space heaters off when you leave the house or go to bed.
- Avoid storing any combustible items near heaters.

Fireplace Safety Tips
- Get your chimney inspected each year to make sure that it is safe.
- Hire a chimney sweep to clean out your chimney every fall.
- Repair any cracks in fireplaces.
- Use fireplace screens to keep sparks and fire debris inside the fireplace.
- Do not every use gasoline to start a fire in the fireplace.
- Never leave a fire unattended.
- Make sure that combustible materials are not stored within three feet of your fireplace.
- For natural gas fireplaces, get all connections and lines inspected before use each season.
- Remember that outdoor fireplaces can be just as dangerous as indoor units, and observe all safety precautions when using them.

Fire Safety Tips for Holiday Decorations
- Do not use candles in Halloween jack-o-lanterns. Flashlights are much safer.
- Make sure that children's costumes are made with fire retardant materials.
- Use only fire retardant holiday decorations.
- Verify that all holiday lights and extension cords have been tested by an organization such as Factory Mutual or Underwriters Laboratory.

Family Fire Safety Tips
- Teach your kids how to respond in the event of a fire.
- Make sure young children know how to dial 911.
- Establish and practice a fire escape plan with your family that includes a designated meeting area outside the home.
- Practice stop, drop and roll with your children so they learn how to escape beneath a fire.
- Teach everyone in your family multiple ways to escape from every room in the event of a fire.
- Make sure that there is a sufficient quantity of smoke detectors in your home.
- Verify each month that smoke detectors are in working order.
- Make sure everyone in your family knows how to use a fire extinguisher.
- Do not place lit candles where they can be reached by children.
- Never leave burning candles unattended.
- Do not leave candles burning when you go to sleep.
- Don't leave cooking food unattended on the stove.
- Keep everything that might be flammable away from your stove.
- Make sure all flammable substances are properly stored in safe containers and out of reach of youngsters.

Outdoor Fall Fire Safety Tips
- Clear your roof and gutters of unnecessary build up of debris, such as pine needles and leaves.
- Learn the outdoor burning regulations in your area, and do not engage in illegal burning of leaves and other outdoor debris.

Safety Matters
There is nothing more important than the safety of your family. Everyone in your home needs to know how to behave responsibly to reduce the likelihood of experiencing a fire. However, because fires can start at any time without warning, it is also very important that the members of your household know how to react in the event of a fire. It's a good idea to review fire prevention and safety tips with your family every fall, and several other times throughout the year.

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PRACTICE SWIMMING POOL SAFETY NOW, BEFORE A CHILD DROWNS
Statistics shows that drowning is the leading cause of accidental death in toddlers from 1 -4 years of age in California.
PLEASE WATCH YOUR YOUNG CHILDREN, ESPECIALLY AROUND POOLS.
It just takes a few seconds for tragedy to strike. Once the drowning has occurred, it is just a few minutes and irreversible brain death can occur.
THE RECOMMENDED APPROACH WITH DROWNING IS PREVENTION.
Pool owner should use a designated pool watcher whenever children are present. This should be an adult who is capable of swimming well, not participation in any other activities and remains by the pool side (not in the poll) to be able to see all the pool occupants clearly.
Some additional preventative measures that should be taken by pool owners are:

  • Fencing around pool area and yard with self-closing/latching gates.
  • Additional inner fence immediately around pool itself.
  • Alarms for doors, windows and pool covers.
  • Door/window latches that are out of the reach of children.
  • Locking hard covers for spas/hot tubs.

What to Do If You See Someone Drowning

  • Call 9-1-1 immediately. (We advise installing a telephone or always having a cordless or cell phone in any pool area.)
  • If the victim is within throwing distance, throw a floatable object to them. This includes a life jacket, kick board or even an empty gallon jug.
  • If the victim is within reaching distance, assist them by extending something long, such as a rope, pole, ring bowie or a tree branch.
  • If you must enter the water to assist someone, take a flotation device large enough to carry two adults safety. Keep the device between you and the person in distress; even a child can put an adult at risk in deep water.

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DIAMONDBACK RATTLESNAKE SAFETY
The recent warm days in the Valley Center area are a sure sign that summer is at our doorstep. There may be a few other things at our doorsteps.
The warm weather has awaken our snake community and as they explore there surroundings, the local human population's concerns for safety have started the 2007 - snake sightings- and the concerns. California has a variety of snakes, most of which are benign. The exception is California's only native venomous snake - the rattlesnake.

Should you come in close encounter with a snake, do not panic, back away. Should you feel trapped or threatened by the snake, call 911 and explain the situation and ask for help. Stay in a safe location until help arrives.
When the temperature begins to warm, usually between April and May, snakes come out of hibernation. Their young are usually born between August and October. The young rattlesnake is dangerous from birth. As they are unable to make a rattling sound, the youngsters throw themselves into a defensive pose and strike repeatedly when disturbed.
The rattlesnake eats lizards and small rodents. Their only prey is prey they can swallow whole; therefore, they will not intentionally hunt and strike a large animal (including humans) unless they feel threatened.

They are members of a larger family of poisonous snakes called pit vipers. Pit vipers have heat-sensitive pits on the sides of their heads that help them detect warm-blooded prey. The defining characteristic of the rattlesnake is its rattle that produces a buzzing sound with shaking. Each time the rattlesnake sheds its skin (1-4 times a year); a new segment is added at the base of the rattle. In Southern California, we have both the Pacific and the Western Diamondback Rattlesnakes.

Rattlesnakes can cause serious injury to humans - on rare occasions even death, as was evidenced when a rattlesnake bite killed a Riverside County man. Generally not aggressive, rattlesnakes strike when threatened or deliberately provoked, but given room they will retreat. Most snake bites occur when a rattlesnake is handled or accidentally touched by someone walking or climbing.

Approximately 8,000 people annually are treated for poisonous snake bites in the United States. However, the California Poison Control Center notes that rattlesnakes only account for about 800 of those bites each year with about one to two deaths. California rattlesnake species include the northern Pacific rattlesnake in northern California and in Southern California the Western Diamondback, Sidewinder, Speckled rattlesnake, Red Diamond rattlesnake, Southern Pacific, Great Basin rattlesnake and the Mojave rattlesnake.

The potential of running into a rattlesnake should not deter anyone from venturing outdoors, but there are several precautions that can be taken to lessen the chance of being bitten when out in snake country - which is just about anywhere in California. Rattlesnakes live from sea level to the inland prairies and desert areas.

The Dos And Don'ts In Snake Country
When hiking, stick to well-used trails and wear over-the-ankle boots and loose-fitting long pants. Do not step or put your hands where you cannot see, and avoid wandering around in the dark. Step ON logs and rocks, never over them, and be especially careful when climbing rocks or gathering firewood. Always avoid walking through dense brush or willow thickets.
Be careful when stepping over the doorstep as well. Snakes like to crawl along the edge of buildings where they are protected on one side.

Is It A Rattlesnake Or Isn't It?
Many a useful and nonthreatening snake has suffered a quick death from a frantic human who has mistakenly identified a gopher snake, racer or other as a rattlesnake. This usually happens when a snake assumes an instinctual defensive position used to bluff adversaries. A gopher snake has the added unfortunate trait of imitating a rattlesnake by flattening its head and body, vibrating its tail, hissing and actually striking if approached too closely.

Keeping Snakes Out Of The Yard
The best protection against rattlesnakes in the yard is a - rattlesnake proof- fence. It can be expensive and require maintenance, however. The fence should either be solid or with mesh no larger than 1/4 inch. It should be at least three feet high with the bottom buried a few inches in the ground. Slanting your snake fence outward about a 30-degree angle will help. Vegetation should be kept away from the fence since the snake could crawl to the top of an adjacent tree or shrub. Discourage snakes by removing piles of boards or rocks around the home. Use caution when removing those piles - there may already be a snake there. Encouraging and protecting natural competitors like gopher snakes, king snakes and racers will reduce the rattlesnake population in the immediate area. And, king snakes actually kill and eat rattlesnakes.

What To Do In The Event Of A Snake Bite
Though uncommon, rattlesnake bites do occur. The first thing to do if bitten is to stay calm. Generally, the most serious effect of a rattlesnake bite to an adult is local tissue damage which needs to be treated. Children, because they are smaller, are in more danger if they are bitten.
Get to a doctor as soon as possible, but stay calm. Frenetic, high-speed driving places the victim at greater risk of an accident and increased heart rate. If the doctor is more than 30 minutes away, elevate the bite and then try to get to the doctor as quickly as possible.

How to avoid Snakes:

  • Be aware of your surroundings at all times. Walk or hike in areas where the ground is clear, so you can see where you step or reach with your hands. Avoid specific snake habitats like brush piles, debris mounds, logjams, root systems, and abandoned buildings. They reside anywhere small rodents may survive. Know that most snakes try to avoid human contact, but they will stand their ground if they feel threatened.
  • Dress appropriately. When you are hiking, wear protective clothing, such as heavy long pants and high boots. Wear gloves when using your hands to move rocks or brush.
  • When a snake is spotted, leave it alone! So many bite victims have chosen to hit the snake or try to catch it.
  • Learn more about snakes. Become familiar of the snakes indigenous to our area.
  • Learn basic snakebite first aid. Learn the symptoms and care of the rattlesnake bite. Seek immediate medical attention!
  • Teach your children not to play/disturb any snakes they encounter.
  • Show your children pictures of area snakes; remind them to call an adult if they see any snake.

Rattlesnake bite symptoms:

  • Pain, tingling or burning at the area of the bite.
  • One or two puncture sites.
  • Swelling.
  • Numbness.
  • Nausea, weakness, lightheadedness.
  • Abdominal pain.
  • Difficulty breathing.

Snakebite First Aid:

  • Wash bite with clean water and soap.
  • Immobilize the area and keep at/below the level of the heart.
  • If the bite is on the hand or arm, remove any rings, watches or tight clothing.
  • Get medical help immediately!!
  • If possible, identify the snake (note colors and markings) Do not attempt to catch the snake, or bring it live to the medical care facility!

DO NOT:

  • Apply ice.
  • Apply any tourniquets (constricting bands).
  • Use any electric shock to the wound.
  • Use any suction to wound. (Backpackers to areas far removed from any medical care facility may be advised to use suction, but it is not used in an area that has medical care readily available).

The area Trauma Centers are well-stocked with anti-venom and trained to handle rattlesnake bites. In general, Call 911, keep the victim quiet and calm.

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Good planning includes having knowledge of your community, its terrain, its roads, the best places to go and places to avoid in an emergency, what media stations to turn to during a disaster for information, and many other things.

Making plans ahead of time can often mean the difference between tragedy and survival. And, while the VCFPD and other emergency responders are dedicated to making your life safer, no one agency or governmental entity can do everything that needs to be done to protect you in all circumstances.

Don't delay... start planning today!

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