PORTABLE GENERATOR SAFETY TIPS

Before reading these tips, always read the Owner's Manual and instructions for your portable generator, which also references portable generator safety tips. Carefully follow all instructions and warnings in order to safely start and operate the generator. Do NOT cut corners when it comes to safety.
These tips are merely supplemental and are not intended to substitute reading of the Owner's Manual.

Carbon Monoxide and Ventilation

• Using a generator indoors CAN KILL YOU IN MINUTES. Exhaust contains carbon monoxide, a deadly poison gas you cannot see or smell.
• NEVER run a generator indoors or in partly enclosed areas such as garages.
• ONLY use outdoors and far from windows, doors, vents, crawl spaces and in an area where adequate ventilation is available and will not accumulate deadly exhaust gas.
• Using a fan or opening doors and windows will not provide sufficient ventilation.
• It is recommended that you install battery operated Carbon Monoxide alarms/detectors indoors according to manufacturer's instructions / recommendations.

Gasoline, Fueling and Burn Safety

• Gasoline is extremely flammable and explosive.
• If tank is over-filled, fuel can overflow onto a hot engine and cause fire or explosion.
• Do not overfill the fuel tank. Always allow room for fuel expansion.
• Never add fuel while unit is running or hot. Allow generator and engine to cool entirely before adding fuel.
• Never store a generator with fuel in the tank where gasoline vapors might reach an open flame, spark or pilot light.
• Do not smoke near fuel or generator.
• Many generator parts are hot enough to burn you during operation and while the generator is cooling after turning off. Avoid coming into contact with a hot generator.

Electrocution Hazard and Electrical Shock Hazards

• Connecting a portable electric generator directly to your household wiring can be deadly to you and others. A generator that is directly connected to your home's wiring can 'back feed' onto the power lines connected to your home and injure neighbors, emergency responders or utility workers.
• Do not connect your generator directly to your home's wiring or into a regular household outlet.
• If you wish to hard-wire a generator to your home, it should be installed by a licensed electrician with an approved cut-off switch that will automatically disconnect the home from the power grid when the generator is being used. Please check with your local utility company and building department before installing a hard-wired generator.
• Always start or stop the generator only when no electrical loads are connected.
• Overloading your generator can seriously damage your valuable appliances and electronics. Do not overload the generator. Do not operate more appliances and equipment than the output rating of the generator. Prioritize your needs. A portable electric generator should be used only when necessary, and only to power essential equipment.
• Use the proper power cords. Plug individual appliances into the generator using heavy-duty, outdoor-rated cords with a wire gauge adequate for the appliance load. Overloaded cords can cause fires or equipment damage. Do not use extension cords with exposed wires or worn shielding.
• Do not operate the generator in wet conditions such as rain or snow.
• The generator must be properly grounded. If the generator is not grounded, you run the risk of electrocution. We strongly recommend that you check and adhere to all applicable federal, state and local regulations relating to grounding.

Generator Placement and Operation

• Keep children away from portable generators at all times.
• Allow at least five feet of clearance on all sides of the generator when operating.
• The generator should be at least ten feet from your house.
• Generators can be used during a wide variety of weather temperatures, but should be protected from the elements when not in use to prevent shorting and rusting.
• Operate the generator only on level surfaces and where it will not be exposed to excessive moisture, dirt, dust or corrosive vapors.
• Inspect the generator regularly and contact the nearest authorized dealer for parts needing repair or replacement.
• Always disconnect the spark plug wire and place the wire where it cannot contact the spark plug to prevent accidental starting when setting up, transporting, adjusting or making repairs to the generator.

Fireplace and Home Fire Safety

More than one-third of Americans use fireplaces, wood stoves and other fuel-fired appliances as primary heat sources in their homes. Unfortunately, many people are unaware of the fire risks when heating with wood and solid fuels.
Heating fires account for 36% of residential home fires in rural areas every year. Often these fires are due to creosote buildup in chimneys and stovepipes. All home heating systems require regular maintenance to function safely and efficiently.
The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) encourages you to practice the following fire safety steps to keep those home fires safely burning. Remember, fire safety is your personal responsibility ...Fire Stops With You!

• Keep Fireplaces and Wood Stoves Clean
• Have your chimney or wood stove inspected and cleaned annually by a certified chimney specialist.
• Clear the area around the hearth of debris, decorations and flammable materials.
• Leave glass doors open while burning a fire. Leaving the doors open ensures that the fire receives enough air to ensure complete combustion and keeps creosote from building up in the chimney.
• Close glass doors when the fire is out to keep air from the chimney opening from getting into the room. Most glass fireplace doors have a metal mesh screen which should be closed when the glass doors are open. This mesh screen helps keep embers from getting out of the fireplace area.
• Always use a metal mesh screen with fireplaces that do not have a glass fireplace door.
• Install stovepipe thermometers to help monitor flue temperatures.
• Keep air inlets on wood stoves open, and never restrict air supply to fireplaces. Otherwise you may cause creosote buildup that could lead to a chimney fire.
• Use fire-resistant materials on walls around wood stoves.
• Safely Burn Fuels
• Never use flammable liquids to start a fire.
• Use only seasoned hardwood. Soft, moist wood accelerates creosote buildup. In pellet stoves, burn only dry, seasoned wood pellets.
• Build small fires that burn completely and produce less smoke.
• Never burn cardboard boxes, trash or debris in your fireplace or wood stove.
• When building a fire, place logs at the rear of the fireplace on an adequate supporting grate.
• Never leave a fire in the fireplace unattended. Extinguish the fire before going to bed or leaving the house.
• Allow ashes to cool before disposing of them. Place ashes in a tightly covered metal container and keep the ash container at least 10 feet away from your home and any other nearby buildings. Never empty the ash directly into a trash can. Douse and saturate the ashes with water.
• Protect the Outside of Your Home
• Stack firewood outdoors at least 30 feet away from your home.
• Keep the roof clear of leaves, pine needles and other debris.
• Cover the chimney with a mesh screen spark arrester.
• Remove branches hanging above the chimney, flues or vents.
• Protect the Inside of Your Home
• Install smoke alarms on every level of your home and inside and outside of sleeping areas. Test them monthly and change the batteries at least once a year. Consider installing the new long life smoke alarms.
• Provide proper venting systems for all heating equipment.
• Extend all vent pipes at least three feet above the roof.

 FIRE HYDRANTS 

Fire Hydrants are vital in a fire emergency! However, they only work when we can find them and they are cleared for our use! 

It is common for us to loose precious seconds and minutes while we try to locate a hydrant to supply water to fight a fire because they are overgrown with flowers and bushes in the summer, leaves are piled too high around them in the fall, and snow is not shoveled during the winter. 

How can I help?

It's easy: Take care of "your" Fire Hydrant!

Even if the Hydrant is 3 or 4 houses down, it most likely will be used to fight a fire at your house. Ensure it is kept clear all year long. Shovel it out in the winter, keep the leaves clear in the fall, and please don't plant flowers, shrubs and other plants around them. If the hydrant is in the neighbor's front lawn and they put a fence in front of it (yes, we've seen it!) ask them not to, it's putting your lives in jeopardy!

911 HOUSE NUMBERS

In order for us to get to you quickly in an emergency, the 911 system was developed. Part of that system is posting your street number on your house or business. Precious time is lost trying to find a residence when street numbers are not posted or visable.

Chapter 116 of the Somers Town Code requires the following:

All properties within the Town of Somers that contain a principal building thereon, whether or not said building is occupied shall bear and display at least one (1) set of house numbers. 

Buildings facing two (2) or more public roadways shall be required to display auxiliary numbers, if necessary, to pass the visibility test (as hereinafter set forth) when viewed from those points in the center line of the public roadway opposite those points where regularly used pedestrian or vehicular passageways enter the public roadway.

House numbers shall be Arabic design, shall have a minimum height of three (3) inches and shall be mounted in a secure fashion to the building's front wall or to a porch or other fixed appurtenance in front of the building in the general vicinity of the main entryway or main path of travel which leads to the main entrance from a public street, or otherwise separately mounted in an approved manner upon the face of a wall or upon a post in the front yard of the premises.

Auxiliary numbers shall be mounted at a height between four (4) feet and ten (10) feet above the adjacent grade or exterior landing directly beneath, but never higher than fifteen (15) feet above the adjoining grade. They shall be sufficiently legible as to contrasting background, arrangement, spacing, size and uniformity of integers so that the numbers may be read with ease during the daylight hours by a person possessing at least 20/40 vision as he views the numbers from the center line of the facing street and at an elevation of five (5) feet above the finished surface thereof. The numbers shall be so placed that trees, shrubs or other obstructions do not block the line of the sight from the center of the street to any appreciable degree.

Violations of this chapter can be liable for a fine not to exceed one hundred dollars ($100.) for each offense. 

If you are in doubt of your street number, please call the Assessor’s office Monday through Friday, between 9:00am and 4:30pm at 277-3504.

FIRE ALARM SYSTEMS AND PERMITS

Fire Alarm Systems are great for immediate notification to us in the event of a fire in it's early stages. However, they are also a nuisance when not properly maintained, and cause undue Fire Department response when they malfunction. This also causes problems when fire apparatus and personnel are responding to a malfunctioning alarm and someone in town needs us in a true emergency!

Remember- FALSE ALARMS KILL!

Chapter 62 of the Somers Town Code requires the following:
A permit shall be obtained for the Installation of any fire alarm system. 
A user permit is required for all new and existing fire alarm systems. 
User permits must be visibly posted in the immediate vicinity of the main control panel.
All fire alarm systems must be properly maintained at all times. Buildings that are required by law to have fire alarm systems may not be occupied by the public if the system is not operational.

All fire alarm systems must be tested and serviced annually by a qualified installer and have certification on the equipment stating when the system was serviced.
Violations of this Article can be punishable by a fine not exceeding $50.
Fines for false alarms that are transmitted to the Fire Department, can be up to $200.
If you have questions regarding Fire Alarms, please call the Bureau of Fire Prevention at the Building Department, Monday through Friday, at 277-8228.