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Fire Prevention
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Fire Prevention
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Our
Fire Prevention and Safety Information is updated seasonally. Some
of the information presented remains year-round, because some safety
tips apply no matter what the season.
Seasonal
Information | Year-Round Information
| First Aid
Every year, the West Reading Fire Department conducts fire prevention activities designed to educate our neighbors, the citizens of our borough, how to better prepare for fire and other emergencies. Some of these activities are geared toward adults, such as fire extinguisher training, some toward teen and pre-teen school students, such as the in-school programs we offer, and some toward younger children. We never hesitate to take any opportunity to educate a person of any age on how to prevent fires, and to survive if one should occur! For more information on our many programs, or to schedule one for your group or school, please contact us by email or by phone at 610-372-9621 extension 100.
The West Reading Fire Department has smoke detectors and fire extinguishers available for purchase. The Fire Department is more than happy to come out to your West Reading residence to install your smoke detector or to check its operation at your request. All requests should be made to our business office at 610-372-9621 extension 100.
Winter/Holiday Safety Tips
Use electricity safely! Whenever you have more plugs than outlets, use a surge protector (a/k/a "power strip") that's protected with a fuse or circuit breaker built in! If too much current is drawn through an unprotected line, wires can overheat, insulation can melt and fires can start!
Use candles carefully! Keep candles surrounded inside a glass globe or some kind of candle holder which keeps flames away from any flammable objects that might be set on fire by the candle.
Don't let your holiday cooking go unattended! Always keep an eye on what you cook, year-round, but especially during the holidays since people do so much more cooking at this time of year! If you leave your cooking unattended, you might burn more than the turkey!
Fire extinguishers and smoke detectors make great gifts! Whether you buy them for yourself or for someone you care about, please make sure that the owner reads all the documentation that comes with them, so he or she knows how to properly use and maintain them.
Always keep fireplaces and wood, coal or pellet-burning stoves closed (or protected by glass or screening) while burning. Always make sure the flue is open before you light a fire! Fireplaces and stoves take a long time to burn out, which makes them very popular for home heating and comfort. However, that also means they spend a lot of time unattended. Don't ever leave a stove or fireplace uncovered! Also, making sure the flue is open before you light a fire might seem like common sense, but a lot of people forget, and the house fills up with smoke. Don't let this happen to you!
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, ASK!!
Your fire department is at your service 365 days a year to help keep you, your family, and your home free from the dangers of fire and other emergencies! We gladly provide information and whatever other assistance we can, to help you prevent a disaster before it occurs. So, if there's anything you need to know about how to make your home safer, please don't hesitate to call us at 610-372-9621 or email Fire Chief Mark Burkholder.
Year-Round Safety Information
REMEMBER:
SMOKE DETECTORS SAVE LIVES - THAT LIFE MAY BE YOURS!
Install smoke detectors.
Working smoke detectors can alert you to a fire in your home in time
for you to escape, even if you are sleeping. Smoke detectors should
be on every level of your home, including the basement and outside
each sleeping area. Test your detectors
monthly and change the battery yearly. Any
smoke detector that is more than 10 years old should be replaced.
(Smoke detectors are sold
by the West Reading Fire Department and installed for our elderly and
handicapped Borough residents. Please email
Fire Chief Mark Burkholder or call
610-372-9621 for more information.)
Plan your fire escape - if fire breaks out you have to get out fast. Prepare for a fire emergency by sitting down with your family and agreeing on an escape plan. Be sure that everyone knows at least 2 ways out from every room - doors and windows. Decide on a meeting place outside where everyone will meet after they escape. Practice these plans every 6 months.
Keep an eye on smokers - careless smoking is the leading cause of fire deaths in North America. Smoking in bed when you are drowsy can be deadly. Provide smokers with ashtrays and soak butts with water before discarding them. Before going to bed or leaving home after someone has been smoking, check under and around cushions and upholstered furniture for smoldering cigarettes.
Cook carefully - never leave cooking unattended. Keep cooking areas clear of combustibles and wear clothes with short or rolled-up sleeves when you cook. Turn pot handles inward on the stove where you can't bump them and children can't grab them. If grease catches fire in a pan, slide a lid over the pan to smother the flames and turn off the heat. Leave the lid on until it's cool.
Give space heaters space - keep portable heaters and space heaters at least 3 feet away from anything that can burn. Keep children and pets away from heaters and never leave heaters on when you leave home or go to bed. Never refill kerosene heaters inside the house. The fumes are combustible and could catch fire.
Remember, matches and lighters are tools, not toys - in a child's hands, matches and lighters can be deadly. Use only child-resistant lighters and store all matches and lighters up high, where small children can't see or reach them. Teach your children that matches and lighters are tools, not toys, and should only be used by adults or with adult supervision. Teach young children that they should always tell a grown-up if they find matches or lighters.
Cool a burn - run cool water over a burn for 10 to 15 minutes. Never put butter or any other grease on a burn. If the burned skin blisters or is charred, see a doctor immediately. Never use ice.
Use electricity safely - if an electrical appliance smokes or has an unusual smell, unplug it immediately, then have it serviced before using it again. Replace any electrical cords that are frayed or cracked. Don't overload extension cords or run them under rugs. Don't tamper with your fuse box or use improper size fuses.
Crawl low under smoke - during a fire, smoke and poisonous gases rise with the heat. The air is cleaner near the floor. If you find smoke while you are escaping from a fire, find an alternate escape route.
Stop, Drop and Roll -- if your clothes catch fire, don't run. Stop where you are, Drop to the ground, covering your face with your hands, and Roll side to side, over and over to smother the flames.
+ First Aid +
Want to know how to treat minor injuries, and how to help prevent major injuries from becoming disastrous? Don't ask us! We're firefighters!
Ask the experts, the experienced, trained medical professionals at Western Berks EMS. WRFD works closely with Western Berks at many emergency scenes, and we thank them for providing us with this link to their web site.
