Sorry that I did not post yesterday- busy day at the Green House but lots accomplished.  Please make sure you check my “Recipes” Category out and the others too.  I have added  new ones.  I have much more to get added and hopefully that will happen first of the week.  I do hope you enjoy today’s post— not  your “entertaining” post but one that I feel that everyone should be aware of  AND also to let me give a “Shout Out” of  what a GREAT JOB our all of our Firemen do!!!

 

 

This topic is one that no one really wants to talk about nor do they really find it “exciting and fun to read” but it is one that I think everyone should know or be “refreshed” …..  My friend and fireman, Gene Nicholas, help me with this post and I owe him a big “THANK YOU” for his time.  I remember a few months ago, when there was a letter to the Editor (in The Daily Sentinel) regarding Firemen and things that a citizen had a problem with… (Don’t really remember the details except that I know that the lady who wrote the letter was waaaaaay off with the information that she wrote).  Then I remember Misty M. (whose husband is one of our local Firemen) responded with a letter that had to have made the “Lady” back up and take a seat on.  Misty just spoke the truth and told exactly what these men do— not only when they are scheduled to work (but most are willing and ready to come in to work when they are needed on their “Off Days”).  Click here firemen-letter-to-editor (this will take you to these “words” again and click on them for the actual letter) and you will see the letter that Misty wrote.  Do we really stop and think about what these men sacrifice for all of us?  Yes, that is the career path that they chose but I bet that they all go beyond their job requirements and their job is on their mind MOST of the time (24/7).  Many of you who are parents of young kids have taken the “Annual Fire Station” trip with them with their school class.  We get only a brief  description of what they do and of course they are relating it in terms for kids to understand….. I so admire those that they choose the profession to be either a Fireman or a Policeman (that is a whole other post).  Most of us go to a job that there is very little “chance” that we are going to be injured while doing our daily work- and even worse being killed while doing our job.  Fireman have always been known as “BRAVE” but I personally take that word for granted at times and forget what they really do when the go to work each day.  Nothing like I do, that is for sure!  So a “Thank You” to all the Fireman and the great job that they do with protecting our city and county and YOU and I!!!!!

 

 

 

 Another question that I was interested in, Fire Insurance…  Did you know that even though your kids are off at College, that they still need to be insured?  This is called an extension of Insurancef for them.  So if you have College Kids- make sure to ask your Insurance Agent if you have that covered….Do not know all the details myself but have heard about this from people that have college kids.

 The other question is- Do you have “Replacement Cost Insurance”?  This is where if you have a house fire and for example your TV or Kitchen Appliances were damaged… You do not want just your normal homeowners insurance (which is  known as Actual Cash Value Insurance) for this- you want to make sure that you get the “Replacement Cost Insurance” of the appliance or TV, etc.  Having this will allow you to get the amount for what a new appliance, TV, etc. would cost.  It is hard to explain this in writing but just check to see if you have got that.  I have had friends who did not have it and then those that did and I can assure you that those that did have the “Replacement Cost Insurance” came out a lot better. 

 

Renter’s Insurance is another topic I have heard people talk about when it comes to fires.  Everyone who rents SHOULD and NEEDS to have Renter’s Insurance.  It is not expensive and will allow you to have a “Peace of Mind” when you lay your head down each night.

So, below are some of the questions that I ask Gene and he answered with great explanation.  I hope you learn something that maybe you were not aware of and if you already knew it all- that it made you think about it and make sure you had all of your “Ducks in a Row”.

What is the process before burning brush, etc?

First, we can only issue burn permits in the Scottsboro City limits, anything outside of the city limits must go through the State Forestry. Their number is listed in the front of the phonebook (I believe), and it is 800-572-2017.  As far as inside the city: At this time we issue burn permits for the following items- brush, untreated wood and paper products. Permits are obtained by calling the fire department at 256-574-2617 and there is no charge for the permit. It basically allows us to keep up with what is supposed to be burning and what isn’t. However, burning without a permit is against city ordinance and may be subject to a penalty. Once a permit is given it is good for two days. We ask that someone stay with the fire and not use any accelerants (i.e. gasoline) on the fire. For large fires (these permits are usually requested by contractors) we do send someone out to the site to inspect the fuel load and site, and may require heavy equipment to remain on site, before issuing a permit. It is also a good idea when burning to have access to a garden hose or water to keep the surrounding area wet. Also, at the discretion of the Fire Chief, we may not issue permits under certain weather conditions.

What is the best way to put out a grease fire?

Unattended cooking is one of the most common and preventable causes of residential fires. We recommend people to keep an ABC type home fire extinguisher at different places in the home, one of which is an accessible location in the kitchen. When looking for an accessible location, consider under the kitchen sink or somewhere away from the oven. If the extinguisher is mounted behind or above the stove, a person may not be able to get to it because of the fire. HOWEVER, caution should be used when trying to extinguish a grease fire with an extinguisher. The chemical leaves the extinguisher under pressure, and may cause the grease to splash out of the container and spread to other areas. The single best way to stop a grease fire is to cover the pan/pot with a lid and turn off the heat source. This effectively cuts off the oxygen to the fire and stops the burning process. Another first reaction we see is a person trying to remove the pan from the house while it is still burning. This is dangerous and can cause burns to the hand and arm. If the fire is in the oven, an extinguisher will be more effective, but keeping the oven door closed and turning the oven off is still a good method for stopping the fire. Of course, even if you think you have the fire out, you can and should still call the fire department. Actually, we like it better if the fire is out when we get there.

Should you clean out your fireplace during the spring or wait until the next winter before you start using it again? What is the easiest and safest way to clean it out?

I adfm no expert on chimney cleaning, but my suggestion would be to clean the chimney in the winter before the season’s use. My reasoning is that birds and other small animals can set up camp in chimneys during the spring/summer, causing blockages that may go undetected before lighting the fireplace. As far as the easiest and safest way to clean a chimney, I would recommend contracting this to a person that does this specifically. (There used to be an individual from the department that did this as a second job on his off days, I am not sure if he still does or not.) It is a messy job and can be dangerous depending on the roof or chimney, but I think you can purchase brushes like professionals use to clean the chimney. There are also commercially sold products that are advertised to ‘burn out’ the residue that causes chimney fires, but I am not sure how well they work. I am not however encouraging anyone to attempt to clean their own chimney and suggest hiring a professional.

Are there ways to prevent electrical fires? Like getting your home checked annually to make sure that your electrical system in your house looks good?

Of course, it is certainly not a bad idea to have your electrician check out your electrical system. I would suggest at least have this done when you purchase a home or notice any signs of problems (lights dimming, switches or outlets that don’t seem to be working properly). Also, any renovations or changes should be done by a licensed electrician and done in accordance with building codes and permits. That being said, more electrical fires are caused by human error. Overloading outlets is a cause, along with the improper use of extension cords. Extension cords are not meant to be a permanent fixture. We see, especially in older homes with fewer outlets, extension cords under furniture and rugs or wrapped tightly around lamp posts or table legs. This can prevent someone from seeing visual signs of damage, cause defects in the cord from the inside, and produce ‘resistance heat’. Resistance heat can also be produced when using a cord too small for the amount of energy. Resistance heat is caused by the energy (electricity) moving through the cord and can be enough heat to ignite a combustible object.

Everyone should have working smoke detectors in their home, on every level and outside each bedroom. Personally, I keep one in the kitchen (sure it can get a little annoying, but it’s worth it) and another just outside the laundry room. I recommend a hard wired with a battery backup and the type that can be connected to each other so that when one alarms, they all alarm. And change (not just check) the batteries twice a year.

Gene said, “the more fire prevention that we can do, the less fire fighting they we will have to do”.  We need to do all we can to make that statement happen.

To wrap this up, one last suggestion… a FIRE PROOF Safe.  With “House Fire” being one of my worst fears (with another being that my appendix will rupture), I decided a long time ago to make sure that all my pictures were stored on a hard drive NOW- thanks to my friend Scott Michaels for retrieving them after they got lost in the somewhere in the ”Computer Space” world  (which we keep in a safe in the house) and that all of the Scrap Books (no, I have not started Lily’s and it really bothers me) are all together so that all I have to do is grab them.  As for jewelry, it is all in one place and I can put my hands right on it.  Of course, I know that these may be the very last things on my mind if it should happen.  I know my first would be to get my girls out safely but I wanted a “plan” for those items so I came up with the above a few years ago.  At least I have peace about it for now… what happens later,  I really cannot say.

 

 

 

 I found these two great gift ideas for the “Fireman” in your life… They are at Woods Cove Flowers and Gifts.

 Until tomorrow-Be Safe!!!