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The Loring Fire Department is very active in fire
prevention on Loring Commerce Centre. We provide regular inspections
of all facilities at Loring, offer fire extinguisher training,
home inspections, pre-construction briefings, hot work permits
and demonstrations
and drills upon request.
The Loring Fire Department would like to remind you
of some fire safety tips:
SMOKE DETECTORS
Smoke is responsible for three of four deaths involving fires.
• Install smoke detectors on every level of your home and
outside of sleeping areas.
• Test every detector at least once a month. See your instruction
book for the location of the test button.
• Keep smoke detectors free of dust.
• Replace the batteries with new ones at least once a year,
or sooner if the detector makes a chirping sound.
• If you have a smoke detector directly wired into your electrical
system, be sure that the little signal light is blinking periodically.
This tells you that the alarm is active.
• Inexpensive smoke detectors are available for the hearing
impaired.
FIRE EXTINGUISHERS
They remain your best bet if you’re in the area where a fire
has started.
• Fire extinguishers should be mounted in the kitchen, garage
and workshop.
• Purchase an ABC type extinguisher for extinguishing all
types of fires.
• Learn how to use your fire extinguisher before there is
an emergency.
• Remember, use an extinguisher on small fires only. If there
is a large fire, get out immediately and call for help from a different
location.
THINKING AHEAD: YOUR EXIT PLAN
As with other things, the best motto is, “Be Prepared”.
• Prepare a floor plan of your home showing at least two ways
out of each room.
• Check corridors and stairways to make sure they are free
of obstructions and combustibles.
• Sleep with your bedroom door closed. In the event of fire,
it helps to hold back heat and smoke.
• If a door feels hot, do not open it. Escape using the another
door or window. Easy to use window escape ladders are available
through many catalogs and outlet stores. For instance, First Alert
sells one for around $90.
• Agree on a fixed location out of doors where family members
can gather for a head count.
• Stay together away from the fire, call for help from an
alternate location and make certain that no one goes back inside
the burning building.
• To help cut down on the need for an emergency exit in the
first place, clear all unnecessary items from the attic, basement
garage and closets.
FIREPLACE
Remember you’re deliberately bringing a fire into your home;
respect it.
• Use a fireplace screen to prevent sparks from flying.
• Don’t store newspapers, kindling or matches near the
fireplace or have an exposed rug or wooden floor right in front
of the fireplace.
• Have your chimney inspected by a professional prior to the
start of every heating season and have it cleaned to remove combustible
creosote build-up if necessary.
• Install a chimney spark arrester to prevent roof fires.
• When lighting a gas fireplace, strike your match first,
then turn on the gas.
FURNACE/SPACE HEATERS
If used improperly a space heater can be the most dangerous appliance
in your house.
• Install and maintain heating equipment correctly.
• Have your furnace inspected by a professional prior to the
start of every heating season.
•Don’t store newspapers, rags,
or other combustible materials near a furnace, hot water, space
heater, etc.
• Keep space heaters at least three feet away from anything
that might burn, including the wall.
• When lighting a gas space heater, strike your match first,
then turn on the gas.
• Never use a gas range as a substitute for a furnace or space
heater.
CLOTHES DRYER
Under some circumstances, dangerous heat can build up in a dryer.
• Never leave home with clothes in a running dryer.
• Dryers must be vented to the outside, not into a wall or
attic.
• Clean the lint screen frequently to keep the airway clear.
• Never put in synthetic fabrics, plastic, rubber, or foam
because they retain heat.
ELECTRICAL HAZARDS
Electricity, the silent servant, can become a silent assassin.
• It is better not to use extension cords. If you feel you
must use one, make sure that it is not frayed or worn. Don’t
run it under a rug or twist it around a nail or hook.
• Never overload a socket. In particular, the use of “octopus”
outlets, outlet extensions that accommodate several plugs, is strongly
discouraged.
• Don’t use light bulb wattage that is too high for
the fixture. Look for the label inside each fixture, which tells
the maximum wattage.
• Check periodically for loose wall receptacles, loose wires,
or loose lighting fixtures. Sparking means that you’ve waited
too long.
• Allow air space around the TV to prevent overheating. The
same applies to plug-in radios and stereo sets and powerful lamps.
• If a circuit breaker trips or a fuse blows frequently, immediately
cut down on the number of appliances on that line.
• Be sure all electrical equipment bears the underwriters
(UL) label.
• In many older homes, the capacity of the wiring system has
not kept pace with today’s modern appliances. Overloaded electrical
systems invite fire. Watch for these overload signals; dimming lights
when an appliance goes on, a shrinking TV picture, slow heating
appliances, or fuses blowing frequently. Call a qualified electrician
to get expert help.
KITCHEN
Careless cooking is the number one cause of residential fires.
• Never leave cooking unattended.
• It’s wise to have a fire extinguisher near the kitchen.
Keep it ten feet away from the stove on the exit side of the kitchen.
• Never pour water on a grease fire; turn off the stove and
cover the pan with a lid, or close the oven door.
• Keep pot handles on the stove pointing to the back, and
always watch young children in the kitchen.
• Don’t store items on the stovetop, as they could catch
fire.
• Keep kitchen appliances clean and in good condition, and
turn them off and disconnect them when not in use.
• Don’t overload kitchen electrical outlets and don’t
use appliances with frayed or cracked wires.
• Wear tight fitting clothing when you cook. Here’s
why: An electrical coil on the stove reaches a temperature of 800
degrees Fahrenheit. A gas flame goes over 1,000 degrees. Your dishtowel
or potholder can catch fire at 400 degrees, so can your bathrobe,
apron, or loose sleeve.
• Be sure your stove is not located under a window in which
curtains are hanging.
• Clean the exhaust hood and duct over the stove regularly,
and wipe up spilled grease as soon as the surface of the stove is
cool.
CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN:
One-fourth of all fire-deaths of children are from fires started
by children.
• Keep lighters and matches out of the reach of children.
• Never leave children unattended with fire or space heaters.
• Children are naturally curious about fire, so keep an eye
on them. But if a child repeatedly plays with fire or seems to have
a morbid fascination with fire, then seek professional help at once.
• If youngsters live with you or stay overnight occasionally,
be sure that they know how to escape from every room and are part
of your emergency exit plan.
GASOLINE AND OTHER FLAMMABLE LIQUIDS
Those cans aren’t painted red just for the fun of it!
• Flammable liquids should be stored only in approved safety
containers and the containers should be kept outside the house and
garage in a separate storage shed.
• Gas up lawn equipment and snowthrowers outside, away from
enclosed areas and any source of sparks or heat.
• Start the equipment ten feet from where you filled it with
fuel.
• Don’t fill a hot lawn mower, snowthrower or other
motor; let it cool first.
• Never clean floors or do other general cleaning with gasoline
or flammable liquids.
SMOKING
If you actually believe that you’re immune from cancer, heart
disease, emphysema and other ills, at least worry about burning
to death.
• Never smoke in bed.
• Don’t smoke when you are drinking or abnormally tired.
• Use large deep ashtrays and empty them frequently.
• Never dump and ashtray into the trash without wetting the
butts and ashes first.
If you have any questions on any fire safety
issues, contact us (Link to personnel page) or your local fire department.
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