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Fire Marshal Urges Fireworks Safety as Independence Day, New Canaan Family Fourth Near

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With warm weather and family events, the Fourth of July can be a fun time with great memories. But before your family celebrates this year, the New Canaan Fire Marshal’s Office wishes to make sure everyone knows about fireworks safety:

Only sparklers and “shower” type fireworks are legal to sell and use in Connecticut. No aerial or exploding type fireworks are permitted to be sold or used in the state. (Go to the Family Fourth – you will see a tremendous professional show.)
Only persons 16 years and older may use the above fireworks. Always keep at least 30’ away from spectators and structures and strictly follow manufacturer’s instructions.

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New Canaan Fire Marshal: Safe Grilling Tips for Residents

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At the first signs of warm weather many folks head directly to their barbecue grill to start that greatest of summertime traditions—grilling. (Or, if you are like me it never stops.) To ensure that everyone can enjoy their back yard bistros unencumbered by unfortunate mishaps, following is a list of steps you can take to avoid being “well done”:

Make sure that your grill is serviced and cleaned annually, following manufacturers instructions for care and use. Leak check all hoses and fittings on gas grill with a dish detergent and water solution. If any “bubbling” appears, have the grill serviced by a certified technician. Whenever changing propane tanks make sure all connections are tight.

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Fire Marshal: Six ‘Game Day’ Strategies for a Safe Super Bowl Sunday

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Did you know that Super Bowl Sunday ranked #6 behind Thanksgiving, Christmas and Memorial Day in 2013 as having the largest numbers of estimated reported home fires on a holiday? According to NFPA’s 2015 Home Fires Involving Cooking Equipment report, an annual average of 590 home cooking fires occurred on Super Bowl Sunday in 2013. That’s a 25 percent increase over the average number of fires on a typical day! The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) tells us that Super Bowl Sunday is also the second biggest day of the year for food consumption! So if you’re planning to whip up some tasty snacks for this year’s game, make sure you add kitchen fire safety “plays” to your line up.

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New Canaan Fire Marshal: Holiday Safety Tips

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The holidays are an exciting time of year and to help ensure a safe holiday season, here are some tips from the New Canaan Fire Marshal’s Office. Trees

When purchasing an artificial tree, look for the UL label and “Fire Resistant.” When purchasing a live tree, check for freshness. A fresh tree is green, needles are hard to pull from branches and when bent between your fingers, needles do not break. The trunk butt of a fresh tree is sticky with resin, and when tapped on the ground, the tree should not lose many needles.

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Fire Marshal: Change Your Clocks—Change Your Batteries

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“There is no greater tragedy than one that could have been prevented.”

I cannot take credit for this statement—however, I could not agree more and the tragedy of home fires and the devastation they inflict is a perfect example. And when the prevention is as easy as installing and maintaining smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors it becomes more ironic. This year daylight savings time ends at 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 1 (Remember “Spring ahead – Fall back”). In concert with the nation wide campaign “Change Your Clocks—Change Your Batteries,” The New Canaan Fire Department and the Rotary Club of New Canaan also want to remind everyone to change the batteries in your smoke detectors.