News

New Canaan Fire Marshal: College Fire Safety Tips

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This month many young adults are preparing to travel to college. Students and parents carefully researched the school for the best academic experience. To this point parents have ensured their child’s safety and security living within your home, now they are being asked to live on their own. 

There is an annual average of 4000 fires in college dormitories, fraternities, sororities and related housing. Over 80% of the college student fire fatalities occurred in off-campus housing. Most of the fires occur between the hours of 5pm and 11pm.

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New Canaan Fire Marshal: ‘Close Before You Doze’ 

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It’s time to add “Close your door” to your fire safety checklist. We all know how important it is to have working smoke alarms, escape plans and a safe meeting place in case of a fire. Closing doors in your home is also important for your safety. Closed doors can reduce fire growth, limit damage to your home, keep temperatures down and can even save your life if you should become trapped. Doze Safely: Approximately 50% of home fires happen between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Close your door before you go to sleep.

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New Canaan Fire Marshal: Fireworks Safety 

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With warm weather and family events, the Fourth of July can be a fun time with great memories. 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. 
Make sure you are in a clear, open area with no dry vegetation or other combustibles that can easily ignite. 
Never lean over a display when igniting. • Always have a garden hose or bucket of water available.

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New Canaan Fire Marshal: Where’s the Water?

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Even the best Fire Department in the country is helpless without the most important tool to fire fighting – water! Approximately 60% of New Canaan is outside the area covered by the two public water supply companies – Aquarion and Second District Water Company.  This means that water for fire fighting must be trucked in or an alternate water source must be found. There are some cisterns (buried tanks) and dry hydrants (pipes into ponds, polls and streams) spotted throughout these areas however there are still many areas with no readily available water source.  The key phrase is “readily available”.  There are many ponds, streams, and swimming pools, however getting a fire truck close enough to effectively use them is usually difficult, time consuming and ineffective and every second counts. There are however, options available to New Canaan residents.  One option is to install a fire department connection into your swimming pool when it is built.  This option is not always feasible due to equipment limitations or differences in elevations but, when everything works out this is a very attractive possibility. Another option is to install a dry hydrant into a pond or stream (one that flows year round).  Again this has limitations – our fire trucks need to be able to pull up next to the hydrant in all types of weather so “off-roading” to gain access is out of the question.   
Whatever the solution, having a nearby water source is critical to effective fire fighting operations – and it can save property owners significantly on their homeowners insurance which can help pay for the dry hydrant.

News

New Canaan Fire Marshal on ‘Grill Safety’

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With Memorial Day approaching, the grilling season is upon us. To ensure everyone can enjoy their backyard bistros without unfortunate mishaps, following is a list of steps you can take to avoid being “well done”:

Propane and Charcoal BBQ grills should be used outdoors only. The grill should be placed at least 3 feet away from combustibles, including your home, deck railings, eaves and overhanging branches. Make sure that your grill is serviced and cleaned annually, following manufacturer’s instructions for care and use. Never use gasoline or other flammable liquids to start your charcoal – only use approved charcoal lighter fluid.  Once the charcoal is started NEVER add additional lighter fluid.