Greenburgh Insider: Greenburgh fire departments present Town Board with fire safety tips.

 

Watch informative presentation that could help us save lives in the future!

 

GREENBURGH FIRE DEPTS PRESENT TOWN BOARD AND COMMUNITY WITH SAFETY TIPS.

Local Officials Emphasize the Message: “Close Before You Doze”.

link to discussion can be found below.

GREENBURGH, NY_  Following the devastating fire in a Bronx complex recently that started due to a space heater and spread due to faulty self-closing doors, Greenburgh town officials  have been hosting information sessions helping residents learn safety tips that could prevent a similar tragedy from happening in Greenburgh.

.At our Jan. 26 Board meeting, representatives from each of Greenburgh’s three paid fire districts – Fairview, Greenville, and Hartsdale – convened online to present important fire safety tips and answer citizen questions, now on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/6e6phcCThHs

An important motto to memorize with your family is: EDITH, Close Before You Dose. EDITH stands for Exit Drills In The Home, meaning your family should map out your floorplans, obstacles and exits, and practice your escape. Each room should have two ways to get out. There should be a designated meeting place outside. And everyone should know not to reenter to retrieve anything once they are out. “Close Before You Dose” was well-demonstrated by a video clip showing a test fire’s effects on a room that was barricaded from the fire by a closed door versus the room with its door open to the fire. The open-door room was gutted, while the room with the closed door showed no damages at all. External doors to your house or apartment should be closed, as well as each bedroom door before going to bed. 

Fairview Captain James Malone Jr., Greenville Lt. Mark Bendel, and Hartsdale Deputy Chief Charles Nanko shared many more essential safety tips, including:

·         Each level of the house should at minimum have one working smoke detector – or better to have one inside and outside of each bedroom. 

·         Never leave heating appliances unattended (and make sure they are UL tested and good quality). 

·         Disconnect charging accessories, especially with lithium batteries that can spontaneously catch fire. 

·         If your home still has two-prong outlets, it’s time to upgrade your electrical system. 

·         In the event of a fire, feel door with back of palms from bottom of door to top. If it’s hot, don’t exit that way. Never use elevators. And never prop open doors. Sometimes it’s safer to stay put, as we saw with victims in the Bronx, who may have been better off closing apartment doors and staying in their homes. 

·         See, smell and/or hear something? Call 911. Don’t assume someone else is calling; the faster the call, the faster the response. 

Some startling stats shared were that fire doubles in size every 30 seconds. While 30 years ago you used to have an average of 17 minutes to get out of a burning home, now with all our highly combustible synthetic furniture you may have 3 minutes. 

To learn more, please watch the video, and reach out to your local fire department to learn more about their programs, meetings, and educational materials. These tips hopefully will save lives in the future. The information session was very informative and should be shared with friends, family and neighbors.

PAUL FEINER
Greenburgh Town Supervisor