Staying warm during the winter also means staying safe

Winter weather has arrived in San Antonio. While many of us are eagerly anticipating the holidays, we cannot overlook the changes that also may come with colder temperatures.

Furnaces and space heaters offer relief in the cold air outside. And holiday decorations such as Christmas trees, lights and candles show our holiday spirit. However, whether they keep us warm or get us in the holiday spirit, they also require us to be mindful of the hazards they present. And the cold weather will continue beyond the holidays into January and February.

The simplest thing you can do to keep your home safe is to install or maintain smoke alarms throughout your house. Early detection is the key to survival. Because a fire can grow and spread so quickly, having working smoke alarms in your home can mean the difference between life and death. The National Fire Protection Association and the San Antonio Fire Department recommend that homeowners:

• Test smoke alarms at least once a month.

• Replace batteries in each smoke alarm twice a year, or as soon as the alarm “chirps,” warning that the battery is low.

• Never borrow a battery from a smoke alarm or disable smoke alarms temporarily – you may forget to replace the battery.

• Plan regular fire drills to ensure that everyone knows exactly what to do when the smoke alarm sounds.

Every winter, the San Antonio Fire Department responds to an increased number of carbon monoxide poisonings. Most incidents are related to home heating equipment. Often called the silent killer, carbon monoxide is an invisible, odorless, colorless gas created when fuels (such as gasoline, wood, coal, natural gas, propane, oil, and methane) burn incompletely. In the home, heating and cooking equipment that burn fuel are potential sources of carbon monoxide. The San Antonio Fire Department offers the following tips for the use of carbon monoxide alarms.

• Install carbon monoxide alarms inside your home to provide early warning of accumulating carbon monoxide. These alarms should be installed in a central location outside each separate sleeping area.

• Test carbon monoxide alarms at least once a month.

• If you need to warm a vehicle, remove it from the garage immediately after starting it. Do not run a vehicle, generator, or other fueled engine or motor indoors, even if garage doors are open.

• Have fuel-burning household heating equipment (fireplaces, furnaces, water heaters, wood and coal stoves, space or portable heaters) and chimneys inspected by a professional every year.

• When using a fireplace, open the flue completely for adequate ventilation.

• Carbon monoxide alarms are not substitutes for smoke alarms. Smoke alarms should be installed on every level of the home and in or outside all sleeping areas.

• Know the difference between the sound of the smoke alarms and the sound of the carbon monoxide alarms. If the alarm sound is steady, call the fire department and leave your home immediately. Do not re-enter until the fire department says your home is safe.

If you use an electric or gas space heater, keep the following tips in mind:

• Select a space heater with a guard around the flame area or heating element. This will help keep children, pets and clothing away from the heat source.

• Keep children and pets away from space heaters. Some heaters have very hot surfaces. Children should not be permitted to either adjust the controls or move the heater.

• Keep doors open to the rest of the house if you are using an unvented fuel-burning space heater.

• Never leave a space heater on when you go to sleep or leave the area. For fuel-fired heaters, dangerous levels of carbon monoxide could accumulate or uncontrolled burning could cause a fire.

• Never use or store flammable liquids (such as gasoline) around a space heater.

• Place heaters at least three feet away from objects such as bedding, furniture and drapes. Never use heaters to dry clothes or shoes. Do not place heaters where towels or other objects could fall on the heater and start a fire.

• Be certain that your heater is placed on a level, hard and nonflammable surface, not on rugs or carpets.

• Never use electric space heaters with damaged electrical cords.

• Plug electric space heaters directly into wall outlets, never into electrical extension cord or power strip. Extension cords and power strips can short out when overloaded.

• Before using a gas space heater, check the hose and connections for leaks.

• Use a carbon monoxide detector when using a gas space heater.

Don't forget that smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors make great holiday gifts.
 

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