Life Safety

Mission Statement Saving Lives, Protecting Property and Reducing Injuries through community and responder education.

To contact the Life Safety Staff either phone 410.643.5454 or email LIFESAFETY@KIVFD.ORG

The Fire and Life Safety Program covers the following major areas:

Public Safety Education - The Department's public outreach program providing the community with up to date fire prevention and life safety information thru training classes, lectures, open houses, and our website. Safety Inspection and Preplanning - The Department's program where fire suppression personnel tour local businesses to identify hazards to personnel in the event of a fire. Firefighter Occupational Health and Safety - The Department's program for ensuring the health and safety of its First Responders. Incident Reporting System - The Department's program for maintaining our incident information and staistics as required by the Maryland State Fire Marshal's Office.

Life Safety & Public Education News & Events

Residential sprinklers will soon be required for a new build one and two family homes in Queens Anne’s County. County ordinance 08-02 will go into effect on August 9^th, 2008 and will require “automatic sprinkler systems in all new one and two family dwellings constructed in Queen Anne’s County which have a public water system available”. KIVFD supports this ordinance that will reduce fire losses, make homes safer for our citizens, and reduce firefighter injuries resulting from fire suppression and overhaul activities. For more information concerning this ordinance, please contact the Queen Anne’s County department of Land Use, Growth Management and Environment.

Wednesday afternoon, July 2nd found Public Fire and Life Safety Educator Whitney Gellert, Paramedic Sherri Younger and FF/EMT Steve Doyle welcoming a local Girl Scout troop to our station. The focus of the afternoon was first aid and fire safety. The group was taught the basics of first aid, when to call 911 and the firefighter is your friend. The adult Girl Scout leaders renwed their CPR certification. The highlight of the afternoon was a demonstration by FF/EMT Doyle on how a firefighter dresses to fight fire. Whitney and Steve also taught the class what to do in the event their house is on fire. Remember these simple points. Have working Smoke Detectors. Sleep with bedroom doors closed. If you smell smoke, stay low, do not open hot doors. DO NOT HIDE FROM THE FIREFIGHTERS. GET OUT AND STAY OUT. The Kent Island Volunteer Fire Department Division of Life Safety's goal is to assist you to be more informed regarding all safety issues. We can tailor our presentation to your specific event and age group. Please contact us at lifesafety@kivfd.org.

Pool Safety Too often, firefighters hear people say, “it was just a few seconds.” Unfortunately, just a few seconds is all it takes for a child to drown. Most of these children drown in their own backyard swimming pool, but others drown in buckets, bathtubs, toilets, dog water bowls, creeks and ponds. Small children are top-heavy, and they don't have the upper body strength to lift themselves out of one of these dangerous situations. Even if the child survives the incident, they are often left with permanent brain damage. Drowning and near drowning can be prevented, and you can help! Anyone involved with the supervision of children needs to be aware of the dangers associated with any body of water. Below are some useful tips to prevent these needless tragedies. Know where your children are at all times: Use an approved barrier to separate the pool from the house. Never allow children to be alone near a pool or any water source. Have life-saving devices near the pool, such as a pole/hook, or flotation device. Keep large objects such as tables, chairs, toys, and ladders away from pool fences. Post the 9-1-1 number on the phone. Do not allow children to play around the pool and store all toys outside the pool area. If you leave the pool area, take the children with you. Always have a “designated child watcher”. Learn to swim. Never swim alone, or while under the influence of alcohol or medications. Never swim when thunder or lightning is present. Never dive into unfamiliar or shallow bodies of water.

Every year the KIVFD responds to several barbecue and grill fires. Make sure that the next time you light up your backyard grill, you do it safely! Each year, about 600 fires/explosions nationally occur with gas grills resulting in injuries to about 30 people. Propane gas is highly flammable. The new safety standard for propane gas tanks requires that an "over-fill prevention device" be installed in new gas tanks. The new propane gas tanks have valve handles with three "lobes" (prongs) while older tanks have valve handles with five prongs. People with older propane gas tanks should trade them in for the new, safer tanks. Each year about 19 people die nationally as a result of CO fumes from charcoal being burned inside. Charcoal produces carbon monoxide (CO) when it is burned. CO is a colorless, odorless gas that can accumulate to toxic levels in closed environments. Gas Grill Safety Tips Check grill hoses for cracking, brittleness, holes, and leaks. Make sure there are no sharp bends in the hose or tubing. Move gas hoses as far away as possible from hot surfaces and dripping hot grease. Always keep propane gas containers upright. Never store a spare gas container under or near the grill or indoors. Never store or use flammable liquids, like gasoline, near the grill. Never keep a filled container in a hot car or car trunk. Heat will cause the gas pressure to increase, which may open the relief valve and allow gas to escape. Charcoal Grill Safety Tips Never burn charcoal inside of homes, vehicles, tents, or campers. Charcoal should never be used indoors, even if ventilation is provided. Since charcoal produces CO fumes until the charcoal is completely extinguished, do not store the grill indoors with freshly used coals.

For more information go to www.EveryoneGoesHome.com

It seems like a simple enough task. Bring the fire engine to the local school, community event or civic function. We almost take it for granted that the firefighters, EMT's and paramedics who come to teach us have the knowledge and skills for this task. But how do they learn to interact with a variety of students and present an effective public education program? The MFRI (Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute) offers a series of certification classes for just such a task. KIVFD Members earning their Public Fire and Life Safety Educator I certification were required to complete sixteen hours of classroom instruction, a written examination and a Life Safety education presentation. Many of those presentations are now part of our education library. Topics included Elder Safety, Poison Safety and Awareness, Residential Sprinkler Awareness and Electrical Safety. Additionally, several members completed the thirty hour MFRI, Fire Department Safety Officer Course. This course trains firefighters to understand and begin to manage a comprehensive fire department safety and risk mamagement program. The students learn basic risk assessment, health and wellness, emergency response safety and incident safety. Each student was required to give a presentation discussing the events surrounding a firefighter Line of Duty Death (LODD). The goal of a fire department Life Safety program is to minimize civilian and firefighter injuries and have ZERO deaths. Congratulations to all. Great Job. Public Fire and Life Safety Educator I Doug Leatherman Scherry Schlotterbeck Hollyann Schlotterbeck Whitney Gellert Dave Reid Shaun Raines Paul Clark Steve Andrews Fire Department Safety Officer Woody Colburn Dave Reid Steve Andrews If you would like to schedule a visit to our station, would like us to visit your event or have a Life Safety question or concern, please contact our Life Safety Officer via email: lifesafety@kivfd.org