[E-updates] Holiday season safety tips from City of Lawrence Fire Marshal; Me dia invited to live tree burn

Tue Dec 13 08:14:09 CST 2005

NEWS RELEASE

City of Lawrence, Kansas

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 13, 2005

CONTACT:  Rich Barr, Fire Marshal, (785) 832-3174

Holiday season safety tips from City of Lawrence Fire Marshal; Media invited to live tree burn

(LAWRENCE, KS) - The City of Lawrence Fire Marshal, Rich Barr, reminds citizens that the holiday season should be merry and bright and safe. Avoiding hazards such as dried out Christmas trees, unsafe lights and unattended burning candles could prevent thousands of injuries.

"Sometimes people are enjoying the holiday festivities and forget to extinguish candles," said Rich Barr, City of Lawrence fire marshal.  "Never leave a candle burning when you go to bed or leave the room.  Always place candles away from curtains and other flammable materials."

The following safety tips will help you and your family avoid injuries such as falls, cuts and shocks related to holiday lights, decorations and Christmas trees.

Trees:

When purchasing an artificial tree, look for the label "Fire Resistant." This label means the tree will resist burning and should extinguish quickly. It does not mean the tree will not catch fire.

When purchasing a live tree, check for freshness. A fresh tree is green, needles are hard to pull from branches and do not break when bent between your fingers. The truck butt of a fresh tree is sticky with resin and when tapped on the ground, the tree should not lose many needles.

When setting up a tree at home, place it away from fireplaces and radiators. Because heated rooms rapidly dry out live trees, be sure to keep the stand filled with water. Place the tree out of the way of traffic and do not block doorways.

Lights:

Indoors and outside, use only lights that have been tested for safety by a recognized testing laboratory, which indicates conformance with safety standards. Use only lights that have fused plugs.

Check each set of light, new or old, for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections and throw out damaged sets. Always replace burned-out bulbs promptly with the same wattage bulbs.

Use no more than three standard-size sets of light per single extension cord. Make sure the extension cord is rated for intended use.

Never use electric lights on a metallic tree. Faulty lights present the risk of electrocution.

Before using lights outdoors, check labels to be sure they have been certified for outdoor use.

Fasten outdoor lights securely to trees, house walls, or other firm supports to protect the lights from wind damage. Hooks are the preferred way to string lights or use insulated staples not nails or tacks.

Turn off all holiday lights when you go to bed or leave the house.

Outdoor electric lights and decorations should be plugged into circuits protected by ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs).

Decorations:

Use only non-combustible or flame resistant materials to trim a tree. Choose tinsel or artificial icicles of plastic or nonleaded metals. 

Never use candles on a tree or near other evergreens. Always use non-flammable holders and place candles where they will not be knocked down.

In homes with small children, avoid decorations that are sharp or breakable. Keep trimmings with small removable parts out of the reach of children and avoid trimming that resemble candy or food.

Fireplaces:

Do not burn wrapping papers in the fireplace. 

Do not burn Christmas trees in the fireplace.

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MEDIA ADVISORY

City of Lawrence, Kansas

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 8, 2005

CONTACT:  Rich Barr, Fire Marshal, Lawrence Douglas County Fire Medical Department, (785) 832-3174

Media invited to live tree burning 

(LAWRENCE, KS) - Lawrence Douglas County Fire Medical staff will open the training tower to reporters and photographers to experience the burning of a live Christmas tree.

Media will have the opportunity to suit up in bunker gear, watch a candle ignite a live Christmas tree and experience the swiftness and intensity of the resulting fire from the doorway and windows of the burn room.

WHO: Members of the media 

WHAT: are invited to a demonstration of live Christmas tree burn in Fire Medical training tower.

WHEN: Thursday, December 15 at 2:00 p.m.

WHERE: Fire Medical Training and Maintenance Facility, 1941 Haskell Avenue

WHY: Demonstrating the danger of an uncared for tree is a powerful community education tool.  Fire prevention efforts are reinforced when the public can see the result of unsafe behaviors.

Media desiring to suit up in bunker gear should contact Fire Marshal Rich Barr by Wednesday, Dec. 14 at 4pm at (785) 832-3174.

-END- 

_____________________________

Lisa K. Patterson

Communications Manager

City of Lawrence

PO Box 708

Lawrence, KS 66044

(785) 832-3406

fax (785) 832-3405

lpatterson at ci.lawrence.ks.us

http://www.lawrenceks.org

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