Falcon Fire Protection District personnel are trained to handle a variety of emergency situations, but every now and then they can use a little help from the public. Here are two simple things residents can do to help firefighters protect the community.
- Maintain smoke and CO alarms.In 2015, carbon monoxide alarms alerted nine Falcon-area families to increased levels of CO in their homes. Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms save lives, but FFPD 2015 incident statistics indicate that many people do not adequately maintain these life-saving devices.
- About a fifth of all smoke alarm and CO alarm activations were caused by low batteries.
- Alarms that reached the end of their service life accounted for about 7 percent of smoke alarm activations and 20 percent of CO alarm activations. Fortunately, keeping families safe just takes a little effort.
- Replace batteries at least once a year. An easy way to remember is to change smoke and CO alarm batteries when changing clocks. The next time change happens Sunday, March 13.
- Replace outdated alarms. Smoke and CO alarms have limited lifespans because sensor sensitivity decreases over time. Replace smoke and CO alarms as recommended by the manufacturer. This information can be found on the label on the back of the unit, in the instructions or online. Smoke alarms older than 10 years and CO alarms older than seven years should be immediately replaced.
- Be familiar with the sounds a particular smoke or CO alarm makes. Audible alerts for smoke or CO conditions will sound different from a low battery or an end-of-life signal. The manufacturerís instructions should explain what each type of signal means.
- Prevent wildfires all yearAs much as 2 feet of snow fell in parts of El Paso County in the first week of February. By Feb. 18, unseasonably warm temperatures and low humidity created high fire danger, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a Red Flag Warning for much of southeastern Colorado, including southern El Paso County. Firefighters around the county and state fought multiple grass fires that day and the next, including one near Punkin Center that charred more than 2,000 acres.ìHere we had the biggest snowstorm of the season, and two weeks later weíre under a Red Flag Warning,î said Falcon Fire Chief Trent Harwig. He said last yearís heavy rains spurred rapid growth of grass, brush and other vegetation that can easily ignite when the humidity drops and temperatures increase. ìItís ready to burn,î he said.Nationally, more than one-third of the brush, grass and forest fires that local fire departments responded to were caused by sparks, hot embers, ashes or smoking materials, according to National Fire Protection Association statistics for 2007-2011. The Lincoln County Sheriffís Office reported that the Punkin Center fire was likely caused by a motoristís discarded cigarette. In Falcon, a January grass fire was ignited by sparks from a metal grinder.FFPD offers these outdoor fire safety tips:
- Dispose of smoking materials responsibly. Do not throw lit cigarettes out of vehicles.
- When the weather is warm, dry and windy, avoid outdoor use of machinery or tools that could create sparks.
- Keep grass and weeds mowed short around structures.
- Monitor local media for weather conditions and fire warnings.
