Home > Press > RECENT PRESS RELEASES > Nov 04, 2011 - CITY OF NEWARK REMINDS RESIDENTS: CHECK YOUR SMOKE ALARMS WHEN YOU CHANGE YOUR CLOCKS THIS WEEKEND

For Immediate Release

 CITY OF NEWARK REMINDS RESIDENTS: CHECK YOUR SMOKE ALARMS WHEN YOU CHANGE YOUR CLOCKS THIS WEEKEND

Start of Eastern Standard Time is also time to replace old batteries in home and office smoke alarms and Carbon Monoxide detectors

Newark, NJ – November 4, 2011 – Mayor Cory A. Booker, the Newark Municipal Council, Fire Director Fateen A. Ziyad, and Fire Chief John G. Centanni reminded residents today that as they move their clocks one hour back on Sunday, November 6, at 2 a.m., to begin Eastern Standard Time, they should also take the time to replace old batteries in home and office smoke alarms and Carbon Monoxide detectors.

“As we move our clocks one hour back this weekend it’s important for our residents to make another change that could save their lives – changing the batteries in their smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors,” said Mayor Booker. “The peak time for home fire fatalities is between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. when most families are sleeping. Changing the batteries in smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors will increase the chance of home fire survival.”

In many homes, using space heaters, stove ovens, and other devices can produce odorless but deadly carbon monoxide fumes that can kill. Furthermore, improperly-maintained space heaters and fireplaces are potential causes of house fires.

“Winter is coming, and temperatures will drop. When the mercury dips, some families, struggling to pay their heating bills, will turn on the kitchen stove burners and the oven in an effort to take the chill off of their home. What these families don’t realize is how dangerous this practice can be. A gas oven or range top should never be used for heating. A fire could start and poisonous carbon monoxide (CO) fumes could fill the home. Any fuel-burning heating equipment (fireplaces, furnaces, water heaters, space or portable heaters), generators, and chimneys can produce carbon monoxide,” said Director Ziyad.

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), hundreds of people die each year from unintentional CO poisoning. Fire departments responded to an estimated 61,000 CO incidents in 2005, a 9 percent increase from 2004. (This excludes incidents where a fire was present.) Close to 90 percent of CO incidents occur in the home.

“The Fire Department seeks to reduce the number of carbon monoxide incidents in the city of Newark and discourage anyone from using the range or oven to heat their home. Install CO alarms inside your home to provide early warning of accumulating CO. Have your heating equipment inspected by a professional every year before cold weather sets in,” Chief Centanni said.

Communities nationwide witness tragic home fire deaths each year. Approximately every three hours a home fire death occurs somewhere in the nation and 80 percent of those occur in homes without working smoke alarms. Non-working smoke alarms deprive residents of the protective benefits home fire safety devices were designed to provide. The most commonly cited cause of non-working smoke alarms are worn or missing batteries. Additionally, many homes do not have adequate smoke alarms or have out-dated alarms that require replacing. Households using the 10-year lithium smoke alarms are encouraged to test their alarms to ensure they are functioning properly.

Often called a silent killer, CO is an invisible, odorless, colorless gas created when fuels, such as gasoline, wood, coal, natural gas, propane, oil and methane, burn incompletely. CO enters the body through breathing. CO poisoning can be confused with flu symptoms, food poisoning and other illnesses. Some symptoms include shortness of breath, nausea, dizziness, lightheadedness or headaches. Everyone is at risk for CO poisoning, but infants, pregnant women and people with physical conditions that limit their ability to use oxygen, such as emphysema, asthma or heart disease, can be more severely affected by low concentrations of CO than healthy adults. High levels of CO can be fatal for anyone, causing death within minutes.

• CO alarms are not substitutes for smoke alarms. Know the difference between the sound of smoke alarms and CO alarms.
• Test CO alarms at least once a month.
• If your CO alarm sounds, immediately move to a fresh air location and call for help. Remain at the fresh air location until emergency personnel say it is okay.
• If the audible trouble signal sounds, check for low batteries or other trouble indicators.

The Fire Department also warned against leaving space heaters on and fireplaces blazing unattended.  The majority of heating fire deaths are caused by space heaters or creosote build-ups in chimneys. Home heating equipment was involved in an estimated 66,100 home fires in 2008, according to the non-profit National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). The cost of these fires is more than just property damage. The cost included roughly 480 lives and roughly 1,660 injuries in 2008.

“Home heating fires are largely preventable when you know the rules. The Newark Fire Department’s goal is to reduce the number of home-heating fires in our community. But we need your help. We are urging Newark citizens to use extra caution when heating your home,” Chief Centanni said. “Put fresh batteries in your smoke and Carbon Monoxide detectors. Heat your house safely.”

The Fire Department recommends that you follow these guidelines:

·         Space heaters need space. Keep all things that can burn, such as paper, bedding or furniture, at least 3 feet away from heating equipment.

·         Turn portable heaters off when you go to bed or leave the room.

·         Plug power cords only into outlets with sufficient capacity and never into an extension cord.

·         Inspect for cracked, frayed or broken plugs or loose connections. Replace before using.

·         Have your chimney inspected each year and cleaned if necessary.

·         Use a sturdy fireplace screen.

·         Allow ashes to cool before disposing. Dispose of ashes in a metal container.

·         Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home. For the best protection, interconnect all smoke alarms throughout the home — when one sounds, they all sound. Test smoke alarms at least once a month.

·         Install and maintain a carbon monoxide alarm in a central location outside each sleeping area.

·         Never use an oven to heat your home.

·         For fuel assistance, contact the National Fuel Funds Network at 1-202-824-0660.

Since 2006, the Newark Fire Department has opened new and renovated fire stations, and added new vehicles to its inventory. The Department has 16 engine companies, eight ladder companies, and five special operations support companies. The Newark Fire Department also has a number of specialized units, including an Arson Unit, a Hazardous Materials Unit, a Fireboat, a Confined Space Rescue Team, a Foam Tanker, and a Cascade Unit, which responds to emergency scenes to fill air bottles. In addition, the Department is one of only nine in the State of New Jersey whose Metro Strike Team has a Collapse Unit, to deal with collapsed buildings. Most of the Department’s specialized units are assigned for regional response, to assist neighboring communities that lack such equipment and training. The Department recently acquired two Hazmat vehicles that make Newark one of the three best such responders on the East Coast.

For more information about fire prevention and all other City of Newark programs and policies, contact the Non-Emergency Call Center at (973) 733-4311.

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Contact:         Newark Press Information Office: (973) 733-8004

E-mail: Pressoffice@ci.newark.nj.us

About the City of Newark, New Jersey

Newark, commonly referred to as Brick City, is the third oldest city in the United States and the largest in New Jersey, with a population of more than 280,000 people. Newark sits on one of the nation’s largest transportation super-structures including an international airport, major commuter and freight rail lines, major highway intersections and the busiest seaport on the east coast.

With a new Administration as of July 2006, Newark continues to see signs of a strong revival. Its population showed growth in the most recent census. Its six major colleges and universities are further expanding their presence. The rate of production of affordable housing has doubled, and new businesses are moving in. There is still much work to be done but Newark is on its way to achieving its mission: to set a national standard for urban transformation.

For more information on the City of Newark, please visit our website at www.ci.newark.nj.us

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