IN THE CITY
By Vince Baldwin
As we move through our fall season, we are reminded that winter will soon be upon us. Before the snow flies is our traditional time of year to start preparing for the heating season with the hopes that it will be a short winter. Here are some safety tips that we like to remind everyone about each year.
1. Clean your chimney before the heating season if you burn wood
2. Have your chimney liner inspected by a licensed professional
3. Have oil-fired furnaces and boilers cleaned by professional service technicians
4. Check your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors monthly
5. Never stack wood or other combustibles too close to any wood stove or furnace
6. Never use heating sources that emit fumes or vapors without the unit being vented properly
7. Never leave vehicles running in your garage or next to an entry door. Fumes can enter your home and linger for hours.
8. Never leave electric space heaters unattended.
Today there are many alternative heating devices. Some are heat pumps, propane heaters, pellet stoves, electric heaters and small portable heating devices. With all of these alternative heating devices, there can be hazards that you should be aware of.
First and foremost you should have any device installed by a licensed professional and installed to the manufacturer’s recommendations. Second, you should be aware of how to use the heating device properly and safely. Many of our calls we go to in the winter are due to incorrect use or installation. Third, when using electric or ceramic heaters, be sure that these units are built with safety features that will shut down power to the source when and if it’s knocked over and are UL listed. Make sure that these units are three feet from combustibles and never lay clothing or other materials on them to dry.
Pellet stoves require more than just annual maintenance. If using one, you should make sure you follow the recommended cleaning procedures in the manufacturer’s instructions.
Propane devices emit hazardous exhaust fumes so make sure your venting is done properly.
As we proceed into the cold winter, some things we would recommend:
1. Do not use a portable kerosene heater in small unvented space
2. Do not use heating devices such as silent glows, or blow dryers too close to combustibles when trying to thaw pipes
3. Never use a torch to thaw frozen pipes
4. Do not leave electric space heaters or other portable heaters running and unattended.
There are also some general winter tips we would like you to know about. Keep in mind the need for exiting your home if there was a fire. We generally keep a path clear for the oil delivery person but often don’t think to have those areas we would use to exit in the event of an emergency clear for our own escape or for emergency responders to gain entry.
Be sure that your home has address identification numbers displayed clear enough to be read from the roadway or on your mailbox. Be sure that snow does not obstruct these signs. If your numbers are not clearly posted this can affect our ability to find you in a timely manner.
The City of Presque Isle does have an ordinance requiring house numbers as well as indicating the size of the numbers along with recommendations for where these numbers should be placed. More information on this ordinance can be found on the Cities website at www.presqueislemaine.gov or connect the code office for more information.
The Presque Isle Fire Department would like you to have a safe and healthy heating season. If you have any questions about these or other safety tips, please do not hesitate to call the Presque Isle Fire Department.
Captain Vincent E. Baldwin can be reached at 769-0881 or via email at vbaldwin@presqueisleme.us.
