Safety
Risk Reduction Specialist to contribute to TrailMark Communications outlets
Einar Jensen, Risk Reduction Specialist for South Metro Fire Rescue at Station #19, brings a wealth of expertise and experience with fire safety, injury prevention, disaster preparedness, and much more. Einar is a contributor to our newsletter and other news outlets, on a variety of subjects, and will attend some of our HOA Board meetings. We are very fortunate to have Einar in our TrailMark family.
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Lessons Learned: Homeowners, Renters should verify they’re Properly Insured
Homeowners who lost their homes in the Marshall, Cameron Peak, East Troublesome and other recent wildfires have learned tough lessons regarding their insurance policies. It’s essential that we also learn those lessons, preferably without having to lose a home.
The cost to rebuild a house is not the same as the value of the house before the structure fire, wildfire, or other disaster. |
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Two-thirds of wildfire victims in the U.S. are underinsured, according to United Policyholders, a homeowner’s insurance advocacy group. Today is a great day to fix that problem.
The declarations page of your policy should identify the limit of what will be paid if you need to rebuild. Has that amount changed to reflect the mushrooming costs of home construction?
Your policy may have extended replacement-cost coverage, but it’s optional. Colorado law requires insurance companies, when offering or renewing a policy, to offer extended replacement coverage of at least 20% above the limit of insurance in Coverage A. Will that total be enough to cover reconstruction of your home in your neighborhood?
Another type of coverage is called Coverage B. It covers other structures on the property such as fencing, sheds, and detached garages. Make sure it has adjusted over time.
Your policy may be based on “prevailing market rates,” according to the Colorado Department of Insurance, but who sets those rates and when were they set? The market value of a home includes the land under it and its location, but it doesn’t account for the costs of labor and materials. Those seemingly rise daily.
Another optional type of coverage is law and ordinance coverage. It covers increased costs for demolition, construction, renovation, and repair associated with updates in building codes and other local requirements.
To get reimbursed for your home’s contents, it’s best to provide your insurance company with a complete inventory of those contents. Colorado law requires insurance companies to cut a check for 30 percent of a homeowner’s total coverage without requiring any documentation, but that’s a significant loss for someone who lost her property in the fire. Providing documentation can increase the return on your insurance investment.
Renters should also look at their coverage, particularly for personal property. This coverage helps reimburse you if personal belongings are stolen or destroyed by a fire or other covered peril. It can cover clothing, furniture, electronics, and other belongings.
For other preparedness and safety questions, please visit www.southmetro.org or email us at reducingrisk@southmetro.org.
Posted April 26, 2022
The declarations page of your policy should identify the limit of what will be paid if you need to rebuild. Has that amount changed to reflect the mushrooming costs of home construction?
Your policy may have extended replacement-cost coverage, but it’s optional. Colorado law requires insurance companies, when offering or renewing a policy, to offer extended replacement coverage of at least 20% above the limit of insurance in Coverage A. Will that total be enough to cover reconstruction of your home in your neighborhood?
Another type of coverage is called Coverage B. It covers other structures on the property such as fencing, sheds, and detached garages. Make sure it has adjusted over time.
Your policy may be based on “prevailing market rates,” according to the Colorado Department of Insurance, but who sets those rates and when were they set? The market value of a home includes the land under it and its location, but it doesn’t account for the costs of labor and materials. Those seemingly rise daily.
Another optional type of coverage is law and ordinance coverage. It covers increased costs for demolition, construction, renovation, and repair associated with updates in building codes and other local requirements.
To get reimbursed for your home’s contents, it’s best to provide your insurance company with a complete inventory of those contents. Colorado law requires insurance companies to cut a check for 30 percent of a homeowner’s total coverage without requiring any documentation, but that’s a significant loss for someone who lost her property in the fire. Providing documentation can increase the return on your insurance investment.
Renters should also look at their coverage, particularly for personal property. This coverage helps reimburse you if personal belongings are stolen or destroyed by a fire or other covered peril. It can cover clothing, furniture, electronics, and other belongings.
For other preparedness and safety questions, please visit www.southmetro.org or email us at reducingrisk@southmetro.org.
Posted April 26, 2022
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Driving Classes are a Good Defense for an Inherently Distracting Activity
Although “distracted driving” remains a popular phrase and often is tied to cell phone usage, the act of driving is inherently distracting because of the hundreds of stimuli confronting drivers along every mile of roadway.
“For those of us who aren’t brain surgeons,” author Tom Vanderbilt wrote in his 2008 book Traffic, “driving is probably the most complex everyday thing we do.” Researchers in Maryland found that a piece of information—signs, striping, curbs—was presented to drivers every two feet. A driver along that road would receive 1,320 items of information per minute at 30 mph. |
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All those pieces of information are useful, but still distracting if a driver spends too much time pondering or interpreting them individually or collectively. New information also may cause the driver to forget information such as vehicles seen a few moments before in a mirror.
“If, while driving, we were to really process every potential hazard, carefully analyze every motion and decision, and break down each maneuver into its component parts, we would quickly become overwhelmed,” said Vanderbilt.
A good defense against overthinking each aspect of driving as well as focusing our attention on what matters is practice. Practice is best completed when the stakes are low such as in a classroom setting.
The South Metro Safety Foundation, a non-profit arm of South Metro Fire Rescue, offers several classes for drivers of all ages to practice their skills and improve their safety:
Teen drivers without driving violations can apply for a State Farm Scholarship to offset the costs of the Crash Avoidance Class. This program, is hosted by the South Metro Safety Foundation and South Metro Fire Rescue, is funded by a State Farm® grant.
Additional information about driving safety is available at www.southmetrofoundation.org, www.southmetro.org, and by emailing ReducingRisk@southmetro.org.
Posted March 18, 2022
“If, while driving, we were to really process every potential hazard, carefully analyze every motion and decision, and break down each maneuver into its component parts, we would quickly become overwhelmed,” said Vanderbilt.
A good defense against overthinking each aspect of driving as well as focusing our attention on what matters is practice. Practice is best completed when the stakes are low such as in a classroom setting.
The South Metro Safety Foundation, a non-profit arm of South Metro Fire Rescue, offers several classes for drivers of all ages to practice their skills and improve their safety:
- Adult/Senior Driving Skills is a 4-hour hands-on driving class, perfect for new Colorado residents, senior citizens, and all other adults aged 22 and older who would like to improve their ability to handle challenging winter driving situations. $60.
- The 4.5-hour Teen Driver Awareness Program allows teens to get their driving permit and provides parents an affordable driver’s education option. This class includes information in all areas of the learn-to-drive process, and coverage of material found on the DMV written test (taken at the DMV). Class also includes video driving simulations with a focus on safety. $80.
- Crash Avoidance Teen Driving Skills class prepares young drivers with either a permit or license between the ages of 15 and 22 for the road ahead. This 6.5-hour class provides young drivers with a practical driving experience to develop car control and defensive driving skills. $175.
Teen drivers without driving violations can apply for a State Farm Scholarship to offset the costs of the Crash Avoidance Class. This program, is hosted by the South Metro Safety Foundation and South Metro Fire Rescue, is funded by a State Farm® grant.
Additional information about driving safety is available at www.southmetrofoundation.org, www.southmetro.org, and by emailing ReducingRisk@southmetro.org.
Posted March 18, 2022
Helping yourself after a Fall
As our fire district’s population continues to grow–and age–our collective needs are changing. Over the last year, South Metro Fire Rescue’s Community Risk Reduction Bureau (CRRB) performed a strategic analysis of our services and found we needed to expand our educational outreach for older residents. In 2020, roughly 40% of SMFR’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) calls were for patients aged 65 and older. Additionally, falls and lift assists were approximately 20% of the total EMS calls in the fire district. Nationwide, falls are a leading cause of death for people aged 65 and older, and more than half of patients who suffer a hip fracture never regain their previous level of independence/functioning. Clearly, falls can be devastating, but some falls don’t cause any physical injuries.
You’ve Fallen; Now What?
After a fall, assess your condition. Hopefully you remember why you fell: maybe you stumbled over the cat, slipped on ice, missed a step, or didn’t see the bump in the sidewalk. Do you feel pain anywhere? Do you see blood? Can you move all your joints?
If you are able, roll onto your side and check your condition again to make sure that movement didn’t expose any injuries.
Roll or scoot to a sturdy piece of furniture and use it to move into a kneeling position. Move into a kneeling position on your hands and knees. Do that self-assessment again. Take your time so your blood pressure can stabilize and you can prevent yourself from fainting.
While kneeling, bring one leg forward and put that foot on the floor. Place your arms on the furniture and push up with your arms and legs so you can sit on the furniture. Self-assess and rest for a moment. Almost done.
Finally, scoot to the edge of the furniture and lean so your nose is over your toes. Use your leg, core, and arm muscles to stand. Self-assess and rest. Congratulations, you self-lifted after a fall.
If you are with someone who falls, you can coach them through that same process. You can watch SMFR’s Captain lift Assist video for tips, too: https://youtu.be/g_N0f3LHA18.
Sometimes 911 is the Best Reaction
Some falls are worse than others. We definitely want you, a loved one, or a caregiver to call 911 if the person who fell meets any of the following conditions:
When in doubt or you aren’t sure what to do, call 911. Our firefighters will respond promptly to take care of you.
Starting this spring, SMFR and the South Metro Safety Foundation are offering new risk reduction programs for older adults and family members. Initiatives include:
If you would like to sign up for this newsletter or check out the classes available, visit https://smfrsenior.org/ or add your name to our contact list at https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/pc6QJfy/olderadults.
Posted March 1, 2022
As our fire district’s population continues to grow–and age–our collective needs are changing. Over the last year, South Metro Fire Rescue’s Community Risk Reduction Bureau (CRRB) performed a strategic analysis of our services and found we needed to expand our educational outreach for older residents. In 2020, roughly 40% of SMFR’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) calls were for patients aged 65 and older. Additionally, falls and lift assists were approximately 20% of the total EMS calls in the fire district. Nationwide, falls are a leading cause of death for people aged 65 and older, and more than half of patients who suffer a hip fracture never regain their previous level of independence/functioning. Clearly, falls can be devastating, but some falls don’t cause any physical injuries.
You’ve Fallen; Now What?
After a fall, assess your condition. Hopefully you remember why you fell: maybe you stumbled over the cat, slipped on ice, missed a step, or didn’t see the bump in the sidewalk. Do you feel pain anywhere? Do you see blood? Can you move all your joints?
If you are able, roll onto your side and check your condition again to make sure that movement didn’t expose any injuries.
Roll or scoot to a sturdy piece of furniture and use it to move into a kneeling position. Move into a kneeling position on your hands and knees. Do that self-assessment again. Take your time so your blood pressure can stabilize and you can prevent yourself from fainting.
While kneeling, bring one leg forward and put that foot on the floor. Place your arms on the furniture and push up with your arms and legs so you can sit on the furniture. Self-assess and rest for a moment. Almost done.
Finally, scoot to the edge of the furniture and lean so your nose is over your toes. Use your leg, core, and arm muscles to stand. Self-assess and rest. Congratulations, you self-lifted after a fall.
If you are with someone who falls, you can coach them through that same process. You can watch SMFR’s Captain lift Assist video for tips, too: https://youtu.be/g_N0f3LHA18.
Sometimes 911 is the Best Reaction
Some falls are worse than others. We definitely want you, a loved one, or a caregiver to call 911 if the person who fell meets any of the following conditions:
- She bonked her head.
- He feels neck or back pain.
- She is taking blood thinners.
- He fainted or fell for no apparent reason.
When in doubt or you aren’t sure what to do, call 911. Our firefighters will respond promptly to take care of you.
Starting this spring, SMFR and the South Metro Safety Foundation are offering new risk reduction programs for older adults and family members. Initiatives include:
- Monthly Safety Skills for Older Adults Class
- Monthly Caring for Older Adults Class
- Quarterly newsletter with classes, events, and resources for older adults
- Volunteer opportunities to reduce isolation and provide resource packets
If you would like to sign up for this newsletter or check out the classes available, visit https://smfrsenior.org/ or add your name to our contact list at https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/pc6QJfy/olderadults.
Posted March 1, 2022
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Many Home Fires are Linked to Electrical Causes
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Did you know that many of the home fires in South Metro Fire Rescue’s district are caused by faulty electrical outlets, frayed cords, or improper charging techniques? With all of our electronics, we need to ensure we use them safely to prevent fires and keep our families safe.
Charging devices
As we charge our cell phones, tablets, and laptops, we should place them on a solid nonflammable surface. As those devices charge, they produce heat. If you charge your devices on your bed, couch, or other soft surface, air is unable to flow around the device. As a result, the soft surface and the charging device could heat enough to start a fire.
Loose outlets
Do plugs fall out of your outlets? This is a clue that an electrical fire could be started inside of your wall. A loose outlet is a sign that your outlet is not making a solid connection with the rest of your power in your home. When electrical connections are not solid, sparks can be created starting a fire inside your wall. Quit using that outlet until you can have it replaced.
Damaged electrical and extension cords
Are your cords showing signs of wear and tear? If you see electrical cords in your home that are fraying, pulling away from the plug, or the plastic has worn off enough that wires are showing, it is time for a new cord. Do not try to fix the cords; replace them.
Outlets and power strips
Outlets and power strips can be overloaded. When you have multiple items plugged into one outlet, the outlet can pull more electricity than it was designed for. Plugging power strips into each other and plugging extension cords into power strips also directs too much electricity through one outlet. This situation can result in an electrical fire. The danger with this type of electrical fire is the fire may start behind the wall and go unnoticed until it has consumed much of the wall.
Other helpful hints
For information on other safety issues, visit www.southmetro.org or contact us at ReducingRisk@southmetro.org.
Posted February 24, 2022
Charging devices
As we charge our cell phones, tablets, and laptops, we should place them on a solid nonflammable surface. As those devices charge, they produce heat. If you charge your devices on your bed, couch, or other soft surface, air is unable to flow around the device. As a result, the soft surface and the charging device could heat enough to start a fire.
Loose outlets
Do plugs fall out of your outlets? This is a clue that an electrical fire could be started inside of your wall. A loose outlet is a sign that your outlet is not making a solid connection with the rest of your power in your home. When electrical connections are not solid, sparks can be created starting a fire inside your wall. Quit using that outlet until you can have it replaced.
Damaged electrical and extension cords
Are your cords showing signs of wear and tear? If you see electrical cords in your home that are fraying, pulling away from the plug, or the plastic has worn off enough that wires are showing, it is time for a new cord. Do not try to fix the cords; replace them.
Outlets and power strips
Outlets and power strips can be overloaded. When you have multiple items plugged into one outlet, the outlet can pull more electricity than it was designed for. Plugging power strips into each other and plugging extension cords into power strips also directs too much electricity through one outlet. This situation can result in an electrical fire. The danger with this type of electrical fire is the fire may start behind the wall and go unnoticed until it has consumed much of the wall.
Other helpful hints
- Appliances need to be plugged directly into the wall. Large appliances like refrigerators require a lot of power and frequently cycle on and off, which can easily overload a power strip.
- Not all extension cords are the same. Some are not designed for use outside. Make sure the extension cord is designed for your needs.
- As a reminder, never put water on an electrical fire.
- Know how to turn off electricity to your home.
- If you want to learn about volts, amps, and watts, check out this video from NFPA. https://youtu.be/Rl7JcaigBAM
For information on other safety issues, visit www.southmetro.org or contact us at ReducingRisk@southmetro.org.
Posted February 24, 2022
Wildfire Mitigation resources
Einar Jensen, our Risk Reduction Specialist from South Metro Fire Rescue, is available to provide a home wildfire risk assessment for TrailMark residents. The assessment takes 20-30 minutes, is free, and provides you with recommendations, but not requirements, for modifying your landscaping or home. To schedule a home assessment, email Einar at einar.jensen@southmetro.org.
Posted February 20, 2022
Einar Jensen, our Risk Reduction Specialist from South Metro Fire Rescue, is available to provide a home wildfire risk assessment for TrailMark residents. The assessment takes 20-30 minutes, is free, and provides you with recommendations, but not requirements, for modifying your landscaping or home. To schedule a home assessment, email Einar at einar.jensen@southmetro.org.
- As individuals conduct wildfire mitigation on personal property, a percentage of expenses may be subtracted from state taxable income. The details are outlined in §39-22-104(4)(n), Colorado Revised Statutes and www.taxcolorado.com, but the quick version is that the mitigation applies to vegetation rather than structural changes. The total amount of the subtraction may not exceed $2,500.
Posted February 20, 2022
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Apply Now for the 2022 South Metro Fire Rescue Citizens Academy
South Metro Fire Rescue invites you to participate in their annual Citizens Academy. Information is in this attachment. Note that the deadline is February 4, 2022. |
A Letter from the President about TrailMark's Fire Evacuation Plan
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January 10, 2022
Dear TrailMark Residents,
The recent fires in Superior and Louisville were devastating for all of us to see and witness. As you know, TrailMark is surrounded by open space all around us - and many neighbors and residents have been wondering what we would do if this situation were to happen here in TrailMark.
On January 3rd, I contacted Einar Jensen, the Risk Reduction Specialist for South Metro Fire Rescue, and asked him if he could assist our neighborhood in coming up with a fire mitigation plan for TrailMark. Einar was thrilled that our HOA asked for such a plan.
Today, Einar has given us his 12-page TrailMark Mitigation Plan. Our HOA will post this TrailMark mitigation plan on our website as a resource. I have also included a link for you to click and print the 12-page document that Einar has outlined for TrailMark’s safety.
In addition to reading and reviewing Einar’s TrailMark mitigation plan, Einar strongly suggests that each homeowner register for Jefferson County’s reverse emergency notifications system called Code Red. You can use this link to opt in and register for emergency updates -www.jeffco.us/473/Emergency-Notifications
I have invited Einar Jensen to attend our HOA Zoom meeting on Thursday, January 13th at 7:00 p.m. so that he can outline the highlights of this very important safety document. Please join our meeting this Thursday, January 13th to hear Einar’s comments.
On behalf of our entire HOA Board, we value your safety and want to do everything in our capacity to link up our residents with the South Metro Fire Department so that we can keep each of our homes and families as safe as possible.
Thank you,
Ken Colaizzi, President
TrailMark HOA
Littleton, CO 80127
president@trailmarkhoa.org
https://www.trailmark.org
Dear TrailMark Residents,
The recent fires in Superior and Louisville were devastating for all of us to see and witness. As you know, TrailMark is surrounded by open space all around us - and many neighbors and residents have been wondering what we would do if this situation were to happen here in TrailMark.
On January 3rd, I contacted Einar Jensen, the Risk Reduction Specialist for South Metro Fire Rescue, and asked him if he could assist our neighborhood in coming up with a fire mitigation plan for TrailMark. Einar was thrilled that our HOA asked for such a plan.
Today, Einar has given us his 12-page TrailMark Mitigation Plan. Our HOA will post this TrailMark mitigation plan on our website as a resource. I have also included a link for you to click and print the 12-page document that Einar has outlined for TrailMark’s safety.
In addition to reading and reviewing Einar’s TrailMark mitigation plan, Einar strongly suggests that each homeowner register for Jefferson County’s reverse emergency notifications system called Code Red. You can use this link to opt in and register for emergency updates -www.jeffco.us/473/Emergency-Notifications
I have invited Einar Jensen to attend our HOA Zoom meeting on Thursday, January 13th at 7:00 p.m. so that he can outline the highlights of this very important safety document. Please join our meeting this Thursday, January 13th to hear Einar’s comments.
On behalf of our entire HOA Board, we value your safety and want to do everything in our capacity to link up our residents with the South Metro Fire Department so that we can keep each of our homes and families as safe as possible.
Thank you,
Ken Colaizzi, President
TrailMark HOA
Littleton, CO 80127
president@trailmarkhoa.org
https://www.trailmark.org
Six Lessons for All of Us from the Marshall Fire
Could a wildfire like the Marshall Fire occur in our fire district? Yes. And because it could occur here, it’s important that we consider lessons from that devastating wildfire and act on them.
South Metro Fire Rescue’s Community Risk Reduction Bureau and its website are great sources for information on wildfire mitigation. Most property owners could benefit from the following mitigation tips:
Mitigation is effective at protecting our families and property from low- and moderate-intensity wildfires. The Marshall Fire was pushed by hurricane-force winds with gusts exceeding 100 mph. Mitigation is not effective against high- and extreme-intensity wildfires. That is Lesson 1.
For additional information on wildfire and disaster preparedness, visit www.southmetro.org or contact us at ReducingRisk@southmetro.org.
Posted February 1, 2022
South Metro Fire Rescue’s Community Risk Reduction Bureau and its website are great sources for information on wildfire mitigation. Most property owners could benefit from the following mitigation tips:
- Remove dead leaves and needles from gutters regularly.
- Remove dead leaves and needles from the base of exterior walls and from under decking.
- Remove junipers from within 30 feet of any home, business, church or other structure.
Mitigation is effective at protecting our families and property from low- and moderate-intensity wildfires. The Marshall Fire was pushed by hurricane-force winds with gusts exceeding 100 mph. Mitigation is not effective against high- and extreme-intensity wildfires. That is Lesson 1.
- Lesson 2: When extreme wildfires are burning near or through neighborhoods, the only option is evacuation.
- Lesson 3: It’s critical that residents register for their county’s reverse emergency notification systems. We have to opt-in to add our cell phones to the contact lists for pre-evacuation and evacuation alerts from the sheriff’s offices.
- ➡ Those alerts include information on the incident, its location, its predicted growth, and where evacuees should go. However, if you’re in a neighborhood or other area threatened by an approaching wildfire, you can evacuate before receiving an alert.
- Lesson 4: All families need a neighborhood evacuation plan. It should identify a location in a different zip code where family members will meet if they are separated when an evacuation is ordered or become separated while evacuating. It also should consider options for children old enough to stay home alone on any other day, but not old enough to drive.
- Lesson 5: We all need a family communications plan. As you are packing your car, you probably shouldn’t answer calls from concerned friends and family about the impending disaster. Instead, they should call a designated family member who will act as the family information officer. You can check-in when you’re able.
- Lesson 6: Inventory your home now before an emergency occurs. That inventory will make your interactions with your insurance agent much easier. As you create the inventory, you’ll know if your insurance policy covers the proper value of the home and its contents.
For additional information on wildfire and disaster preparedness, visit www.southmetro.org or contact us at ReducingRisk@southmetro.org.
Posted February 1, 2022
Disasters in History - Presentations by TrailMark's Risk Reduction Specialist Einar Jensen
TrailMark's Risk Reduction Specialist Einar Jensen has scheduled the next season of Disasters in History presentations. These presentations are all about lessons learned from historical disasters with an emphasis on risk reduction. Ideal audience members are community members who appreciate history and/or enjoy learning from the past and risk reduction advocates. In other words… you.
If you are interested in attending any of the following classes, please email Einar with your RSVP choices. If you choose Zoom, he will email the link a few days before the presentation. If you choose in-person, Einar will email a reminder (or, if needed, a COVID-caused postponement or cancellation) a few days in advance.
1981 Kansas City Skywalks Collapse
1940s Nightclub Fires (Rhythm and Coconut Grove)
Outhouses and Risk Reduction (aka, Hookworms)
1965 Platte River Flood
Texas City Explosion
Thank you for your continued interest in risk reduction, history, and improving safety for yourself, your families, and our communities.
Einar Jensen
einar.jensen@southmetro.org
Posted January 10, 2022
TrailMark's Risk Reduction Specialist Einar Jensen has scheduled the next season of Disasters in History presentations. These presentations are all about lessons learned from historical disasters with an emphasis on risk reduction. Ideal audience members are community members who appreciate history and/or enjoy learning from the past and risk reduction advocates. In other words… you.
If you are interested in attending any of the following classes, please email Einar with your RSVP choices. If you choose Zoom, he will email the link a few days before the presentation. If you choose in-person, Einar will email a reminder (or, if needed, a COVID-caused postponement or cancellation) a few days in advance.
1981 Kansas City Skywalks Collapse
- Zoom-only – January 25 from 4-5 p.m.
1940s Nightclub Fires (Rhythm and Coconut Grove)
- Zoom – February 22 from 4-5 p.m.
- In-person – February 23 from 6-7 p.m. at SMFR Mineral Headquarters (9195 E. Mineral Ave., Centennial)
Outhouses and Risk Reduction (aka, Hookworms)
- Zoom – March 15 from 4-5 p.m.
- In-person – March 16 from 6-7 p.m. at SMFR Mineral Headquarters (9195 E. Mineral Ave., Centennial)
1965 Platte River Flood
- In-person – April 18 from 6-8 p.m. at SMFR Mineral Headquarters (9195 E. Mineral Ave., Centennial: meeting room, lower level)
- Zoom – April 26 from 4-5 p.m.
Texas City Explosion
- Zoom – May 10 from 4-5 p.m.
- In-person – May 17 from 6-7 p.m. at SMFR Mineral Headquarters (9195 E. Mineral Ave., Centennial)
Thank you for your continued interest in risk reduction, history, and improving safety for yourself, your families, and our communities.
Einar Jensen
einar.jensen@southmetro.org
Posted January 10, 2022
Protect Yourself and Your Family by Becoming WinterWise
I appreciated winter much more when I was a child. Snow days, sledding, ice skating, snow forts, snow angels, watching steam rise from the creek behind my parents’ home.
Forty years later, it means icy roads and sidewalks, fire hydrants buried in snow, heating bills, and frostnip. We also can’t forget ice rescues, home fires caused by fireplace ashes, and broken commercial sprinkler pipes. This winter also harbors wildfire risks since snowfall is so scarce.
It’s time we all winterize our lives and become WinterWise.
Winterize your vehicle
· Keep the washer fluid reservoir filled.
· Replace balding tires when tread depth reaches 2/32 of an inch. Use the penny test: rotate a penny so that Lincoln’s head points down into the tread. If the top of his head disappears between treads, the depth is greater than 2/32”.
· Keep an emergency kit in your vehicle with blankets, mittens, socks, hats, ice scraper, non-perishable food, multi-tool, and hand-crank flashlight.
Winterize your home, business
· Test smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms; replace any devices that have expired.
· Replace furnace filters to improve efficiency.
· Maintain three feet of space around space heaters.
· Replace insulation around residential or commercial sprinkler pipes.
· Remove dead needles, leaves from gutters, decking, and the base of walls.
· Shovel sidewalks if snow returns.
Winterize your recreation
· Keep pets leashed while adjacent to frozen bodies of water.
· Dress in layers. Remove layers before getting hot, replace layers before getting cold.
· Protect fingertips, ears, noses from exposure to cold.
· Stay hydrated.
· Stay off icy neighborhood ponds, creeks.
· If you see a person or other mammal fall through the ice, call 911 and stay on shore.
South Metro Fire Rescue’s Community Risk Reduction Specialists are able to provide presentations on these topics for HOAs, civic groups, PTAs, collections of neighbors, and schools. Contact us at ReducingRisk@southmetro.org to schedule such a presentation for virtual or in-person delivery.
Posted December 21, 2021
I appreciated winter much more when I was a child. Snow days, sledding, ice skating, snow forts, snow angels, watching steam rise from the creek behind my parents’ home.
Forty years later, it means icy roads and sidewalks, fire hydrants buried in snow, heating bills, and frostnip. We also can’t forget ice rescues, home fires caused by fireplace ashes, and broken commercial sprinkler pipes. This winter also harbors wildfire risks since snowfall is so scarce.
It’s time we all winterize our lives and become WinterWise.
Winterize your vehicle
· Keep the washer fluid reservoir filled.
· Replace balding tires when tread depth reaches 2/32 of an inch. Use the penny test: rotate a penny so that Lincoln’s head points down into the tread. If the top of his head disappears between treads, the depth is greater than 2/32”.
· Keep an emergency kit in your vehicle with blankets, mittens, socks, hats, ice scraper, non-perishable food, multi-tool, and hand-crank flashlight.
Winterize your home, business
· Test smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms; replace any devices that have expired.
· Replace furnace filters to improve efficiency.
· Maintain three feet of space around space heaters.
· Replace insulation around residential or commercial sprinkler pipes.
· Remove dead needles, leaves from gutters, decking, and the base of walls.
· Shovel sidewalks if snow returns.
Winterize your recreation
· Keep pets leashed while adjacent to frozen bodies of water.
· Dress in layers. Remove layers before getting hot, replace layers before getting cold.
· Protect fingertips, ears, noses from exposure to cold.
· Stay hydrated.
· Stay off icy neighborhood ponds, creeks.
· If you see a person or other mammal fall through the ice, call 911 and stay on shore.
South Metro Fire Rescue’s Community Risk Reduction Specialists are able to provide presentations on these topics for HOAs, civic groups, PTAs, collections of neighbors, and schools. Contact us at ReducingRisk@southmetro.org to schedule such a presentation for virtual or in-person delivery.
Posted December 21, 2021
Prevent Candle Fires as You Celebrate this Month
Across the nation, December is the peak month for home candle fires, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Between 2015 and 2019, U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated 7,400 home structure fires that were started by candles per year.
Candle fires also happen in our fire district throughout December.
One reason for all these candle fires is the plethora of holidays in December that may utilize candles for secular and sacred ceremonies such as Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, Junkanoo, Ōmisoka, Santa Lucia Day, Mōdraniht, New Year’s Eve, Hogmanay, Winter Solstice, Yule, Yalda, Soyal, Bodhi Day, Epiphany (Three Kings Day), Krampusnacht, Pancha Ganapati, and Saturnalia.
Other contributing reasons are connected to how we use candles. We at South Metro Fire Rescue prefer flameless candles. If you are using traditional candles, these tips can help you and your family have a safer holiday:
Candles come in two varieties: mesas (wider than they are tall) and buttes (taller than they are wide). Mesas resist tipping and burn longer than buttes.
If a candle does cause a fire, leave the building and call 911. Our stations are fully staffed with firefighters ready to help you each day of the year including all holidays.
If you have questions about any safety topics, please visit www.southmetro.org or find our agency on social media.
Posted December 1, 2021
Candle fires also happen in our fire district throughout December.
One reason for all these candle fires is the plethora of holidays in December that may utilize candles for secular and sacred ceremonies such as Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, Junkanoo, Ōmisoka, Santa Lucia Day, Mōdraniht, New Year’s Eve, Hogmanay, Winter Solstice, Yule, Yalda, Soyal, Bodhi Day, Epiphany (Three Kings Day), Krampusnacht, Pancha Ganapati, and Saturnalia.
Other contributing reasons are connected to how we use candles. We at South Metro Fire Rescue prefer flameless candles. If you are using traditional candles, these tips can help you and your family have a safer holiday:
- Use candle holders that are sturdy and won’t tip over easily.
- Put candle holders on a sturdy, noncombustible, and uncluttered surface.
- Burning handheld candles should not be passed from one person to another at any time.
- When lighting candles at a candle-lighting service, have the person with the unlit candle dip their candle into the flame of the lit candle.
- Lit candles should not be placed in windows where a blind or curtain could catch fire.
- Candles placed on or near tables, altars, or shrines, must be watched by an adult.
- If a candle must burn continuously, be sure it is enclosed in a glass container and placed in a sink, on a metal tray, or in a deep basin filled with water.
- Light candles carefully. Keep your hair and any loose clothing away from the flame.
- Don’t burn a candle all the way down. Put it out before it gets too close to the holder or container.
- Never use a candle if oxygen is used in the home.
Candles come in two varieties: mesas (wider than they are tall) and buttes (taller than they are wide). Mesas resist tipping and burn longer than buttes.
If a candle does cause a fire, leave the building and call 911. Our stations are fully staffed with firefighters ready to help you each day of the year including all holidays.
If you have questions about any safety topics, please visit www.southmetro.org or find our agency on social media.
Posted December 1, 2021
Working Together to Reduce Pressure on our Hospitals, EMS Agencies
A special edition by Einar Jensen, Risk Reduction Specialist
South Metro Fire Rescue
Currently, the State of Colorado is experiencing a significant upward trend in the number of citizens admitted to the hospital who are sick with COVID. This trend, which is a crisis for many hospitals and EMS providers including South Metro Fire Rescue (SMFR), has resulted in increased patient transports, hospital overload, and prolonged emergency room wait times.
You can help us reverse this trend.
Common signs and symptoms of COVID can include fever, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing. and tiredness as well as losing your sense of taste or smell. Other symptoms can include muscle aches, chills, sore throat, runny nose, headache, chest pain, and pink eye (conjunctivitis).
Those signs and symptoms could be from other illnesses, too, so we recommend that you contact your doctor, utilize your doctor’s telehealth service (if one is available), or the Colorado Nurse Advice Line at 1-800-283-3221 before going to a hospital. Companies that provide healthcare at your home such as DispatchHealth, which partners with SMFR to operate a non-emergency mobile urgent care service, also may be an appropriate option.
Of course, if you believe your illness is a life-threatening emergency, call 911.
Working together, we can reduce our risk and enjoy the holiday season.
Posted November 23, 2021
South Metro Fire Rescue
Currently, the State of Colorado is experiencing a significant upward trend in the number of citizens admitted to the hospital who are sick with COVID. This trend, which is a crisis for many hospitals and EMS providers including South Metro Fire Rescue (SMFR), has resulted in increased patient transports, hospital overload, and prolonged emergency room wait times.
You can help us reverse this trend.
- If you have not yet been vaccinated, get a COVID vaccination. Everyone 5 years of age and older is now eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccination. Search the Internet for “COVID vaccine near me” to find options.
- If you are fully vaccinated, get a COVID-19 booster dose if you have not already received one. Search the Internet for “COVID vaccine near me” to find options.
- Regardless of whether you are vaccinated, if you tested positive for COVID-19, you may be eligible to get monoclonal antibody treatment to help you recover. This treatment can prevent you from getting seriously sick! Visit covid19.colorado.gov/covid-19-treatments for information.
Common signs and symptoms of COVID can include fever, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing. and tiredness as well as losing your sense of taste or smell. Other symptoms can include muscle aches, chills, sore throat, runny nose, headache, chest pain, and pink eye (conjunctivitis).
Those signs and symptoms could be from other illnesses, too, so we recommend that you contact your doctor, utilize your doctor’s telehealth service (if one is available), or the Colorado Nurse Advice Line at 1-800-283-3221 before going to a hospital. Companies that provide healthcare at your home such as DispatchHealth, which partners with SMFR to operate a non-emergency mobile urgent care service, also may be an appropriate option.
Of course, if you believe your illness is a life-threatening emergency, call 911.
Working together, we can reduce our risk and enjoy the holiday season.
Posted November 23, 2021
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning is a Hidden Cost of Convenience
Each winter I lived in Missoula, Montana, I had to endure several sub-zero mornings sitting in my car waiting for the engine to warm enough for the heater to function. I dreamed about starting the car from the comfort of my apartment without making it a target for car thieves. Keyless ignition technology finally arrived, but it arrived with an unanticipated risk: carbon monoxide poisoning.
Burning any fuel—natural gas, propane, heating oil, kerosene, coal, charcoal, gasoline, or wood—produces carbon monoxide (CO). This gas is sneaky because it is odorless and colorless. It’s dangerous because it depresses the central nervous system, which results in reduced awareness, intoxication, loss of consciousness and, in the worst cases, death.
Keyless ignition is a great technology, but it’s important to use it properly. If you keep your car in a garage, only start the vehicle after you open the garage door. While this advice sounds obvious in an article, remembering to open the garage door on one of those mornings or evenings when you’re stressed, late, or otherwise distracted could mean the difference between life and death.
A wireless key fob also allows drivers to leave the vehicle running accidentally after parking in the garage, closing the garage door, and entering the home.
Last month, South Metro Fire Rescue Engine 11 responded to a carbon monoxide alarm at an apartment complex. Detectors in one apartment sounded because CO was seeping into it and several adjacent units from the garage where a car was idling. Those CO detectors saved at least one life and prevented several CO poisonings that evening. Residents reacted to the alarms properly: they went outside and called 911.
Concentrations of the gas in our blood above five-hundredths of one percent (500 parts per million) are considered dangerous. When the level increases above one percent, unconsciousness and death can occur without physiological signs.
US Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Deb Fischer (R-NE), and Edward J. Markey (D-MA) introduced the Stop CO Poisoning Exposures (SCOPE) Act in 2019 to help protect consumers from the risk of CO poisoning associated with keyless ignition technology in vehicles, but the bill didn’t advance from its initial committee.
Individual vehicle manufacturers have started adjusting the technology to shut off vehicles after varying periods, but ultimate responsibility to prevent this hazard still rests with we the people.
Install CO detectors in sleeping areas and one each level of your home. Kitchens and locations near cooking appliances are not good sites because grease and smoke accumulations can clog the sensing elements. Steam and water vapor can damage the sensing elements of detectors placed in bathrooms, saunas, and greenhouses.
If you have questions, reach out to us at ReducingRisk@southmetro.org.
Posted November 1, 2021
Burning any fuel—natural gas, propane, heating oil, kerosene, coal, charcoal, gasoline, or wood—produces carbon monoxide (CO). This gas is sneaky because it is odorless and colorless. It’s dangerous because it depresses the central nervous system, which results in reduced awareness, intoxication, loss of consciousness and, in the worst cases, death.
Keyless ignition is a great technology, but it’s important to use it properly. If you keep your car in a garage, only start the vehicle after you open the garage door. While this advice sounds obvious in an article, remembering to open the garage door on one of those mornings or evenings when you’re stressed, late, or otherwise distracted could mean the difference between life and death.
A wireless key fob also allows drivers to leave the vehicle running accidentally after parking in the garage, closing the garage door, and entering the home.
Last month, South Metro Fire Rescue Engine 11 responded to a carbon monoxide alarm at an apartment complex. Detectors in one apartment sounded because CO was seeping into it and several adjacent units from the garage where a car was idling. Those CO detectors saved at least one life and prevented several CO poisonings that evening. Residents reacted to the alarms properly: they went outside and called 911.
Concentrations of the gas in our blood above five-hundredths of one percent (500 parts per million) are considered dangerous. When the level increases above one percent, unconsciousness and death can occur without physiological signs.
US Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Deb Fischer (R-NE), and Edward J. Markey (D-MA) introduced the Stop CO Poisoning Exposures (SCOPE) Act in 2019 to help protect consumers from the risk of CO poisoning associated with keyless ignition technology in vehicles, but the bill didn’t advance from its initial committee.
Individual vehicle manufacturers have started adjusting the technology to shut off vehicles after varying periods, but ultimate responsibility to prevent this hazard still rests with we the people.
Install CO detectors in sleeping areas and one each level of your home. Kitchens and locations near cooking appliances are not good sites because grease and smoke accumulations can clog the sensing elements. Steam and water vapor can damage the sensing elements of detectors placed in bathrooms, saunas, and greenhouses.
If you have questions, reach out to us at ReducingRisk@southmetro.org.
Posted November 1, 2021
Driving: Knowing when to say when
For many Coloradans, driving is a sacred form of independence. Surrendering that privilege can feel sacrilegious, but there may come a time when choosing not to drive is the better choice. Ideally, we will make such a decision ourselves, but it takes courage to acknowledge our limitations as we age. Solid self-management can maintain and improve our independence and trust while also reducing risks to ourselves and others.
Aging comes with expected changes to our health: reduced vision, reduced hearing, weakening joints and muscles, and slower reflexes, for example. Each of these changes impact our ability to drive safely. It’s essential that we recognize and act on signs that a loved one is no longer able to drive safely. It’s also essential we consider whether these signs apply to us.
Approximately 90% of the critical information needed to drive safely relates to vision, according to Driver’s Alert, the company that created the 1-800 number to report unsafe driving practices among companies with fleets of vehicles. Cataracts, glaucoma, and other conditions reduce the efficiency of our sight as we age. Annual eye exams are a good way to monitor changes to vision.
Walk around your loved one’s vehicle and look for scratches or dents that could indicate minor collisions with buildings, poles, and other vehicles. If such scratches or dents are present, respectfully inquire about them.
Watch for some of the following changes in driving behavior:
When it’s time for this potentially awkward conversation, approach it with respect and curiosity. Ask the driver about her comfort level while driving or if he’s noticed any changes to his or other’s behavior. Discuss your observations but without being accusatory. Focus on future solutions rather than past problems.
One solution may be a driver safety class. The South Metro Safety Foundation offers several classes for drivers of all ages including Adult/Senior Driving Skills and an innovative Skid Car Class that utilizes a vehicle engineered to simulate winter driving conditions.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 700 drivers aged 65 and older are injured and twenty are killed each day. Don’t let yourself or your loved one become another tragic statistic.
When it’s time to stop driving, make the courageous choice.
For more safety information, visit www.southmetro.org. Register for driver safety classes at www.southmetrofoundation.org.
Posted October 1, 2021
Aging comes with expected changes to our health: reduced vision, reduced hearing, weakening joints and muscles, and slower reflexes, for example. Each of these changes impact our ability to drive safely. It’s essential that we recognize and act on signs that a loved one is no longer able to drive safely. It’s also essential we consider whether these signs apply to us.
Approximately 90% of the critical information needed to drive safely relates to vision, according to Driver’s Alert, the company that created the 1-800 number to report unsafe driving practices among companies with fleets of vehicles. Cataracts, glaucoma, and other conditions reduce the efficiency of our sight as we age. Annual eye exams are a good way to monitor changes to vision.
Walk around your loved one’s vehicle and look for scratches or dents that could indicate minor collisions with buildings, poles, and other vehicles. If such scratches or dents are present, respectfully inquire about them.
Watch for some of the following changes in driving behavior:
- Does the driver sit comfortably at the wheel or lean too far forward?
- Is she distracted easily?
- Is he aware of road signs, pedestrians, and the actions of other motorists?
- Does she tailgate often?
- Does the vehicle drift into adjacent lanes?
- Does he wait too long to respond to traffic lights or other signals?
When it’s time for this potentially awkward conversation, approach it with respect and curiosity. Ask the driver about her comfort level while driving or if he’s noticed any changes to his or other’s behavior. Discuss your observations but without being accusatory. Focus on future solutions rather than past problems.
One solution may be a driver safety class. The South Metro Safety Foundation offers several classes for drivers of all ages including Adult/Senior Driving Skills and an innovative Skid Car Class that utilizes a vehicle engineered to simulate winter driving conditions.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 700 drivers aged 65 and older are injured and twenty are killed each day. Don’t let yourself or your loved one become another tragic statistic.
When it’s time to stop driving, make the courageous choice.
For more safety information, visit www.southmetro.org. Register for driver safety classes at www.southmetrofoundation.org.
Posted October 1, 2021
Safer driving includes fitting your vehicle to your needs
Reducing vehicle crashes and decreasing the severity of crashes that do occur are two of South Metro Fire Rescue’s strategic community risk reduction campaigns.
Each time you sit in a vehicle as a passenger or driver, you have an opportunity to impact whether the vehicle crashes and, if it does, the severity of injuries you sustain. This article briefly summarizes vehicle ergonomics, which is the study of how we occupy and fit in our vehicles.
Mirrors
Although newer vehicles have warnings that alert drivers to vehicles in adjacent lanes, drivers can adjust their mirrors to eliminate these blind spots. Next time you sit in your vehicle:
Seat Position
Adjust your seat to create at least 10-12 inches between your chest and the steering wheel. Sitting too close prevents the seatbelt and airbag from working properly during a crash. Tilting the seat may provide additional space.
Other points to consider:
Seatbelts
Adjust your seatbelt so the lap belt is snug and low on your hips. Most vehicles allow you to adjust the height of the shoulder belt, so it doesn’t touch your neck.
Don’t place the shoulder belt under your arm or behind your torso. In either of those cases, it won’t protect you in a crash.
For additional safety information visit www.southmetro.org or email your questions to ReducingRisk@southmetro.org.
Posted September 1, 2021
Each time you sit in a vehicle as a passenger or driver, you have an opportunity to impact whether the vehicle crashes and, if it does, the severity of injuries you sustain. This article briefly summarizes vehicle ergonomics, which is the study of how we occupy and fit in our vehicles.
Mirrors
Although newer vehicles have warnings that alert drivers to vehicles in adjacent lanes, drivers can adjust their mirrors to eliminate these blind spots. Next time you sit in your vehicle:
- Adjust the rearview mirror to cover your straight view behind the vehicle.
- Lean your head to the center and adjust the right mirror outward so you can barely see the side of your vehicle.
- Lean your head to the left so it is even with the window and adjust your left mirror outward until you can barely see the side of your car.
Seat Position
Adjust your seat to create at least 10-12 inches between your chest and the steering wheel. Sitting too close prevents the seatbelt and airbag from working properly during a crash. Tilting the seat may provide additional space.
Other points to consider:
- The steering wheel should point to your chest rather than your neck or head.
- Position the seat so you can place your entire foot on the pedals.
- Raise the seat so your eye level is at least three inches above the steering wheel.
- The top of the headrest should be between the top of your ears and the top of your head.
Seatbelts
Adjust your seatbelt so the lap belt is snug and low on your hips. Most vehicles allow you to adjust the height of the shoulder belt, so it doesn’t touch your neck.
Don’t place the shoulder belt under your arm or behind your torso. In either of those cases, it won’t protect you in a crash.
For additional safety information visit www.southmetro.org or email your questions to ReducingRisk@southmetro.org.
Posted September 1, 2021
Propane leaks can ruin your grilling plans
Every day is a great day for grilling in our state. Meats, corn, fruit kabobs, pizza; the only limit to grilling is one’s imagination… and safety.
Most grills are fueled by natural gas (which is primarily composed of methane) or propane (liquified petroleum gas). Both of these gases are colorless and odorless. They’re also highly flammable. As a result, each is packaged into a safer product before reaching consumers. A chemical (ethyl mercaptan) is added to provide an odor, which enables humans to notice leaks more quickly.
Unfortunately, it’s easy to forget about these dangers when the equipment is working properly. Leaking propane caught fire and destroyed a home in Roxborough on July 17, according to West Metro Fire Rescue. Several crews from South Metro Fire Rescue responded to that incident.
Leaking propane also ruined Independence Day for five families in Centennial. That fire started at a grill on the back side of the apartment building and extended into the building’s attic. One resident was transported to a hospital for injuries and all five families were displaced.
Follow these simple tips to grill safely:
If you can’t turn off the heat or fuel, move away from the grill and call 911.
South Metro Fire Rescue’s Risk Reduction Specialists created a video with other grilling safety tips: www.facebook.com/SouthMetroPIO/videos/254979045417339/
With safety handled, you can unleash your culinary imagination.
For other safety tips, check out www.southmetro.org and South Metro Fire Rescue’s YouTube channel.
Posted July 22, 2021
Most grills are fueled by natural gas (which is primarily composed of methane) or propane (liquified petroleum gas). Both of these gases are colorless and odorless. They’re also highly flammable. As a result, each is packaged into a safer product before reaching consumers. A chemical (ethyl mercaptan) is added to provide an odor, which enables humans to notice leaks more quickly.
Unfortunately, it’s easy to forget about these dangers when the equipment is working properly. Leaking propane caught fire and destroyed a home in Roxborough on July 17, according to West Metro Fire Rescue. Several crews from South Metro Fire Rescue responded to that incident.
Leaking propane also ruined Independence Day for five families in Centennial. That fire started at a grill on the back side of the apartment building and extended into the building’s attic. One resident was transported to a hospital for injuries and all five families were displaced.
Follow these simple tips to grill safely:
- Only use grills outside.
- Place grills at least 10 feet away from doors, windows, and siding.
- Check tank and grill connections before each use.
- Check the connections and use thick soapy water to identify any leaks in the hose.
- If you smell mercaptan, close the cylinder valve by turning it clockwise or close the pipe inlet by turn that valve clockwise.
- Immediately extinguish all open flames. Do not use lights, telephones, cell phones, or other powered appliances near the grill.
- Get the grill and fuel tank or pipe checked by a qualified service technician before using it again. Contact the propane or natural gas retailer to schedule an inspection. Do not try to repair valves, regulators, or hose.
If you can’t turn off the heat or fuel, move away from the grill and call 911.
South Metro Fire Rescue’s Risk Reduction Specialists created a video with other grilling safety tips: www.facebook.com/SouthMetroPIO/videos/254979045417339/
With safety handled, you can unleash your culinary imagination.
For other safety tips, check out www.southmetro.org and South Metro Fire Rescue’s YouTube channel.
Posted July 22, 2021
Using Fireworks can transform Celebrations into Disasters
When I was a child, I vividly remember when a “safe” firework
jumped from the road where it had been ignited into my younger
sister’s lap more than 20 feet away. She escaped the frightening encounter without any physical injuries, but
thousands of children and adults aren’t that lucky.
Although the injury rate has decreased over the last twenty years, thousands of adults and children are injured each
year. In fact, one third of injuries occur among children aged 15 and younger. The consequences of fireworks use
aren’t limited to the people using them. Two-thirds of patients injured by fireworks are bystanders. All fireworks are
dangerous despite their appearances. Sparklers, for example, burn at more than 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit, easily
igniting hair, clothing, and vegetation.
Speaking of vegetation, the wildfire risk this summer is significant throughout Colorado. Remember all those
rainstorms in our area back in May? The string of hot dry days in June negated the benefits of that rain. There is now
plenty of fuel—organic and built—that is ripe for burning.
All fireworks devices that leave the ground are illegal in Colorado unless they are used by companies that have
permits from the State of Colorado and their local fire departments. Only a handful of products are legal in Colorado:
cone and cylindrical fountains, ground spinners, torch and colored fire, dipped sticks, sparklers, snakes, glow worms,
trick noisemakers, and some other novelties. None of them are designed to leave the ground. As my family
discovered, however, even ground-based fireworks can have their moments of flight and those moments can turn a
safe celebration into disaster all too quickly.
The best way to prevent injuries and fires related to fireworks is to leave fireworks displays to trained professionals.
If you see people using illegal fireworks or using legal ones in an unsafe manner, contact your local law enforcement
office. If someone starts a fire or is injured, call 911 immediately.
For information on other summer safety topics, visit www.southmetro.org.
When I was a child, I vividly remember when a “safe” firework
jumped from the road where it had been ignited into my younger
sister’s lap more than 20 feet away. She escaped the frightening encounter without any physical injuries, but
thousands of children and adults aren’t that lucky.
Although the injury rate has decreased over the last twenty years, thousands of adults and children are injured each
year. In fact, one third of injuries occur among children aged 15 and younger. The consequences of fireworks use
aren’t limited to the people using them. Two-thirds of patients injured by fireworks are bystanders. All fireworks are
dangerous despite their appearances. Sparklers, for example, burn at more than 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit, easily
igniting hair, clothing, and vegetation.
Speaking of vegetation, the wildfire risk this summer is significant throughout Colorado. Remember all those
rainstorms in our area back in May? The string of hot dry days in June negated the benefits of that rain. There is now
plenty of fuel—organic and built—that is ripe for burning.
All fireworks devices that leave the ground are illegal in Colorado unless they are used by companies that have
permits from the State of Colorado and their local fire departments. Only a handful of products are legal in Colorado:
cone and cylindrical fountains, ground spinners, torch and colored fire, dipped sticks, sparklers, snakes, glow worms,
trick noisemakers, and some other novelties. None of them are designed to leave the ground. As my family
discovered, however, even ground-based fireworks can have their moments of flight and those moments can turn a
safe celebration into disaster all too quickly.
The best way to prevent injuries and fires related to fireworks is to leave fireworks displays to trained professionals.
If you see people using illegal fireworks or using legal ones in an unsafe manner, contact your local law enforcement
office. If someone starts a fire or is injured, call 911 immediately.
For information on other summer safety topics, visit www.southmetro.org.
Photo by South Metro Fire Rescue
Home Fire Safety: Preventing Garage Fires
Although cooking is the most common source of home fires here in South Metro
Fire Rescue’s jurisdiction and across the nation, those fires typically are small.
Fires that start in the garage, on the other hand, occur less frequently, but tend to cause more damage because they
can burn secretly for several minutes before occupants or anyone else notices the blaze. Residents also tend to store
more expensive items within garages than kitchens.
The most common factors that lead to fires in garages, according to SMFR Lead Investigator Don Titzler, include
electrical wiring that overheats, overcharging batteries, and improper disposal of smoldering ashes.
Each of these fires can be prevented by following some simple tips.
Electrical Safety
Battery Charging
Disposal of Ashes
For information on home fire prevention and other safety topics, visit www.southmetro.org or contact us at ReducingRisk@southmetro.org.
Posted June 1, 2021
Although cooking is the most common source of home fires here in South Metro
Fire Rescue’s jurisdiction and across the nation, those fires typically are small.
Fires that start in the garage, on the other hand, occur less frequently, but tend to cause more damage because they
can burn secretly for several minutes before occupants or anyone else notices the blaze. Residents also tend to store
more expensive items within garages than kitchens.
The most common factors that lead to fires in garages, according to SMFR Lead Investigator Don Titzler, include
electrical wiring that overheats, overcharging batteries, and improper disposal of smoldering ashes.
Each of these fires can be prevented by following some simple tips.
Electrical Safety
- Major appliances (refrigerators, dryers, washers, etc.) should be plugged directly into a wall receptacle outlet. Don’t use extension cords and plug strips.
- Arc-fault circuit interrupters (AFCIs) shut off electricity when arcing occurs. Have a qualified electrician install them in your home and your garage.
- Call a qualified electrician or your landlord if you have frequent problems with blowing fuses or tripping circuit breakers, or if wall outlets are discolored or warm.
Battery Charging
- Use a proper battery charger/discharger.
- Use a fireproof safety bag, metal ammo box, or other fireproof container when charging, discharging, or storing lithium batteries.
- Do not leave charging batteries unattended.
Disposal of Ashes
- Only dispose of ashes that are cold to the touch. If they aren’t cold, they contain enough heat to start a fire if enough fuel and oxygen are present.
- When disposing of ashes from a fireplace or fire pit, place them in a fireproof container outside of your home.
- If the fireproof container is metal, place it on dirt, concrete, or asphalt to prevent heat from conducting to adjacent combustible surfaces.
For information on home fire prevention and other safety topics, visit www.southmetro.org or contact us at ReducingRisk@southmetro.org.
Posted June 1, 2021
The Wadsworth Ridge fire behind TrailMark
October 2010—Photo by Linda Jagiello
Red Flag Warnings and Wildfire Condition
By Einar Jensen, Risk Reduction Specialist
South Metro Fire Rescue
As winter loosens its grip on our region, there will be more Red Flag Warnings in weather forecasts. Red Flag Warnings describe conditions that make wildfires worse but in themselves do not cause wildfires.
Fire, remember, needs three ingredients: oxygen, heat, and fuel. Before a solid fuel can burn, it must be dry and it must contain enough heat that its molecules break apart into the fuel’s gaseous form. When a heat source is applied to a solid fuel, the fuel absorbs heat. Initially that heat causes any remaining water content to evaporate as steam. In a process called pyrolysis, the dry fuel absorbs more heat that causes its molecules to vibrate rapidly enough to fragment into the fuel’s gaseous form. It’s this gaseous form that burns in a flame.
There are three components of a Red Flag Warning: low humidity, hot air temperatures, and strong winds. Each of these components contributes to fire danger; together they can supercharge wildfires into raging infernos capable of destroying neighborhoods and injuring or killing people.
Relative humidity is the amount of moisture in the air. When air moisture is higher than fuel moisture, solid fuels absorb moisture from the air. However, when humidity is lower than fuel moisture, the air absorbs moisture from solid fuels. Thus, weather conditions with low relative humidity steal moisture from solid fuels increasing the speed at which they absorb heat for pyrolysis.
Air holds more moisture as its temperature increases because the air expands. Hotter air temperatures also preheat fuels, create tougher working conditions for firefighters, and can drive winds.
Wind results from temperature-induced air movement in the atmosphere. Wind can replace saturated air with dry air around fuels and fan flames with more oxygen. Strong wind can push wildfires into unburned fuels, push fire downslope, and carry embers—airborne chunks of burning fuel—downwind to create new wildfires.
South Metro Fire Rescue and other agencies often increase staffing or adjust the positioning of resources during Red Flag Warnings because of the potential for wildfires to grow and spread more rapidly than usual.
However, it’s critical that residents and visitors also adjust their behavior when the National Weather Service issues a Red Flag Warning. Those are the wrong days for agricultural burns, campfires, fireworks, or careless actions with heat sources.
Given the region’s current drought conditions and anticipated weather patterns, we expect several Red Flag Warnings this summer and autumn.
For information on wildfire preparedness and other safety issues, visit www.southmetro.org or contact us at ReducingRisk@southmetro.org.
Posted May 1, 2021
By Einar Jensen, Risk Reduction Specialist
South Metro Fire Rescue
As winter loosens its grip on our region, there will be more Red Flag Warnings in weather forecasts. Red Flag Warnings describe conditions that make wildfires worse but in themselves do not cause wildfires.
Fire, remember, needs three ingredients: oxygen, heat, and fuel. Before a solid fuel can burn, it must be dry and it must contain enough heat that its molecules break apart into the fuel’s gaseous form. When a heat source is applied to a solid fuel, the fuel absorbs heat. Initially that heat causes any remaining water content to evaporate as steam. In a process called pyrolysis, the dry fuel absorbs more heat that causes its molecules to vibrate rapidly enough to fragment into the fuel’s gaseous form. It’s this gaseous form that burns in a flame.
There are three components of a Red Flag Warning: low humidity, hot air temperatures, and strong winds. Each of these components contributes to fire danger; together they can supercharge wildfires into raging infernos capable of destroying neighborhoods and injuring or killing people.
Relative humidity is the amount of moisture in the air. When air moisture is higher than fuel moisture, solid fuels absorb moisture from the air. However, when humidity is lower than fuel moisture, the air absorbs moisture from solid fuels. Thus, weather conditions with low relative humidity steal moisture from solid fuels increasing the speed at which they absorb heat for pyrolysis.
Air holds more moisture as its temperature increases because the air expands. Hotter air temperatures also preheat fuels, create tougher working conditions for firefighters, and can drive winds.
Wind results from temperature-induced air movement in the atmosphere. Wind can replace saturated air with dry air around fuels and fan flames with more oxygen. Strong wind can push wildfires into unburned fuels, push fire downslope, and carry embers—airborne chunks of burning fuel—downwind to create new wildfires.
South Metro Fire Rescue and other agencies often increase staffing or adjust the positioning of resources during Red Flag Warnings because of the potential for wildfires to grow and spread more rapidly than usual.
However, it’s critical that residents and visitors also adjust their behavior when the National Weather Service issues a Red Flag Warning. Those are the wrong days for agricultural burns, campfires, fireworks, or careless actions with heat sources.
Given the region’s current drought conditions and anticipated weather patterns, we expect several Red Flag Warnings this summer and autumn.
For information on wildfire preparedness and other safety issues, visit www.southmetro.org or contact us at ReducingRisk@southmetro.org.
Posted May 1, 2021
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It's time to Clean your Dirty Dryer Ducts
By Einar Jensen, Risk Reduction Specialist
South Metro Fire Rescue
For many of us, spring cleaning begins in earnest in April. Targeting clutter in the garage and closets makes sense after a long winter and our global pandemic.
It’s also a great time to target fire hazards.
When was the last time you cleaned the lint screen in your clothes dryer? Most people clean the screen after every load. That’s the best practice, especially if your clothes shed as much as mine.
When was the last time you cleaned the duct work that vents air from your dryer? Lint, hair, and dust that collect in that ductwork is flammable. Worse, it collects along a channel for superheated air.
Remember, only three components are needed for a fire: oxygen, heat, and fuel. The fuel absorbs heat. Initially that heat causes any water content to evaporate, and then it causes solid fuels to disintegrate into their gaseous form. With adequate heat, those gaseous particles can ignite.
The ductwork from your dryer isn’t strong enough to prevent flames from escaping into walls. Fires in dirty duct work can grow into the dryer and laundry room, ignite the exterior wall, and spread fire within wall spaces.
A duct full of lint, such as the one in the photograph, also reduces the efficiency of your dryer, which means you spend more money on energy.
This spring, save money and prevent fires by cleaning the lint from inside and outside your dryer.
For information on other safety issues, visit www.southmetro.org or contact us at ReducingRisk@southmetro.org.
Posted April 1, 2021
By Einar Jensen, Risk Reduction Specialist
South Metro Fire Rescue
For many of us, spring cleaning begins in earnest in April. Targeting clutter in the garage and closets makes sense after a long winter and our global pandemic.
It’s also a great time to target fire hazards.
When was the last time you cleaned the lint screen in your clothes dryer? Most people clean the screen after every load. That’s the best practice, especially if your clothes shed as much as mine.
When was the last time you cleaned the duct work that vents air from your dryer? Lint, hair, and dust that collect in that ductwork is flammable. Worse, it collects along a channel for superheated air.
Remember, only three components are needed for a fire: oxygen, heat, and fuel. The fuel absorbs heat. Initially that heat causes any water content to evaporate, and then it causes solid fuels to disintegrate into their gaseous form. With adequate heat, those gaseous particles can ignite.
The ductwork from your dryer isn’t strong enough to prevent flames from escaping into walls. Fires in dirty duct work can grow into the dryer and laundry room, ignite the exterior wall, and spread fire within wall spaces.
A duct full of lint, such as the one in the photograph, also reduces the efficiency of your dryer, which means you spend more money on energy.
This spring, save money and prevent fires by cleaning the lint from inside and outside your dryer.
For information on other safety issues, visit www.southmetro.org or contact us at ReducingRisk@southmetro.org.
Posted April 1, 2021
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Protect Yourself and Your Family by becoming WinterWise
By Einar Jensen, Risk Reduction Specialist South Metro Fire Rescue |
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Frankly, I appreciated winter much more when I was a child. Snow days, sledding, ice skating, snow forts, snow angels, watching steam rise from the creek behind my parents’ home. Now it also means icy roads and sidewalks, fire hydrants buried in snow, heating bills, and frostnip.
Presidents’ Day Weekend was particularly busy for South Metro Fire Rescue’s firefighters because of winter-related emergencies including ice rescues, home fires caused by fireplace ashes, falls, and broken commercial sprinkler pipes, but those emergencies are prevalent throughout the colder months.
The Community Risk Reduction Bureau of SMFR has started a new program to curb those emergencies and protect both our community and our firefighters: WinterWise.
Participation in WinterWise is open for individuals as well as neighborhoods, apartment complexes or buildings, commercial areas, and schools. Participation has several steps:
- 90% of sidewalks are cleared of ice and snow within 24 hours of the most recent snowfall;
- 80% of fire hydrants are cleared with a 36-inch radius within 24 hours of the most recent snowfall;
- Signage is posted near frozen bodies of water noting hazards; and
- Other outcomes as agreed upon with your Risk Reduction Specialist.
SMFR personnel will conduct observations of your area to determine whether those objectives are met. We are working on signage or other rewards to note WinterWise successes.
For information on WinterWise and other risk reduction topics, visit www.southmetro.org or contact us at ReducingRisk@southmetro.org.
Posted March 1, 2021
Presidents’ Day Weekend was particularly busy for South Metro Fire Rescue’s firefighters because of winter-related emergencies including ice rescues, home fires caused by fireplace ashes, falls, and broken commercial sprinkler pipes, but those emergencies are prevalent throughout the colder months.
The Community Risk Reduction Bureau of SMFR has started a new program to curb those emergencies and protect both our community and our firefighters: WinterWise.
Participation in WinterWise is open for individuals as well as neighborhoods, apartment complexes or buildings, commercial areas, and schools. Participation has several steps:
- Contact us at ReducingRisk@southmetro.org to express your interest in participating.
- Collaborate with a Risk Reduction Specialist to conduct a safety survey of your neighborhood, campus, or complex.
- Host or attend a 30-minute presentation on winter safety delivered by the Community Risk Reduction Bureau. These presentations are available virtually using Zoom or other platforms.
- Collaborate with your Risk Reduction Specialist to provide a newsletter or website post on winter safety topics pertinent to your needs.
- Meet the following outcomes of this program:
- 90% of sidewalks are cleared of ice and snow within 24 hours of the most recent snowfall;
- 80% of fire hydrants are cleared with a 36-inch radius within 24 hours of the most recent snowfall;
- Signage is posted near frozen bodies of water noting hazards; and
- Other outcomes as agreed upon with your Risk Reduction Specialist.
SMFR personnel will conduct observations of your area to determine whether those objectives are met. We are working on signage or other rewards to note WinterWise successes.
For information on WinterWise and other risk reduction topics, visit www.southmetro.org or contact us at ReducingRisk@southmetro.org.
Posted March 1, 2021
Fire Hydrants need clearance
During the WinterWise program with Risk Reduction Specialist Einer Jensen (South Metro Fire Rescue), Einer brought up a safety precaution to those who have fire hydrants in their yards... After a heavy snowstorm, fire hydrants throughout the neighborhood should be cleared 3 ft. around, so that if needed, firefighters wouldn’t have to spend time digging out before connecting their hoses. In an emergency, every second counts.
Posted February 19, 2021
During the WinterWise program with Risk Reduction Specialist Einer Jensen (South Metro Fire Rescue), Einer brought up a safety precaution to those who have fire hydrants in their yards... After a heavy snowstorm, fire hydrants throughout the neighborhood should be cleared 3 ft. around, so that if needed, firefighters wouldn’t have to spend time digging out before connecting their hoses. In an emergency, every second counts.
Posted February 19, 2021
An invitation to you:
WinterWise
February 18th at 6 p.m.
Presentation will be via a Zoom Link sent to your email.
We Coloradans love the snow and enjoy many of its benefits: free moisture, sports activities, or just
staying cozy inside our homes. However, snow and cold can add layers of danger to our families.
In January 2016, the South Metro Fire Rescue community experienced tragedy when three teenaged boys fell through the ice on a pond in Parker. Two of the boys died. In December 2020, an unleashed dog died after falling through ice into a pond in Highlands Ranch.
Ice also causes problems on roadways and sidewalks. According to the CDC, approximately 1 million Americans are injured annually as the result of falling on ice and snow. Tragically, these injuries are fatal for about 17,000 people each year.
Our firefighters have additional challenges when accessing fire hydrants, roads, or homes during snowstorms because of heavy snow and slippery ice.
Please join us on February 18 at 6 p.m. for our WinterWise program where you can learn tips for improving your safety and helping our firefighters during the snowy season.
Sign Up: https://forms.gle/u7XeqgRcRVF1NS3e8
WinterWise
February 18th at 6 p.m.
Presentation will be via a Zoom Link sent to your email.
We Coloradans love the snow and enjoy many of its benefits: free moisture, sports activities, or just
staying cozy inside our homes. However, snow and cold can add layers of danger to our families.
In January 2016, the South Metro Fire Rescue community experienced tragedy when three teenaged boys fell through the ice on a pond in Parker. Two of the boys died. In December 2020, an unleashed dog died after falling through ice into a pond in Highlands Ranch.
Ice also causes problems on roadways and sidewalks. According to the CDC, approximately 1 million Americans are injured annually as the result of falling on ice and snow. Tragically, these injuries are fatal for about 17,000 people each year.
Our firefighters have additional challenges when accessing fire hydrants, roads, or homes during snowstorms because of heavy snow and slippery ice.
Please join us on February 18 at 6 p.m. for our WinterWise program where you can learn tips for improving your safety and helping our firefighters during the snowy season.
Sign Up: https://forms.gle/u7XeqgRcRVF1NS3e8
Celebrate your Heart in February by Learning CPR
By Einar Jensen, Risk Reduction Specialist
South Metro Fire Rescue
By Einar Jensen, Risk Reduction Specialist
South Metro Fire Rescue
Imagine yourself at the grocery store, pushing the cart along an aisle scanning the shelves for the best deal on frozen spinach. A middle-aged man pushing a cart toward you stops, clutches his chest as sweat beads on his face, and slumps to the floor. One minute he was shopping for his wife and three children and now he’s dying in the frozen food aisle because his heart stopped. It can happen that quickly. A clerk calls 911. Firefighters are only minutes away, but those minutes may be the difference between life and death.
Do you know CPR? Are you ready to assist this patient?
Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is a leading cause of death among adults in the United States, killing roughly 320,000 Americans annually, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). Generally considered a problem among the elderly, SCA also strikes middle-aged adults, teenagers, and children.
Adopting healthier lifestyles—more exercise, better nutrition, cessation of smoking—can reduce the risk of SCA, but some factors such as family history and genetics can’t be mitigated. Prevention isn’t enough; patients also rely on bystanders—loved ones or strangers—to react promptly and safely make a difference.
Learning how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and operate an automated external defibrillator (AED) can make that difference. The South Metro Safety Foundation offers certification courses in CPR and AED use. Check out its schedule at www.southmetrofoundation.org.
If the patient is an adult, bystanders also can use Hands-Only CPR. This technique is especially useful in the Era of COVID because you don’t need to deliver breaths to the patient.
To perform Hands-Only CPR safely, follow these steps:
• Make sure the area is safe for you. You don’t want to become injured while saving the life of someone else.
• Tap and Shout. Tap the patient’s shoulders and shout at the person to check for level of responsiveness. A patient who talks, blinks, or moves still may need an ambulance, but CPR is only effective for unresponsive (dead) patients.
• Tell someone to call 911. If you are alone, call 911 on your cell phone and activate the speaker-phone mode.
• Tell another bystander to get an AED if one is available.
• Kneel beside the patient’s chest.
• Check for breathing. Look at the patient’s chest to see if it is moving, which would suggest the patient is breathing. If the chest is not moving…
• Place the heel of one hand on the lower half of the patient’s sternum: that’s the bone in the middle of the chest where all the ribs come together. Place your other hand on top of your first hand. Straighten your arms and position your shoulders directly above your hands.
• Push down about 2 inches and then release the pressure so the chest returns to its regular position. That was a compression. Perform compressions at the rate of 100-120 per minute. That’s a beat similar to the songs Stayin’ Alive, Uptown Funk, or Baby Shark.
Continue doing compressions until help arrives (other bystanders or firefighters), or you are too tired to continue, or the scene becomes unsafe for you, or the patient recovers.
Bystander CPR is an important link in the Chain of Survival, according to the AHA, because it improves the heart’s ability to respond to electricity from an AED, medications from paramedics, and surgery from nurses and doctors.
For information on heart wellness and other risk reduction topics, visit www.southmetro.org or contact us at
ReducingRisk@southmetro.org.
Posted February 1, 2021
Do you know CPR? Are you ready to assist this patient?
Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is a leading cause of death among adults in the United States, killing roughly 320,000 Americans annually, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). Generally considered a problem among the elderly, SCA also strikes middle-aged adults, teenagers, and children.
Adopting healthier lifestyles—more exercise, better nutrition, cessation of smoking—can reduce the risk of SCA, but some factors such as family history and genetics can’t be mitigated. Prevention isn’t enough; patients also rely on bystanders—loved ones or strangers—to react promptly and safely make a difference.
Learning how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and operate an automated external defibrillator (AED) can make that difference. The South Metro Safety Foundation offers certification courses in CPR and AED use. Check out its schedule at www.southmetrofoundation.org.
If the patient is an adult, bystanders also can use Hands-Only CPR. This technique is especially useful in the Era of COVID because you don’t need to deliver breaths to the patient.
To perform Hands-Only CPR safely, follow these steps:
• Make sure the area is safe for you. You don’t want to become injured while saving the life of someone else.
• Tap and Shout. Tap the patient’s shoulders and shout at the person to check for level of responsiveness. A patient who talks, blinks, or moves still may need an ambulance, but CPR is only effective for unresponsive (dead) patients.
• Tell someone to call 911. If you are alone, call 911 on your cell phone and activate the speaker-phone mode.
• Tell another bystander to get an AED if one is available.
• Kneel beside the patient’s chest.
• Check for breathing. Look at the patient’s chest to see if it is moving, which would suggest the patient is breathing. If the chest is not moving…
• Place the heel of one hand on the lower half of the patient’s sternum: that’s the bone in the middle of the chest where all the ribs come together. Place your other hand on top of your first hand. Straighten your arms and position your shoulders directly above your hands.
• Push down about 2 inches and then release the pressure so the chest returns to its regular position. That was a compression. Perform compressions at the rate of 100-120 per minute. That’s a beat similar to the songs Stayin’ Alive, Uptown Funk, or Baby Shark.
Continue doing compressions until help arrives (other bystanders or firefighters), or you are too tired to continue, or the scene becomes unsafe for you, or the patient recovers.
Bystander CPR is an important link in the Chain of Survival, according to the AHA, because it improves the heart’s ability to respond to electricity from an AED, medications from paramedics, and surgery from nurses and doctors.
For information on heart wellness and other risk reduction topics, visit www.southmetro.org or contact us at
ReducingRisk@southmetro.org.
Posted February 1, 2021
2021 South Metro Fire Rescue Citizens Academy
• Letter and Application
• 2021 Citizens Academy Schedule
Apply now for this behind-the-scenes tour of your fire department! The application period for this highly sought-after opportunity closes on February 15.
Posted February 1, 2021
• Letter and Application
• 2021 Citizens Academy Schedule
Apply now for this behind-the-scenes tour of your fire department! The application period for this highly sought-after opportunity closes on February 15.
Posted February 1, 2021
Carbon Monoxide is a Secretive Enemy in Our Homes
By Einar Jensen, Risk Reduction Specialist
South Metro Fire Rescue
Carbon Monoxide (CO) is a product of incomplete combustion. Although it is a component of smoke, it is odorless and colorless and difficult to notice in small quantities without mechanical detectors. Burning any fuel -- natural gas, propane, heating oil, kerosene, coal, charcoal, gasoline or wood -- produces the gas. Chimneys and other ducts generally expel the unburned gases outside the home, but faulty ventilation of furnaces, hot water heaters, fireplaces, cooking stoves, and grills allow it to accumulate inside.
Firefighters refer to CO as a narcotic or asphyxiant gas because it depresses the central nervous system, which results in reduced awareness, intoxication, loss of consciousness and, in the worst cases, death. In fact, CO causes more deaths in fire situations than any other toxic product of combustion.
Normally, the blood’s hemoglobin combines with and carries oxygen in a loose chemical combination called oxyhemoglobin. Too much or too little oxygen is toxic to our cells, but oxyhemoglobin delivers just the right amount for our cells to produce the energy they need to survive. Inhaling CO creates carboxyhemoglobin instead. In fact, it forms 200 times more readily than oxyhemoglobin and remains in the bloodstream for many years continually interrupting our cells’ ability to produce energy. Concentrations of the gas in our blood above five-hundredths of one percent (500 parts per million) are considered dangerous. When the level increases above one percent, unconsciousness and death can occur without physiological signs.
Install detectors in sleeping areas because most CO poisonings outside of firefighting situations occur while people are sleeping and not aware of feeling sick. Kitchens and locations near cooking appliances are not good sites because grease and smoke accumulations can clog the sensing elements. Steam and water vapor can damage the sensing elements of detectors placed in bathrooms, saunas, and greenhouses. The volume of exhaust from most vehicles makes garages unsuitable for detectors.
If a CO alarm activates in your home, go outside and call 911. It is an emergency. South Metro Fire Rescue’s firefighters will respond, treat any patients, and try to determine the source.
If you have questions, please contact us at ReducingRisk@southmetro.org.
Posted January 1, 2021
By Einar Jensen, Risk Reduction Specialist
South Metro Fire Rescue
Carbon Monoxide (CO) is a product of incomplete combustion. Although it is a component of smoke, it is odorless and colorless and difficult to notice in small quantities without mechanical detectors. Burning any fuel -- natural gas, propane, heating oil, kerosene, coal, charcoal, gasoline or wood -- produces the gas. Chimneys and other ducts generally expel the unburned gases outside the home, but faulty ventilation of furnaces, hot water heaters, fireplaces, cooking stoves, and grills allow it to accumulate inside.
Firefighters refer to CO as a narcotic or asphyxiant gas because it depresses the central nervous system, which results in reduced awareness, intoxication, loss of consciousness and, in the worst cases, death. In fact, CO causes more deaths in fire situations than any other toxic product of combustion.
Normally, the blood’s hemoglobin combines with and carries oxygen in a loose chemical combination called oxyhemoglobin. Too much or too little oxygen is toxic to our cells, but oxyhemoglobin delivers just the right amount for our cells to produce the energy they need to survive. Inhaling CO creates carboxyhemoglobin instead. In fact, it forms 200 times more readily than oxyhemoglobin and remains in the bloodstream for many years continually interrupting our cells’ ability to produce energy. Concentrations of the gas in our blood above five-hundredths of one percent (500 parts per million) are considered dangerous. When the level increases above one percent, unconsciousness and death can occur without physiological signs.
Install detectors in sleeping areas because most CO poisonings outside of firefighting situations occur while people are sleeping and not aware of feeling sick. Kitchens and locations near cooking appliances are not good sites because grease and smoke accumulations can clog the sensing elements. Steam and water vapor can damage the sensing elements of detectors placed in bathrooms, saunas, and greenhouses. The volume of exhaust from most vehicles makes garages unsuitable for detectors.
If a CO alarm activates in your home, go outside and call 911. It is an emergency. South Metro Fire Rescue’s firefighters will respond, treat any patients, and try to determine the source.
If you have questions, please contact us at ReducingRisk@southmetro.org.
Posted January 1, 2021
Photo by Charlie Waltman
Ice Safety is Simple: Stay Off
By Einar Jensen, Risk Reduction Specialist
South Metro Fire Rescue
It’s a chilly winter morning and you are walking your dog, Annie, around the neighborhood. Suddenly the dog sees a goose on the ice on Fairview Reservoir, begins barking and pulls away from you. Midway to the goose, the ice breaks and Annie splashes into the water.
Sound familiar?
Your role, as a resident or bystander is simple. Stay off the ice and call 911. South Metro Fire Rescue’s firefighters are trained and equipped to rescue people and pets from icy lakes and ponds.
You are not. You don’t have the training or the special equipment.
If your dog runs onto the ice and falls in, stay on shore and call 911. If you see a person after they fell through the ice, call 911.
An ice rescue has four deliberate stages:
Self-Rescue: If you fall through the ice, find the ice edge where you fell in because it is the strongest. Put your elbows on the ice surface, kick your legs so they float behind you, kick harder to push yourself forward and climb onto ice. Once on the ice, roll on your side to safety.
If you can’t kick hard enough to get onto the ice, your arms will freeze on the ice, which will keep your head above the water if you pass out from hypothermia or exhaustion.
If someone else has fallen through the ice, coach them through a self-rescue while reminding them that help is on the way.
Reach: When they arrive, firefighters will attempt to reach the person or animal with a branch, pole or ladder.
Throw: If reaching doesn’t work, firefighters will throw a life ring, life vest, or rope to the person.
Go: If needed, firefighters trained and equipped for ice rescue crawl onto the ice to rescue the person or animal. They have special protective suits and equipment, including a rope that connects them to rescuers who remain on shore.
Although a sheet of ice may appear strong, it often hides cracks, air pockets and weaker layers that can surprise even the most prepared among us.
The best advice: Stay Off the Ice. If a person or animal falls in, call 911.
Posted December 14, 2020
By Einar Jensen, Risk Reduction Specialist
South Metro Fire Rescue
It’s a chilly winter morning and you are walking your dog, Annie, around the neighborhood. Suddenly the dog sees a goose on the ice on Fairview Reservoir, begins barking and pulls away from you. Midway to the goose, the ice breaks and Annie splashes into the water.
Sound familiar?
Your role, as a resident or bystander is simple. Stay off the ice and call 911. South Metro Fire Rescue’s firefighters are trained and equipped to rescue people and pets from icy lakes and ponds.
You are not. You don’t have the training or the special equipment.
If your dog runs onto the ice and falls in, stay on shore and call 911. If you see a person after they fell through the ice, call 911.
An ice rescue has four deliberate stages:
Self-Rescue: If you fall through the ice, find the ice edge where you fell in because it is the strongest. Put your elbows on the ice surface, kick your legs so they float behind you, kick harder to push yourself forward and climb onto ice. Once on the ice, roll on your side to safety.
If you can’t kick hard enough to get onto the ice, your arms will freeze on the ice, which will keep your head above the water if you pass out from hypothermia or exhaustion.
If someone else has fallen through the ice, coach them through a self-rescue while reminding them that help is on the way.
Reach: When they arrive, firefighters will attempt to reach the person or animal with a branch, pole or ladder.
Throw: If reaching doesn’t work, firefighters will throw a life ring, life vest, or rope to the person.
Go: If needed, firefighters trained and equipped for ice rescue crawl onto the ice to rescue the person or animal. They have special protective suits and equipment, including a rope that connects them to rescuers who remain on shore.
Although a sheet of ice may appear strong, it often hides cracks, air pockets and weaker layers that can surprise even the most prepared among us.
The best advice: Stay Off the Ice. If a person or animal falls in, call 911.
Posted December 14, 2020
Holiday Movies are Full of Safety Messages
By Einar Jensen, Risk Reduction Specialist
South Metro Fire Rescue
Emergencies don’t stop during the winter holiday season. In fact, many injuries and incidents, from heart attacks to cooking fires, increase between November and January.
Watching Christmas movies is one of my holiday traditions and I’ve realized that several of my favorite movies contain safety messages. I hope these movies and their risk reduction tips resonate with you and your families.
By Einar Jensen, Risk Reduction Specialist
South Metro Fire Rescue
Emergencies don’t stop during the winter holiday season. In fact, many injuries and incidents, from heart attacks to cooking fires, increase between November and January.
Watching Christmas movies is one of my holiday traditions and I’ve realized that several of my favorite movies contain safety messages. I hope these movies and their risk reduction tips resonate with you and your families.
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A Christmas Story. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. 1983.
It’s so important to buy age-appropriate gifts for children (and adults). A gift in the wrong hands can lead to injured eyes, bonked heads, choking, burns, and other injuries. |
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National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Hughes Entertainment. 1989.
This movie is ripe with safety messages including making good choices when decorating your homes and businesses with holiday lights. Strings of holiday lights are not designed for permanent installations and make sure the lights outside are designed for outside conditions. |
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The Ref. Touchstone Pictures and Don Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimer Films. 1994.
During a dinner scene in this movie, actors wear wreaths with burning candles on their heads in honor of Santa Lucia. That’s not a good idea. Candles should only be used on solid, noncombustible surfaces, and remember to blow out each candle before you leave the room. |
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Die Hard. Gordon Company and Silver Pictures. 1988.
It’s easy to take your feet for granted. Wear socks to keep your feet warm and shoes that stabilize your ankles and provide good traction on slippery surfaces. |
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Elf. New Line Cinema. 2003.
Sugar! While there tends to be plenty of candy, candy canes, candy corns, and syrup available during the holidays, remember to eat a balanced diet from the mainstream food groups, too. A balanced diet helps prevent diabetes, heart attacks, strokes, and general malaise. |
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Last Holiday. ImageMovers. 2006.
There are so many distractions during the holidays that even an open cabinet door can lead to an injury. Instead of wearing a helmet 24/7, be aware of your surroundings and fix potential hazards before an injury occurs. |
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Joyeux Noël. Sony Pictures Classics. 2005.
The holidays have a magical way of adding stress to our lives, whether it’s a rush of Black Friday shopping or discussions at the dinner table. This movie reminds us to give it a rest – Let It Go, to reference Disney’s Frozen (2013) – during the holidays. Grant your family members and yourself grace and stop the battles at least for a few hours. |
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It’s a Wonderful Life. Liberty Films. 1946.
On a related note, mental wellness is important throughout the year and especially during these winter holidays. If you, a loved one, or coworker is hurting from anxiety, depression, or other ailments, reach out to a therapist, a faith leader, a confidant, suicide prevention helplines such as 1-800-273-8255, or even 911 if you are having an emergency. |
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Finally, I hope we can all consider a modified message from How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (Cat in the Hat Productions 1966). COVID-19 will certainly change plans for most of us, but it can’t stop Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, or any other winter holiday from coming. Be safe out there and visit www.southmetro.org for other safety tips.
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Posted November 19, 2020
Show Gratitude this Thanksgiving by cooking with caution
By Einar Jensen, Risk Reduction Specialist
South Metro Fire Rescue
Thanksgiving is a holiday known for cooking and eating. Thanksgiving typically unites friends and family to cook together, eat together, and wonder how we ate so much together.
Although the number of people who unite in each home should be lower this year because of COVID-19, those who do come together have an opportunity to show their appreciation for one another by cooking safely.
Cooking fires are the leading cause of home fires and fire injuries, according to the National Fire Protection Association. Three times as many cooking fires happen on Thanksgiving than any other day. The most common factor in these cooking fires is leaving the area where you are simmering, boiling, frying, grilling, or broiling food.
Stand by your pan and watch what you heat. That way, if a small fire does occur, you can react quickly and safely to extinguish it. Either smother the flames with a lid or turn off the heat to the appliance.
If you cook with the kitchen window open, you can keep small wisps of smoke from finding their way to the home’s smoke alarms. However, if the smoke alarm does activate, go outside to your family meeting place, make sure everyone is safe, and if needed call 911. If you’re confident the smoke was from the kitchen, send one person inside to verify the source and start clearing the kitchen and hallway of smoke.
Here are some other tips for cooking with caution:
By Einar Jensen, Risk Reduction Specialist
South Metro Fire Rescue
Thanksgiving is a holiday known for cooking and eating. Thanksgiving typically unites friends and family to cook together, eat together, and wonder how we ate so much together.
Although the number of people who unite in each home should be lower this year because of COVID-19, those who do come together have an opportunity to show their appreciation for one another by cooking safely.
Cooking fires are the leading cause of home fires and fire injuries, according to the National Fire Protection Association. Three times as many cooking fires happen on Thanksgiving than any other day. The most common factor in these cooking fires is leaving the area where you are simmering, boiling, frying, grilling, or broiling food.
Stand by your pan and watch what you heat. That way, if a small fire does occur, you can react quickly and safely to extinguish it. Either smother the flames with a lid or turn off the heat to the appliance.
If you cook with the kitchen window open, you can keep small wisps of smoke from finding their way to the home’s smoke alarms. However, if the smoke alarm does activate, go outside to your family meeting place, make sure everyone is safe, and if needed call 911. If you’re confident the smoke was from the kitchen, send one person inside to verify the source and start clearing the kitchen and hallway of smoke.
Here are some other tips for cooking with caution:
- Maintain a kid- and pet-free zone within three feet of the stove, grill, and places hot food may be staged before serving.
- While serving food, help kids test and cool their food to prevent burns.
- Keep knives in places young hands can’t reach. Be careful reaching into dishwater and dishwaters if blades are present.
- Move combustibles away from burners.
- Position the grill at least 3 feet away from walls and move it from under eaves.
- Use turkey fryers outside on a sturdy, level surface.
- Determine the correct amount of oil for a fryer by first placing the turkey in the pot with water.
- Partially frozen turkeys cause hot oil to splatter. Thaw the bird completely before lowering it into the fryer.
If a fire or injury does occur that you can’t handle yourself, please call 911. Our stations are fully staffed on Thanksgiving with firefighters ready to help you. If you have questions about any safety topics, please visit www.southmetro.org or find our agency on social media.
Posted November 12, 2020
