The New Hamburg Fire district has an aggressive fire prevention team that visits the schools and malls in the District to teach the importance of fire prevention.

Important Fire Safety Information

Excellent Fire Safety Info for the Holidays!
National Burn Awareness Week, February 4 – 10, Draws Attention to Young Children Being at High Risk for Burn Injuries

Burns and scalds can be deadly, especially to children under the age of five. Nationally, 600 children die and another 100,000 children are treated for burn-related injuries annually.

Young children have thinner skin which burns more deeply and quickly. In a matter of seconds, children can sustain devastating physical and emotional injury. Kitchens and bathrooms can be the most deadly area of a home, especially for children. Close supervision of young children is a key to preventing burn injuries. The New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control joins with the National Association of State Fire Marshals, Shriners International, and other organizations to recognize National Burn Awareness Week as an opportunity to offer these burn prevention tips:

When cooking, use back burners when possible and keep pot handles turned to the inside so they don’t stick out over the front of the stove. If left within reach, a curious child might grab or tip the pot over onto them. Electrical cords for cooking appliances should be kept away from counter edges. This will prevent a child from pulling appliances off counter-tops and onto them. Test bath water before putting your child into the bathtub. Children can be scalded by bath water in only a few seconds. Set your water heater to 120 degrees Fahrenheit or below and always provide supervision. Keep matches and lighters out of children’s reach. Burns should be treated by running cool water over the burned area within the first few minutes of injury. Smoke alarms should be installed on every level and in every sleeping area of your home. Test them once a month and replace batteries when necessary. Working smoke alarms provide early warning detection allowing more time to escape a fire. Newer smoke alarm technology is available with voice recording capabilities to alarm young children of fire, providing a better chance of awakening them in the event of fire.

Fires don’t always happen to the people next door. In less than three minutes, a home could be totally involved in fire and it’s important that everyone reacts quickly and calmly to escape. A home fire escape plan should be developed identifying two ways out of each room, a meeting place outside, and a way to contact the fire department once outside. Practice the plan regularly, at least annually, to make sure that everyone knows what to do when the smoke alarm sounds.

It's important that your family understands what should be done in case of an emergency. Here are some things to practice:

1. E.D.I.T.H. (Exit Drills In The Home) - There are a couple of things that should be focused upon. First, family members should download a family escape plan grid. Using the grid, members should draw a layout of their home and identify two ways out of every room. Next, pick a meeting place. Firefighters that visit the local schools like to teach the kids that your meeting place should be somewhere visible to emergency responders. Preferably, the mailbox is a great place to meet. This provides response crews with a place to meet the family and find out if anyone may still be inside. After you all have agreed with your plan and your meeting place, it should be practiced at least twice a year.

2. DIAL 911 - It's important that everyone in your household knows to dial 911 in the case of an emergency.

3. STOP, DROP, AND ROLL - Teach your family members that if their clothes catch fire, to Stop, Drop and Roll. Continue to roll until the flames are out.

In addition to practicing what to do in case of an emergency, it's also important to be prepared for an emergency and also practice prevention.. Here are some things to focus on:

1. Test Your Smoke Detectors - It's essential to your family's safety to ensure that your smoke detectors are in good working condition. At least once a month, have someone push the test button on your detectors to make sure they work. Also, it's a good idea to change your batteries at least twice a year. A good way to remember to change your batteries is to change them at the same time you change your clocks ahead or back 1-hour.

2. Check Doors and Windows - Make sure that all your doors and windows can be locked and unlocked and open with ease. Sometimes painted windows or doors may become stuck and won't open in the case of an emergency.

3. Matches Are Dangerous - Teach your children that matches are dangerous. If a child finds matches, they should be taught to not play with them and to find an adult to give them to.

Important Fire Safety Brochures

Feel free to download brochures with further safety information by clicking on them below. The brochures are in the PDF format and you will have to download Acrobat Viewer for Free: Acrobat Reader if you do not already have it: