Posts Tagged ‘Washington Township’

Monday, August 9th, 2010

Everyone can become momentarily disabled in a fire from blinding smoke and poisonous gas, but those with physical and/or cognitive disabilities face an even greater danger. Long term conditions such as paralysis, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, and muscular dystrophy are what most people think of first when they think about disabilities. But short term disabilities such as those we face when recovering at home from surgery are even more common and warrant the same fire safety considerations as long term disabilities.

If mobility is limited, a ground floor dwelling with a special safety exit and/or ramps for escape may be needed. Make sure all doors open outward from the inside by reversing the hinges. Make sure smoke alarms are installed in or near every sleeping area and that a telephone or telecommunications device is accessible by the person with the disability.

Those who are deaf or hard of hearing should have a smoke alarm that uses a flashing strobe light or motorized bed shaker to wake them. Almost half of all fatal fires start at night when people are asleep. Because smoke can put people in a deeper sleep, is it is important to have the early warning that smoke alarms provide to ensure that they wake.

Plan and practice home fire escape plans including emergency escape routes. Designate a helper to assist those whose mobility is impaired. Emergency telephone numbers need to be posted in central locations. Keep a communications device nearby. Teletypewriters (TYY) or Telecommunications Devices for the Deaf (TDD) should be placed close to the bed so that communication with emergency personnel is possible should a fire or smoke trap them in their room.

If you would like assistance reviewing emergency escape procedures for your home or would like the Washington Township Fire Department to include someone in your household in our database of children and adults with special medical conditions, contact the Division of Fire Prevention at 614-652-3920. The information collected for our database is confidential and is used solely for the purpose of locating, rescuing, and/or treating those in your home who have special medical conditions, requirements, or limitations in the event of an emergency.

Article Credits: Fire Marshal Alan Perkins, CFPS, is a 32-year veteran of the fire service. A Certified Fire Protection Specialist through the National Fire Protection Association and a member of several similar safety organizations. Perkins is the Fire Marshal for the Washington Township Fire Department, Dublin, Ohio. For more information, contact: Leslie Dybiec, Public Information Officer Phone: (614) 652-3928 Fax: (614) 766-2507 or ldybiec@wtwp.com.

Live Safe Foundation is an Ohio based non-profit organization (501c3), and leading grassroots movement, devoted to making and fire and life safety education, awareness initiatives and life saving tools available on a broad basis to communities, campuses, and institutions in an effort to reduce national fire fatalities and fire losses. Live Safe aims to help finance fire safety education where means are otherwise unavailable. Live Safe is developing and sponsoring programs to help groups find the resources needed to advance individual and community fire safety.

Tags: deaf, disabled, fire safety, Washington Township
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Visible House Numbers Important for Emergencies

Sunday, July 18th, 2010

Most fire departments have detailed maps of the neighborhoods they protect and are familiar with the locations of streets, commercial buildings and hydrants within their jurisdiction.

Because emergency response crews need to find addresses as quickly as possible when called, they often rely on house numbers for quick reference. If the numbers on your home are not easy to find or read, it will take longer for crews to reach you. Victims of heart attack, stroke, or choking need immediate care. Minutes can mean the difference between life and death.

House numbers should meet the following requirements:

• Must be Arabic numerals. Fancy numbers or numbers that are spelled out may be aesthetically pleasing but are very difficult to read from the street.

• Need to be a minimum of four inches high and in a contrasting color to their immediate background. Brass or bronze numbers are difficult to see in the day or nighttime.

• Must be displayed on the front of the dwelling and visible from the street.

• If the dwelling is located more than 45 feet from the front lot line, the number should be displayed on a gate post, fence, mailbox, or other appropriate place that will make it visible from the street from all directions when approaching from the street.

• Cannot be obstructed by shrubs, trees, decorations, etc.

Take a moment to look at your house number. Make sure your numbers follow the above guidelines. It will help emergency crews find you easier and faster.

For more information about the requirements for house numbers in the City of Dublin, Ohio, consult the City’s building code ordinance #150.125 (Manner of Numbering and System) and the Washington Township Fire Code Section 505.1 (Address Numbers).

Images: Courtesy of Google Images

Tags: education, emergency, home fires, house numbers, Washington Township
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Know and Test All Exit Routes

Sunday, July 11th, 2010

About 3,000 people die every year in home fires, according to the National Fire Protection Association. Most fatal home fires begin at night while we are asleep. Unprepared for the effects of the smoke, disoriented from being awakened abruptly and frightened, many people make poor decisions for escape and haven’t identified and tested all their escape routes. Your family will have a better chance of escaping safely from a fire if they practice a home fire escape plan, know how to stay low and crawl under smoke the nearest exit, and are able to locate and use multiple emergency exit routes.

In most homes and apartments, emergency exits are usually windows and stairways. Make sure windows can be opened and screens and storm windows can be removed from the inside. Confirm that children can operate the window locks and know how to get out quickly. If they cannot get out, they should know to wait for help at the window, where firefighters can see them.

If bedrooms are on the second floor, have a folding escape ladder available and practice putting it in the window. Non-combustible escape ladders that have been tested and listed by an independent testing laboratory are available from most hardware stores. Don’t count on being able to create a ladder by tying bed sheets together. There is usually not enough time or enough bed sheets nearby and jumping from a second story window can cause severe injuries.

If you live in an apartment or condominium and enclosed stairways are your emergency exits, practice finding these in the dark. Count the number of doors from your bedroom to the exit stairway. You probably won’t be able to see the lighted exit sign above the doorway through the smoke. Keep the doors to all exit stairways closed to help prevent smoke from entering your escape route.

Generate as many different escape routes for your family as possible and practice all of them at least twice a year. Always choose the escape route that is safest, the one with the least amount of smoke and heat. When you do your fire drill, everyone should practice getting low and going under the smoke to your emergency exit. Practicing can help reduce your family members’ response time, an important factor in a fire situation. When time is short, fast action is needed.

If your family does not have a home fire escape plan, contact the Washington Township Fire Department at 614-652-3920 for information.

Images: Courtesy of Google Images and www.nfpa.org/…/ ClearEscapeRoutes.jpg

Live Safe Foundation is an Ohio based non-profit organization (501c3), and leading grassroots movement, devoted to making fire safety education, awareness initiatives and life saving tools available on a broad basis to communities, campuses, and institutions in an effort to reduce national fire fatalities and fire losses. Live Safe aims to help finance fire safety education where means are otherwise unavailable. Live Safe is developing and sponsoring programs to help groups find the resources needed to advance individual and community fire safety.

Tags: emergency, exit routes, fire safety, home fires, Washington Township
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Bicycling without a helmet is risky

Tuesday, April 27th, 2010

Bicycling season in Central Ohio has arrived. Bike paths provide many options for those of us who are anxious to get riding again.

In preparation for that day when you will take your first ride of the season, check your equipment to ensure your safety. Make sure the bike fits the rider. Have a certified cycling mechanic inspect your bike. Wear a properly fitted helmet. Head injury is the most common cause of death and serious disability in bicycle-related crashes. According to the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute, head injuries cause two-thirds of about 700 bicycle deaths each year and bicycle helmets reduce the risk of serious head and brain injury by 85%. However, bicycle helmets can greatly reduce the risk of brain and skull injuries if they are fitted and worn properly and regularly. Remember the four S’s when selecting a helmet.

Size: Try on several different helmets before you purchase one. The helmet should be comfortable and snug. Extra pads can be used to enhance the fit. Helmet pads should not be used to make a helmet that is too big fit. Don’t buy a helmet that is too big with the idea that he/she will grow into it.
Strap: The straps should be joined just under each ear at the jawbone. The buckle should be snug but allow the wearer to open their mouth comfortably.
Straight: The bottom edge of the helmet should be nearly parallel to the ground, not at an angle. The front of the helmet should be just about the rider’s eyebrows.
Standards: The American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the Snell Memorial Foundation, and the American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) have developed voluntary standards for bicycle helmets. Make sure the helmet you use bears a label from one of these organizations indicating that it meets certain testing criteria.

Proper Bike Helmet Usage

To help encourage helmet use, involve the rider in buying the helmet. Make sure he/she is happy with the appearance. Set a good example for your children by wearing a helmet, no matter how brief the trip. Replace a helmet immediately, if damaged.

On Sunday May 2, 2010, Dublin, Ohio will be hosting the Healthy Dublin Bike Rodeo, where members of the EMS Bike Patrol will be fitting free youth helmets at the Dublin Recreation Center Northwest parking lot from noon to 3 p.m. (while supplies last). Youth must be fitted for a helmet to receive a helmet.

If you are looking to combine doing something for the greater good while riding your bike, consider riding in Pelotonia this August 20-22, 2010. Every dollar raised by Pelotonia and its riders goes directly to fund cancer research at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute. For more information visit www.pelotonia.org.

Line of Duty” Author: Fire Marshal Alan Perkins, CFPS, is a 32-year veteran of the fire service. A Certified Fire Protection Specialist through the National Fire Protection Association and a member of several similar safety organizations. Perkins is the Fire Marshal for the Washington Township Fire Department, Dublin, Ohio. For more information, contact: Leslie Dybiec, Public Information Officer Phone: (614) 652-3928 Fax: (614) 766-2507 or ldybiec@wtwp.com.

Live Safe Foundation is an Ohio based non-profit organization (501c3), and leading grassroots movement, devoted to making fire safety education, awareness initiatives and life saving tools available on a broad basis to communities, campuses, and institutions in an effort to reduce national fire fatalities and fire losses. LiveSafe aims to help finance fire safety education where means are otherwise unavailable. LiveSafe is developing and sponsoring programs to help groups find the resources needed to advance individual and community fire safety.

Tags: bike safety, Dublin, pelotonia, Washington Township
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NOAA Weather Radio is Important Safety Device

Tuesday, April 13th, 2010

Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are now considered standard safety devices in homes. Another equally valuable yet less common safety device for the home or business is a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radio. With severe weather seemingly ever present in our daily lives, reports from NOAA can give you the information you need to make important decisions that will affect your life and the lives of your family members. The NOAA Weather Radio broadcast contains information about all types of severe weather including tornado and flood warnings as soon as it is available, not on a scheduled interval or in conjunction with a TV or radio broadcast.

NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards, a component of the nation’s Emergency Alert System, is comprised of a nationwide network of numerous transmitters directly linked with one of 123 local offices of NOAA’s National Weather Service. The closest office is the Wilmington, Ohio location which broadcast weather warnings that cannot be heard on a simple AM/FM receiver. With Ohio Severe Weather Awareness Week (March 21-27) upon us, plan on adding a NOAA Weather Radio to your home with these important features:

A special tone that precedes the initial broadcast regarding immediate weather threats to gain the listener’s attention. This feature is especially crucial when severe storms strike at night when most people are sound asleep.
The units are small and require little space on a nightstand or table. They are especially convenient for vacations and will use the signal from a nearby transmitter.

A battery back-up that ensures the receiver continues service during a loss of electricity as the warning capabilities of television or the internet will be lost.

S.A.M.E. (Specific Area Message Encoding) technology that can be programmed to sound only select alerts for specific areas such as Franklin County. This prevents undesired messages and false alarms, especially those outside the local area.
Many radios allow for customization for the hearing or visually impaired, such as strobe lights, or bed shakers.
Units that receive the NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards signal are available at many electronic retail stores and range in cost from $20 to $100. Look for receivers which carry the Public Alert logo (CEA-2009). Devices carrying the logo meet certain technical standards and come with the features mentioned. The National Weather Service does not manufacture these receivers.

Visit the Township’s website at www.wtwp.com to download your 65-page Emergency Preparedness Guide or stop by our Administration building at 6200 Eiterman Road for your free copy.

Live Safe Foundation is an Ohio based non-profit organization (501c3), and leading grassroots movement, devoted to making fire safety education, awareness initiatives and life saving tools available on a broad basis to communities, campuses, and institutions in an effort to reduce national fire fatalities and fire losses. LiveSafe aims to help finance fire safety education where means are otherwise unavailable. LiveSafe is developing and sponsoring programs to help groups find the resources needed to advance individual and community fire safety.

Tags: carbon monoxide alarms, NOAA, smoke detector, Washington Township, Weather Tips
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The Frying Pan Without the Fire

Wednesday, April 7th, 2010

The kitchen of every home contains the ingredients for a dangerous fire. Reduce your risk of having a damaging kitchen fire by utilizing the following precautions:

Keep cooking areas and appliances clean and clear of combustibles. Don’t place towels, potholders, or food packaging on the stove or near hot appliances. You might accidentally turn on the wrong burner.
Clean any grease buildup from the stove, oven or exhaust fan regularly. Cooking oil creates vapors that collect on kitchen surfaces, such as cupboards, counters and curtains. This vapor build-up could act as fuel to a fire in the kitchen.
When cooking with grease and oil, keep in mind that they ignite easily and burn rapidly. Keep a lid, cookie sheet, or large pan handy should you need to cover a pan fire to smother it. Don’t use water or flour as it will make the fire larger.
Avoid loose-fitting clothes like nightgowns or robes while cooking. Roll up your sleeves and keep other pieces of clothing well away from hot stove top elements. To avoid having to reach over the stove while it is in use, store frequently needed items in other areas of the kitchen. If your clothes catch fire, stop, drop to the ground, and roll to extinguish the flames.
Turn pot handles inward so they can’t be bumped and are out of reach of children.
Never leave cooking food on the stovetop unattended and keep a close eye on anything baking in the oven.
Protect yourself from an oven fire by turning off the heat and keeping the door closed.
Shield yourself from steam when uncovering food, especially micro-waved servings.
Food cooked in a microwave can be dangerously hot. Remove the lids and other coverings from micro-waved food carefully to prevent steam burns.

Live Safe Foundation is an Ohio based non-profit organization (501c3), and leading grassroots movement, devoted to making fire safety education, awareness initiatives and life saving tools available on a broad basis to communities, campuses, and institutions in an effort to reduce national fire fatalities and fire losses. LiveSafe aims to help finance fire safety education where means are otherwise unavailable. LiveSafe is developing and sponsoring programs to help groups find the resources needed to advance individual and community fire safety.

Tags: combustibles, fire safety, frying pan, kitchen, Washington Township
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Prevent Poisonings in Your Home

Thursday, April 1st, 2010

As consumers, we purchase a wide variety of products that are used in and around our homes. Cleaners, cosmetics, medications, pesticides, and house plants are among the most common. Because many of these items are commonplace, they are often overlooked as substances that could, if misused, cause illness, injury, and even death.

Each year, two million poisonings are reported to the 61 poison control centers in the U.S. More than 90% of these poisonings occur in the home. It can happen to anyone at any time. Unintentional poisonings can, however, be prevented. While child-resistant latches on cabinets and child-resistant caps on medications have decreased the incidents of poisonings, there are still many other poison hazards in your home. Reduce the likelihood of a poisoning occurring in your home by making sure you do the following:

Check under the sink and in cabinets for stored products that could be hazardous. These include drain cleaners, ammonia, detergents and floor cleaners. Store these products in their original containers to avoid mistaking the contents for another product and to ensure the label instructions for use and storage are with the product. Install safety latches on all cabinet doors where these products are stored to keep toddlers out.
Keep household items and food stored separately to avoid confusion.
Keep personal care items such as hair spray, cologne, perfumes, and nail polish remover where children cannot get them.
Use child-resistant caps and keep medication lids tightly closed.
Avoid taking medication in front of a child, or referring to pills as candy.
Never throw medication in the trash. Instead, dispose of unused or expired medications down the drain or toilet.
Keep rodent and insect traps out of reach.
Keep pesticides in a locked cabinet or in a garden shed and never unattended when using them.
Wipe up all spills and puddles in the garage, carport, basement, or utility areas.
Familiarize yourself with all the plants you have in and around the house. Some are poisonous to the touch such as poison ivy while others are poisonous if ingested.
Maintain working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.

Keep the number to Central Ohio Poison Center, 1-800-222-1222, posted near the telephone. Have the original container and its label available when you call. Approximately one million phone calls are placed to Poison Control Centers annually by adults seeking help when children have swallowed something harmful.

For more information, consult www.poisonprevention.org.

“Line of Duty” Author: Fire Marshal Alan Perkins, CFPS, is a 32-year veteran of the fire service. A Certified Fire Protection Specialist through the National Fire Protection Association and a member of several similar safety organizations. Perkins is the Fire Marshal for the Washington Township Fire Department, Dublin, Ohio. For more information, contact: Leslie Dybiec, Public Information Officer Phone: (614) 652-3928 Fax: (614) 766-2507 or ldybiec@wtwp.com.

Live Safe Foundation is an Ohio based non-profit organization (501c3), and leading grassroots movement, devoted to making fire safety education, awareness initiatives and life saving tools available on a broad basis to communities, campuses, and institutions in an effort to reduce national fire fatalities and fire losses. LiveSafe aims to help finance fire safety education where means are otherwise unavailable. LiveSafe is developing and sponsoring programs to help groups find the resources needed to advance individual and community fire safety.

Tags: pesticides, poison control, Washington Township
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If Clothes Catch Fire, Stop, Drop, and Roll

Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010

All clothing can burn, although some fabrics burn more easily than others. If your clothing catches fire, STOP, DROP, and ROLL to put out the flames. Don’t run, stand, or shake the part of your clothing that is on fire. This only fuels the fire with more oxygen and worsens the situation.

Instead, stop and drop to the floor or ground. Then roll or rock back and forth to smother the flames. Rolling helps reduce the fire’s oxygen supply. If possible, roll in a rug, blanket or coat to smother the fire faster.

When the fire is out, cool the burn with water and call the fire department. Do not remove the burned clothing if it is stuck to the skin. Keep the victim quiet and warm until help arrives.

Seconds count in any fire so, being able to put the fire out as quickly as possible is vital. Running in response to danger such as a fire is natural in all age groups, but is more common in younger children. Frightened children often run to find their parents or water, believing that it is the only way to put out a fire. By practicing the stop, drop, and roll procedure with your family, you can help increase the likelihood that they will be able to put it into practice when needed instead of running for help or water.

Most clothing fires are the result of careless accidents and can be prevented if you:

Practice caution when using or working with heat sources or flames.
Keep children away from heat sources such as candles, stoves, cigarettes, outdoor grills, matches, portable heaters etc.
Don’t wear loose-fitting clothing or clothes with draping sleeves while cooking or near heat sources.
Purchase flame-retardant clothing for children when possible.

Line of Duty” Author: Fire Marshal Alan Perkins, CFPS, is a 32-year veteran of the fire service. A Certified Fire Protection Specialist through the National Fire Protection Association and a member of several similar safety organizations. Perkins is working with the Ohio Fire Officials Association for state law mandating photoelectric or equivalent smoke detection technology in new residential construction. Perkins is the Fire Marshal for the Washington Township Fire Department, Dublin, Ohio. For more information, contact: Leslie Dybiec, Public Information Officer Phone: (614) 652-3928 Fax: (614) 766-2507 or ldybiec@wtwp.com.

LiveSafe Foundation is an Ohio based non-profit organization (501c3), and leading grassroots movement, devoted to making fire safety education, awareness initiatives and life saving tools available on a broad basis to communities, campuses, and institutions in an effort to reduce national fire fatalities and fire losses. LiveSafe aims to help finance fire safety education where means are otherwise unavailable. LiveSafe is developing and sponsoring programs to help groups find the resources needed to advance individual and community fire safety.

Tags: Drop, fire safety, Fire-retardant, flame-retardant clothing, Roll, Stop, Washington Township
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Which smoke alarm can save your life?

Monday, March 15th, 2010

The kind of smoke alarm you have in your home may not provide adequate warning during a fire. That’s right, if you have the kind of detection that most U.S. homes have, an ionization-type, you are at risk of dying in your own home without the alarm ever sounding.

This doesn’t seem possible, does it? After all, if there is a fresh battery in your detector and you have tested it to ensure that it is in working order, you and your family members should be safe, right? Maybe not! There is compelling research-based evidence that demonstrates that ionization-type detectors are ineffective in smoldering type fires, the most common cause of fatalities in home fires. In fact, tests have shown that ionization type smoke alarms don’t sound, even after the level of carbon monoxide and smoke reaches deadly concentrations. An alarming amount of documented residential fire deaths have occurred with only the installed ionization type detectors. Had there been a properly installed photoelectric detector in these situations, an alarm would have sounded to warn occupants of the life-threatening situation.

A 1994 study at Texas A&M concluded that the probability of a photoelectric detector failing to detect a smoldering fire is four percent, while the ionization detector provided close to 56% probability of failure in the same fire condition.

One of the reasons for the differences in the performance of these two detector types is in the way they are activated. Ionization smoke alarms contain a small amount of radioactive material and establish a small electric current between two metal plates. When the current is disrupted by smoke, the alarm sounds. This older type of technology is typically more responsive to a flaming fire, such as a kitchen pan fire, but it’s also more susceptible to nuisance alarms from bathroom humidity or cooking vapors when placed within 20 feet of a kitchen.

Photoelectric smoke alarms contain a light source and a light-sensitive electric cell. Smoke entering the detector deflects light onto the light-sensitive electric cell, triggering the alarm. These alarms are more sensitive to large particles given off during smoldering fires, such as an electrical fire-the kind of fires that usually occur at night when people are asleep.

For many years, authorities have urged homeowners to install smoke alarms without consideration to the type of potential fire ignition or the quality of smoke detection. This was based on the urgency to equip all homes with smoke detection with what was readily available on the market.

It is no surprise, then, that more than 90% of homes in the United States have only the ionization detection technology, leaving those occupants vulnerable to the most common and deadly type of fire.

To ensure your family gets the early warning they need to survive the toxic gases of a smoldering fire, install photoelectric smoke alarms immediately in and outside sleeping areas. They cost a bit more than the ionization type, but are now readily available at local hardware and home improvement stores. Use this past weekend’s time change to Daylight Savings Time, as your goal for making these important changes in your home.

Along with properly installing and maintaining new and existing smoke alarms, develop and practice an escape plan that includes two ways out of every room, so that everyone in the home knows what to do if the smoke alarms sounds. Home occupants who practice an escape plan reduce their time to escape in every type of fire.

If you have questions concerning the installation of photoelectric smoke alarms, contact the Washington Township Fire Department at (614) 652-3920.

If you would like more information about this important issue, watch the Stop the Children Burning series on youtube.com. A very informative news report from Indiana’s Channel 13 called UL-approved smoke alarms may give false sense of security is also on youtube.com. It details the studies done at Texas A&M. Take a few minutes to review these videos. Then get photoelectric smoke alarms for your home!

Fire Marshal Alan Perkins, CFPS, is a 32-year veteran of the fire service. A Certified Fire Protection Specialist through the National Fire Protection Association and a member of several similar safety organizations. Perkins is working with the Ohio Fire Officials Association for state law mandating photoelectric or equivalent smoke detection technology in new residential construction. Perkins is the Fire Marshal for the Washington Township Fire Department, Dublin, Ohio. For more information, contact: Leslie Dybiec, Public Information Officer Phone: (614) 652-3928 Fax: (614) 766-2507 or ldybiec@wtwp.com.

LiveSafe Foundation is an Ohio based non-profit organization (501c3), and leading grassroots movement, devoted to making fire safety education, awareness initiatives and life saving tools available on a broad basis to communities, campuses, and institutions in an effort to reduce national fire fatalities and fire losses. LiveSafe aims to help finance fire safety education where means are otherwise unavailable. LiveSafe is developing and sponsoring programs to help groups find the resources needed to advance individual and community fire safety.

Tags: fire safety, homeowners, Indiana's Channel 13, ionization detector, light sensitive electric cell, photoelectric smoke detector, smoke alarms, smoldering fires, UL, Washington Township
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Placing a 9-1-1 Call: What You Should Know

Friday, February 19th, 2010

Placing a 9-1-1 Call: What You Should Know

Dublin, OH- When an emergency, such as a fire occurs, it’s easy to become panicked and confused. As a result, many 9-1-1 calls made to emergency dispatchers are often not complete, thus hindering the fire department’s ability to arrive quickly to the scene. By knowing what to expect when you call 9-1-1 and making a few simple preparations, you can steer clear of the common mistakes people make when they place an emergency phone call.

Keep the 9-1-1 number posted on every telephone in your house and ask neighbors to do the same. Make the call from inside your home only if you are trapped. Otherwise, get out, report to your family’s agreed upon meeting place, and call the fire department from a neighbor’s phone or cell phone.
Speak clearly and calmly. Give the dispatcher the location of the emergency and a brief description of the incident you are reporting. Be prepared to answer questions such as location, address, name, and telephone number. Stay on the phone until you have answered all the dispatcher’s questions and he or she says it’s OK to hang up. Help is being dispatched at the same time the call taker is continuing to gather additional information.
If your call is a medical emergency, the dispatcher will provide pre-arrival medical instructions telling you what to do before medics arrive.
Do not program 9-1-1 into your phone. It is too easy to accidentally call the number. If you dial 9-1-1 in error, DO NOT hang up. With the enhanced 9-1-1 features in our area, the caller’s address and telephone number is automatically identified for the dispatcher’s reference. Instead, stay on the line and let the dispatcher know you made a mistake. Otherwise he/she will send emergency crews to your address and needlessly tie up resources from real emergencies.
If you use a cell phone to place an emergency call, the dispatcher receives your call back number and the approximate location from which you are calling. It is imperative that you stay on the line and tell the dispatcher the exact location of the emergency.
Make sure your house number is displayed with large numbers (at least four inches high) in a contrasting color that can be seen easily from the road.
If your home is situated far off the road, be sure your driveway is well marked with your street address.
Share with your children and family members that making false emergency calls as a joke is a crime that costs lives. False alarms tie up emergency telephone lines and endanger emergency personnel driving to the scene.
Once emergency personnel arrive, ensure they have current medical information for your family at their disposal by posting on your refrigerator a Vial of Life form for each member of your family. The Vial of Life form, if completed and kept current, can provide valuable information (medical history, medications, emergency contacts, doctor’s names etc.) that will help paramedics expediteemergency medical treatment and/or transition to a physician’s care. Vial of Life forms are available on the Township’s web site, www.wtwp.com, or by request at 614-652-3920.

They are especially helpful when the person in need of medical care cannot speak or isn’t old enough to be able to provide the necessary information, or when by-standers or family members are panicked or confused and have difficulty remembering all the details paramedics need.

Visit link to learn more about the History of the 911 call.

“Line of Duty” Author: Fire Marshal Alan Perkins, CFPS, Washington Township Fire Department, Dublin, Ohio. For more information, contact: Leslie Dybiec, Public Information Officer Phone: (614) 652-3928 Fax: (614) 766-2507 or ldybiec@wtwp.com.

LiveSafe Foundation is an Ohio based non-profit organization (501c3), and leading grassroots movement, devoted to making fire safety education, awareness initiatives and life saving tools available on a broad basis to communities, campuses, and institutions in an effort to reduce national fire fatalities and fire losses. LiveSafe aims to help finance fire safety education where means are otherwise unavailable. LiveSafe is developing and sponsoring programs to help groups find the resources needed to advance individual and community fire safety.

Tags: education, emergency calls, ems, fire safety, Washington Township
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