Galston Rural Fire Brigade

Winter Home and Fireplace Safety

The arrival of the winter means an increased risk of ĭİÕŕÕčļ²ÊĆÕ ñĔŁĴÕ ţİÕĴʣ Ĵ the weather cools down, people plug in their heaters, pull out the electric blankets ²čÑ Ćõëñļ Łĭ ļñÕõİ ţİÕĭĆ²ËÕĴ – all of which pose potential ţİÕ İõĴăĴʣ ‹ñÕİÕ ²İÕ ĴĔČÕ ĴõČĭĆÕ ËñÕËăĆõĴļ õļÕČĴ ŘĔŁ ĴñĔŁĆÑ ļõËă off each winter to make sure you’re keeping warm safely.

Eč ĔŁİ İÕëõĔč Ĕê ƒŘÑčÕŘʞ ţİÕĭĆ²ËÕ Č²õčļÕč²čËÕ õĴ ĭ²İļõËŁĆ²İĆŘ õČĭĔİļ²čļʣ Eê ŘĔŁ ñ²ŕÕ ² ţİÕĭĆ²ËÕ õč ŘĔŁİ ñĔČÕ Č²ăÕ ĴŁİÕ õļĴ ĭİĔĭÕİĆŘ ŕÕčļõĆ²ļÕÑʞ ļñÕ ËñõČčÕŘ Ĕİ ŤŁÕ õĴ ËĆÕ²čʞ ²čÑ ²ĆŖ²ŘĴ ĭĆ²ËÕ a screen in front of it when in use. A common issue you may ÕčËĔŁčļÕİ ŖñÕč ţİĴļ ŁĴõčë ļñÕ ţİÕĭĆ²ËÕ ²êļÕİ ļñÕ Ŗ²İČÕİ ČĔčļñĴʞ õĴ ĴČĔăÕ ţĆĆõčë Łĭ ļñÕ İĔĔê ˲ŕõļŘ Ĕİ ļñÕ Ćõŕõčë ²İÕ² õč ļñÕ ñĔŁĴÕʣ This may be due to a build-up of deposits within the chimney, İÕĴļİõËļõčë ²õİŤĔŖ ²čÑ ËİÕ²ļõčë ² ĭĔļÕčļõ²Ć ţİÕ İõĴăʣ "ÕĭÕčÑõčë Ĕč ŁĴ²ëÕʞ õļ õĴ ĭİÕêÕݲÊĆÕ ļĔ õčĴĭÕËļ ²čÑ ËĆÕ²č ŘĔŁİ ţİÕĭĆ²ËÕ ÕŕÕİŘ ɾ ļĔ 2 years.

;Ĕ ļñİĔŁëñ ļñõĴ ËñÕËăĆõĴļ ļĔ ÊÕ ţİÕ Ĵ²êÕ ÑŁİõčë ļñÕ ËĔĆÑÕİ months:

• Have an adequate number of suitable smoke alarms installed throughout the house.

• Test smoke alarms and change the battery at least once every 12 months.

• ţİÕ ÕŗļõčëŁõĴñÕİ ²čÑ ţİÕ ÊĆ²čăÕļ ăÕĭļ õč ļñÕ ăõļËñÕč čÕ²İ ļñÕ exit.

• All items one metre away from heaters.

• Ensure power points aren’t overloaded.

• Household appliances switched off at power point when not in use.

• Electric blanket stored safely – roll don't fold.

• Electric blankets checked for damage or frayed cords before placing on the bed.

• Võčļ ţĆļÕİ ËĆÕ²čÕÑ ÊÕêĔİÕ Õ²Ëñ ŁĴÕʣ

• A²ŕÕ ² ŖİõļļÕč ñĔČÕ ÕĴ˲ĭÕ ĭĆ²č õč ˲ĴÕ Ĕê ţİÕ ʰŖõļñ ļŖĔ Ŗ²ŘĴ out of each room) and practice it regularly.

Get to Know Your Local Hydrants

Eč ˲ĴÕ Ĕê ² ţİÕʞ ţİÕţëñļÕİĴ Č²Ř čÕÕÑ ļĔ ŁĴÕ Ŗ²ļÕİ ñŘÑݲčļĴ to access a water supply. These water hydrants are located underground, with their square covers located on the road or footpath. In urban areas, water hydrants are usually positioned along one side of the street about 50-100 metres apart, and in rural areas, they may be located over 200 metres apart. The most common cover style is one with the letter ‘H’ on the top and may be coloured in yellow.

Eč ĔİÑÕİ êĔİ ţİÕţëñļÕİĴ ļĔ ţčÑ ļñÕĴÕ ñŘÑݲčļĴʞ ŖÕ ĆĔĔă êĔİ hydrant markers. These markers look like small signs on posts, telegraph poles, or on the shoulder of the road or gutter. They can have the letters H, P or R stamped on them and a series of numbers.

:õčÑõčë ² ñŘÑݲčļ įŁõËăĆŘ ²čÑ Õ²ĴõĆŘ õĴ ŕõļ²Ć êĔİ ţİÕţëñļõčë operations. For this reason, it is important to ensure there are no ĔÊĴļİŁËļõĔčĴ ĭİÕŕÕčļõčë ţİÕţëñļÕİĴ êİĔČ ĆĔ˲ļõčë ²čÑ ËĔččÕËļõčë hoses to hydrants.

Keep a look out for the following, because hydrants may be hidden or unusable when;

• Grass or vegetation has grown over the hydrant cover.

• Dirt, earth or rubbish has been piled over a hydrant.

• Cars are parked on top of a hydrant.

• Gardens have been grown over a hydrant.

• Hydrants have been relocated due to building construction. • Markers have worn out or been dislodged

• Insects have infested a hydrant

Eê Č²õčļÕč²čËÕ Ĕİ Č²İăõčë õĴ İÕįŁõİÕÑʞ İÕĭĔİļ õļ ļĔ ŘĔŁİ ĆĔË²Ć ţİÕ station, council or water authority.

>TZ XMTZQI FQ\F^X YMNSP FGTZY GJNSL ܪWJ WJFI^ ;NXNY YMJ 7+8 \JGXNYJ \\\ rfs.nsw.gov.au or call the Bush Fire Information Line - 1800 NSW RFS (1800 679 737) for more information.

BRIGADE CONTACT DETAILS: Duty mobile 0491 119 152 Email: info@galstonrfb.org.au