Community News

Summertime Safety

One of the great pleasures of summer is eating and cooking outdoors . The popularity of this activity is because of the great number and variety of outdoor grills sold each year. Such grills can be fun to cook on and provide delicious food, but they can also be dangerous. None of them are foolproof and all should be handled with care.

LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GAS

When liquefied petroleum gas is used to fire a home barbecue, it is contained under pressure in a steel cylinder. The content of an LPG cylinder, vaporized and in a confined area, has the explosive force of several sticks of dynamite. Therefore, the wise user of LPG will be aware of the dangers involved and the precautions that must be taken to avoid accidents.

No LPG burner should ever be ignited until the following steps are taken:

• Read the manufacturer's instructions and be sure you thoroughly understand them.
• Do not transport LPG cylinders in the trunk of a passenger vehicle. A filled cylinder should always be transported in an upright position on the floor of a vehicle with all windows open. Remove the cylinder from the vehicle as soon as possible.
• Never leave a cylinder in a parked vehicle.
• Use the proper size wrench to make sure that all connections are tight. Remember: fittings on flammable gas cylinders have left-handed threads, requiring effort in a counterclockwise direction to tighten. To make sure that connections are tight, apply a soapy solution to detect leaks. If any bubbles are produced, the connections must be tightened further.
• Make sure that grease is not allowed to drip on the hose or cylinders.
• Never let children use a gas-fired barbecue.
• Never use a gas-fired barbecue inside any structure.
• Never store any LPG cylinder - either attached to the barbecue or as spare cylinders - inside any part of a structure, including porches and balconies.
• Store cylinders, including those attached to barbecues, outdoors in a shaded cool area out of direct sunlight.

CHARCOAL

Although charcoal may sound less dangerous than LP gas, it is just as necessary to take precautions in using charcoal burners.

• Never use charcoal barbecues in an enclosed space. Burning charcoal emits carbon monoxide gas, which even in small quantities can cause injury or death.
• Once a fire has been started, never add starter fluid. Fire may follow the stream of fluid back to the container, causing an explosion and scattering flaming liquid.
• Use great caution in disposing of the ashes. Ashes may contain live coals which can start a fire if not disposed of properly. The safest method is to wet ashes thoroughly with water before emptying the barbeque.

Frying your Thanksgiving Turkey

Here are some safety tips for frying your turkey this year. 

• If the cooking pot is overfilled with oil, the oil may spill out when the turkey is placed into the cooking pot. 
• Oil may hit the burner or flames, causing a fire to engulf the entire unit.
• Partially frozen turkeys placed into the fryer can cause a spillover effect. This may result in an extensive fire.
• With no thermostat controls, the units also have the potential to overheat the oil to the point of combustion.
• The lid and handles on the sides of the cooking pot get dangerously hot, posing severe burn hazards.
  
  Please view this video from State Farm Insurance

If you absolutely must use a turkey fryer, please use the following tips.

• Turkey fryers should always be used outdoors a safe distance from buildings and flammable materials.
• Never use turkey fryers in a garage or on a wooden deck.
• Make sure the fryers are used on a flat surface to reduce accidental tipping.
• Never leave the fryer unattended. Watch the fryer carefully, because the oil could catch fire.
• Never let children or pets near the fryer even if it is not in use. The oil inside the cooking pot can remain dangerously hot hours after use.
• To avoid oil spillover, do not overfill the fryer.
• Use insulated potholders when touching handles and safety goggles to protect your eyes from oil splatter.
• Make sure the turkey is completely thawed and be careful with marinades. Oil and water do not mix, and water causes oil to spill over causing a fire or even an explosion hazard.
• The National Turkey Federation recommends thawing the turkey in the refrigerator approximately 24 hours for every five pounds in weight.
• Keep an all-purpose fire extinguisher nearby. Never use water to extinguish a grease fire. If the fire increases, immediately call the fire department for help.

Access & Building Signage Requirements

503.6 Security Gate 
Gate requirement information can be found here.  The Model-721 gate opener kit can be found here.

511 Fire Protection and Building Signage
Information on fire protection and signage for city buildings can be found here.