Festive Fire Safety

With sponsorship funding from the Bendigo Bank (Community Bank North Richmond & Districts and Richmond), Mt Tomah Rural Fire Brigade will go create a laundry and clean area for the fire shed.

A laundry will mean that members of the brigade will be able to launder their uniforms at the fire shed instead of sullying their personal washing machines with the types of contaminated materials they come into contact with.

In the meantime, Mt Tomah Fire members have taken the opportunity to remind the community how to practice fire safety over Christmas.

We may not have the open fireplaces blazing at Christmas here Down Under, but we do like to light things up.

Here are a few tips to stay fire-safe through the festive season:

• Only use one item per power socket when setting up fairy lights and other electrical displays.
• Don’t overload power boards or piggyback double adaptors.
• Make sure any power board you use has overload protection and earth leakage protection devices.
• Use only decorative lights that have an Australian Standards label and follow the manufacturer’s instructions when setting up and operating.
• Check lights and electronic decorations for faults, worn plugs and frayed cords before plugging them in and switching them on.
• Replace any lights with faulty plugs and leads.
• Lights can become hot so don’t pack wrapped Christmas gifts so close to the tree that they touch the lights.
• Keep decorative lights away from curtains and never leave burning candles unattended.
• Turn all electrical displays and decorative lights off before going to bed.
• Make sure you have enough smoke alarms in your home, that they are in good working order, and are tested regularly.
• If you’re using the barbecue over Christmas, check it is in good working order before lighting it up.
• Keep lighters and matches away from children and teach them that they are tools used by adults and not toys.
• Take extra care when storing chemicals and fuels in the garage or shed.
• Keep the ground around your home clear of leaves and other litter and remember to clean your gutters regularly, especially if you live in a bushfire-prone area.

Dial 000 in an emergency.

• Topics:

• My House My Home
• Fire Safety
• Christmas