Wednesday, April 30, 2008

you need a working smoke detector

Captain Rick Genest, Commander of Fire Station 10 in Rosslyn, spoke at the RAFOM Civic Association meeting yesterday. He mentioned that his father was a fire fighter in Arlington, so we've got a second-generation Arlington fire fighter commanding our Rosslyn station.

Capt. Genest emphasized the importance of smoke detectors. If you don't have one, buy one. They're cheap. If you can't afford one, you can call Arlington County at 703 228-4659 and they will come and install one for you free of charge.

Extension cords are a major fire risk. In general, don't use them on a permanent basis. If you have an extension cord running under a rug, you've got a serious risk of fire.

If you've got a fire extinguisher that's been sitting around for over a decade, you should replace it. They don't last forever, and can go bad even while showing a "charged" reading.

Arlington has set up a program for registering persons, such as bed-ridden and disabled persons, who need assistance in evacuating in an emergency. See the I sticker program information.

Final note: The RAFOM annual meeting is June 11 at Top of the Town.

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