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N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – The Jamestown Fire Department has issued several public service announcements regarding fire safety during the winter months.
Jamestown Fire Chief Jim Reuther reports that with winter arriving, the department is asking the community to consider adopting a fire hydrant closest to their home or business to keep it free of snow.
“At a fire, the department must quickly locate and gain a water supply source from the closest fire hydrant,” Chief Ruether says in the release. “If a hydrant is buried by snow, it is difficult to find and valuable time must be spent digging it out. The delay in gaining water supply may cause firefighters to abandon their efforts and allow a fire to grow.”
Chief Ruether and the department are reminding building owners, managers and occupants to also keep all exit doors to buildings free of snow and ice buildup. He says with recent snow storms, potential safety hazards have been created.
“The need to clear snow from main entrances so occupants can access buildings has caused secondary and other other emergency exits to be forgotten. The unusually large snowfalls have overwhelmed normally open spaces creating the added burden of where to put snow so it will not be in the way.”
Home owners should also be looking for sewer vent ice buildup. Toxic vapors and sewer gas can be a serious hazard for residents.
The Jamestown Fire Department is also reminding home owners of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning. More than 150 people in America die from accidental non-related carbon monoxide poisoning. Be sure to check your detector this winter.