Possible Phone Scam Operation
August 10, 2018
Yesterday, I received a check in the mail from a local resident without a note or information why. I asked our Prevention Officer if he recently did anything for this address and he stated no. So, I drove over and met with the nice folks and asked what the check was for. They stated that they received a phone call stating that the local “Firemen’s Association” was asking for donations, which was a surprise to me! I explained that they and all residents of the Jollyville fire district already “donate” to us via property taxes and that we are not and will never be asking for donations. After handing back their check, I also stated that, in the future, if they receive any phone calls requesting “donations” for our department to please contact us directly and we will do our best to research the caller and prevent this from reoccurring.
Unfortunately, there are phone predators out there, preying on folk’s good nature. As with any phone call requesting private information or donations, do not give any info of funds until you have researched the caller and the situation. This will help prevent any possible privacy or security breaches for you or your family.
Be Safe!
Smoke Detectors
August 4, 2018
Why Are They So Important?
As we tell the kiddos at the schools, smoke detectors are an electronic nose. They detect smoke for us when we are asleep. People think that smoke will wake you up when you’re sleeping, but that’s not the case. Smoke will actually place you in a deeper sleep until you finally don’t wake up. Smoke detectors also can tell you when there’s a fire in another part of the house before you can smell the smoke.
How Do They Work?
Smoke detectors work by seeing small particles of dirt and dust in the smoke. If the detector goes off and you don’t see or smell smoke, remove the cover from the detector and clean the entire unit with a rag, vacuum or by just blowing the dust away. If that doesn’t solve the problem, you might need to replace the detector. But, as always, if you are concerned because the unit did go off and you can’t find a cause, call 911 and we’ll come and check things out for you. That’s our job!
There are two different alarm tones that smoke detectors make. One is the constant beeping noise and the other is a slight chirp every 30-60 seconds. Obviously, the first and most annoying alarm is the “smoke detected” alarm. The second little chirping noise means it’s time to change the battery. This is an important point because this is when most people remove the battery and forget to replace it. You need to replace the battery as soon as you remove the bad one. Many people who are injured or killed in house fires do not have a working smoke detector.
Where Do You Place Them?
The latest Fire Codes are now requiring new construction and rental properties to have a smoke detector in all bedrooms as well as major living areas. The bare minimum should be a detector in the hallway near the bedrooms, the major living areas and near the kitchen. Smoke rises so place them at the highest point of the room and at the top of stairs. Try not to place them too close to a bathroom door or a heater/AC vent because steam and dust can accidentally set off the detector. And remember, the more smoke detectors you have, the more protection you have. You never know where a fire will start and the quicker someone hears the alarm going off, the quicker they will call us and we can put it out.
Bottom line folks, SMOKE DETECTORS SAVE LIVES, but they have to be working to help. Test them once a month and replace the batteries as needed.