fire prevention

It is normal for a child to be curious about fire. Children want to learn about the world around them. Because your child is curious about fire does not mean there is something wrong with him/her. But when the interest becomes dangerous behavior such as unsupervised experimentation with fire, intervention is essential. If you suspect that your child is lighting fires, playing with matches, lighters, fireworks, or has even had one fire experimentation incident, you need to take action. Ignoring the problem won't make it go away.

The purpose of the Mason Valley Fire Protection District's Juvenile Fire-setter Prevention Program is to reduce the incidents of arson fires set by minors. Approximately 80% of people arrested for the crime of arson are juveniles.

Program Scope

The Mason Valley Fire Protection District's Juvenile Fire-setter Program is available to all citizens of Mason Valley and the City of Yerington.

How do I get my child into this program?

There are two methods:
� The first is through a volunteer referral where a parent or adult guardian realizes a problem exists and refers the child to the Mason Valley Fire Protection District for assistance. The child is screened to determine the extent of the situation, the process is approved by the National Fire Protection Association.

� The second method is through referral from the Juvenile Court Division and other local agencies dealing with youth. Children between the ages of 8 and 18 are referred to the court by a fire investigator for setting a "willful and/or malicious" fire. These children are then screened to determine the extent of the situation. The program includes fire safety education and fire related consequences.

For more information, contact Mason Valley Fire Protection District Administration or Chief Huntley at 775-463-2261.

I cringe every time I hear this story: The family was making dinner when cooking fumes set off the smoke alarms. Annoyed and trying to get the evening's dinner going, someone hurriedly pulled out the batteries or disconnected the wires. Ah, peace and quiet at last, and a pleasant family dinner. But then they forgot about the disconnected alarms. Now what?

As a Division Chief of the Yerington / Mason Valley Fire Department, this scenario is the major reason why smoke alarms are not working in one of every five households here and across the country. And a disabled smoke alarm is a prescription for disaster. When fire strikes, we may have only moments to get out safely. Without working smoke alarms to signal a fire, especially late at night, those are moments we may not have.

If you are one of the people who think you will wake up to the smell of smoke if a fire starts, you're wrong. The toxic smoke is more likely to put you into a deeper sleep. Late at night, the loud sound of a working smoke alarm is the only thing that can give you time to escape when fire strikes.   And all kinds of fires can strike when you're asleep and not able to keep an eye on things - a space heater, a pan on the stove, a discarded cigarette or lit candles.

The nonprofit National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) says that the majority of fatal home fires occur at night, when we're sleeping. Working smoke alarms are absolutely essential in every home, including yours. Just this week I received a phone call from a resident questioning about smoke alarms.

Although 96 percent of American households have at least one smoke alarm, NFPA found that roughly half of the home fire deaths occur in that tiny share of homes with no alarms. And, NFPA says that about one fifth of all smoke alarms aren't working - mostly due to dead or missing batteries. Stop by our station and see a smoke detector that we found in an actual house fire with no batteries. These are problems we can overcome, starting here in Mason Valley.

Just having smoke alarms cuts your chances of dying in a home fire nearly in half. Plan a home fire escape drill and you cut your chances even more. Practice good fire prevention and you do even better.

Here's an important fact to remember: Seventy percent of all home fire fatalities occur in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.

Working smoke alarms save lives and they can save yours. So what's your story? Right now, look around your home and see if you have working smoke alarms. I've seen too much tragedy over my career in the fire service and I don't want the next grieving family to be yours. Here are a few things you can do to protect yourself from deadly fire with the help of home smoke alarms:

�       Install smoke alarms on every level. We have them for free!
�       Place alarms outside each sleeping area.
�       Replace batteries every year, including back-up batteries in
        electrical alarms; if alarms chirp, replace batteries immediately.
�       Test alarms at least once a month.
�        Install new alarms when the devices are 10 years old.

Never disconnect a smoke alarm or remove a battery in response to nuisance alarms. If steam from the bathroom or cooking fumes causes the smoke alarm to signal, fan the air near the alarm until the signal stops. Later, if you can relocate a smoke alarm farther away from the kitchen and bath, you may be able to prevent future nuisance alarms. Try dusting or vacuuming the alarm, or if it is an older unit consider replacing it.

The most important thing to remember is that you need working smoke alarms. It's just too dangerous to be without them.