April 2009 - Posts
The Braidwood, IL, Police Department will now supply home burglar alarms for every Braidwood resident.
The announcement was made at the April 28 regular meeting of the Braidwood City Council. Acting Chief Brandon Myers said the department was now implementing the Home-BASE Project.
Home-BASE stands for "Home Burglary and Security Education" Project. The program is designed to reduce the amount of reported residential burglaries and thefts within the city of Braidwood. Burglaries and thefts account for the majority of crimes statewide, averaging just over 76 percent of all crimes reported annually.
In small communities, such as Braidwood, burglaries and thefts account for nearly 90 percent of all reported crimes. The Home-BASE Project is designed to educate community members on how easily a home can be burglarized. More importantly, the program provides strategies to help prevent these crimes from occurring.
The cornerstone of the Home-BASE Project is the distribution of residential burglar alarms by the Braidwood Police department. The city was provided with 1,728 window/door contact alarms by the Spring Grove, Illinois based corporation Intermatic Inc. Along with these alarms, Intermatic Inc. provided 3,456 adhesive electronic security decals, a total retail value of over $16,000.
"There are enough alarms and decals to provide nearly every home in the city with one alarm and two decals." Myers stated. "A program such as Home-BASE will go along way in repressing the major crime facing Braidwood and will help prevent the victimization of each of our citizens."
Myers also reminded citizens that the use of a home security system is not the only available method to prevent burglaries. Chief Myers encouraged the residents of Braidwood to lock their doors and use their lights.
"Every layer of defense put to use will help protect a homeowner from an unlawful break-in," Myers added.
Intermatic Inc. specializes in consumer energy control and various home security products. Intermatic products are widely distributed. They can be found at most retailers as well as quality electrical wholesalers.
The Morton, PA, council recently enacted an ordinance requiring carbon monoxide detectors in every residence and commercial establishment in the borough. The ordinance requires compliance by July 1.
Solicitor Jay Wills said the detectors are to be installed on every floor in a building used for habitation.
He noted the detectors will be needed before a certificate of occupation will be issued when a property changes hands, or for new construction.
Alycee Nelson Ruley told council the annual senior citizens prom, hosted by the Teens For Positive Empowerment organization will be 6 p.m. April 25 at the borough community building. Tickets are $8 and the minimum age for attendance is 50.
In another matter, Sunday Dyitt, president reorganized Morton Borough Fourth of July Committee, told council the committee is planning an Independence Day parade and needs financial help.
She estimated a budget of $1,677 for the event. Council promised to help fund the parade and fund raising events were also discussed.
Emergency workers in Weston, CT, are moving closer to their goal of equipping every house in Weston with a carbon monoxide detector by Thanksgiving of this year.
Lou Dempsey of the Weston Volunteer Fire Department and Fire Chief John Pokorny told the Board of Selectmen last Thursday, April 2, that representatives from the fire department, EMS, and police have been discussing an awareness program that includes ultimately equipping every home in Weston with the life-saving detectors.
Mr. Dempsey explained that on Thanksgiving night this past year, his wife’s sister, brother-in-law, and their two children died of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning while on vacation in Colorado. The house they were staying in — they had won the trip at a charity auction — was not equipped with carbon monoxide detectors.
“We want to prevent this from happening to anyone else,” Mr. Dempsey said.
The town is partnering with Kidde, the largest manufacturer of CO detectors. Kidde has agreed to donate about 200 detectors for those who cannot afford one, and the company will sell the rest at a 30% discount, for a total cost of about $40,000.
Reacting to “the look on your faces,” Chief Pokorny laughed and told the selectmen, “Don’t worry, we’re not asking for money. You can relax.”
Mr. Dempsey said they are planning to fund the project from “sources we are identifying now,” including the Kiwanis Club of Weston, the Paul Newman Fund, and the Weston Women’s Club. The fire department will purchase the detectors and volunteers will install them.
Mr. Dempsey estimated that about 30% of homes in Weston already have carbon monoxide detectors. The fire department is developing a plan to identify those houses in town that do not.
Because building codes in Connecticut do not include any requirement to have CO detectors, the group is hoping to create a town ordinance that would do so. And then, they hope to bring the idea to other towns.
“We’re really trying to make a plan others could use. We want to expand this. We want to go as far as we can,” Chief Pokorny said.
Selectman Glenn Major asked that information on the proposed ordinance be brought before the board as soon as possible so as to expedite the process. “The process to have that approved takes a couple of months,” he said.
Chief Pokorny said they were close to working out the details on the ordinance.
Due in large part to the deaths of Ms. Dempsey’s sister and her family, Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter just signed legislation into law requiring CO detectors in most new homes in that state. The measure requires all homes and apartment buildings offered for sale after July 1 to have carbon monoxide detectors near bedrooms.
Homeowners and apartment owners also will have to install detectors if they complete any major renovations or additions.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that about 500 people die each year in the United States from carbon monoxide poisoning. It can be caused by a malfunctioning furnace, water heater or stove, or by objects blocking a flue.
Choking back tears, Kari Rittenour urged a House committee on Wednesday to require that most homes and apartments in Oregon be equipped with carbon monoxide detectors to prevent tragedies like the one that took the life of her stepbrother and his family last Thanksgiving.
"It is the silent killer," Rittenour said of carbon monoxide, an odorless, colorless gas that is the leading cause of accidental poisonings in the United States.
Rittenour's stepbrother, Parker Lofgren, his wife, Caroline, and their children, Owen and Sophie, died of carbon monoxide poisoning from an undetected lead while staying in a rental home in Aspen, Colo. Rittenour said the family was safety conscious and that their own home was equipped with carbon monoxide detectors.
"If this can happen to them, it can happen to anyone," she said.
The House Human Services Committee heard Rittenour during a hearing on House Bill 3450, which would require carbon monoxide detectors to be installed in all homes and apartment at the time of sale or rental or when a certificate of occupancy is issued.
Multnomah County Commissioner Deborah Kafoury told the committee that carbon monoxide can be fatal within minutes but that many deaths could be prevented by the installation of the detectors, which cost about $20. She said 19 other states already have laws that deal with the issue.
"We're not asking Oregon to do anything risky or innovative," Kafoury said.
There appeared to be widespread support for the bill on the committee and there was no outright opposition. Without being specific, state Fire Marshall Randy Simpson said he supported the legislation but that it may need to be amended and representatives of Oregon homebuilders and the makers of manufactured homes said they were concerned about the application of some technical aspects of the bill.
In the end, the committee decided to form a work group to devise changes to the bill before voting on it.
According to the Oregon State Fire Marshall, a working smoke alarm doubles your chance of surviving a
fire and the Charleston, OR, Fire District is spreading that message with a first of it's kind campaign in the community.
Next Wednesday, April 15th, Charleston firefighters and volunteers will be going door to door for their first ever Smoke-Alarm Campaign.
The campaign is funded by the state through FEMA.
And Charleston Fire District was awarded 50 smoke alarms and $250 to use in the community.
Charleston Fire Chief Mick Sneddon says they are targeting two areas for the campaign.
"We are just going to blanket the community but we are going to focus on the Wallace and Barview areas."
Sneddon says it's important to test you're smoke alarm at least once a month to make sure it's working properly.
If you would like your alarm checked and you live in the Charleston Fire District, you can call 888-3268.
In
Terre Haute, IN, as a building’s charred remains smoke in silence, it’s difficult to remember that it could have been much worse.
“The point we’re trying to get across is that yes, there’s going to be damage. But if there had not been a sprinkler system in place, the damage would have been so much more,” said Robert Kleinheinz, the Illinois regional manager of the National Fire Sprinkler Association.
Kleinheinz was speaking in reference to Saturday afternoon’s fire at the Greene County Rehabilitation Center, where 22 residents escaped after a combined sprinkler and alarm system alerted them of the blaze.
Gus Matthias, owner of the building, said the fire alarm sounded and security personnel had everyone out before the fire department arrived.
“Certainly the firewalls did their job. The sprinkler did its job and the alarm system did its job,” he said. “Everything the building could do to keep itself from burning to the ground was done.”
Only 22 of the building’s 40 residents were inside at the time of the fire, but no injuries were reported.
According to statistics provided by the National Fire Protection Association, 1,557,500 fires were reported in America during 2007. The result was 3,430 civilian deaths, 17,675 civilian injuries and $14.6 billion in property damage.
But it’s tough to know what those numbers would have been without prevention mechanisms.
“The quicker the response time, the less damage,” said Darrick Scott, assistant chief of the Terre Haute Fire Department.
An unchecked fire doubles in size every 30 seconds, Scott said, noting time is of the essence.
“Sprinkler systems help check the fire, keep it at bay,” he said, explaining most are tied to an alarm system which immediately notifies authorities through smoke or heat sensors.
Bill Fairbanks, fire safety specialist for Indiana State University, said 95 percent of the time a sprinkler system can knock a fire out in its initial stages. “Those are pretty well accepted statistics,” he said.
ISU has about 30 buildings outfitted with water-based sprinkler systems, and new ones are going into some of them such as Buford Hall.
“The new president is taking a proactive stand,” he said of ISU President Dan Bradley. “It’s a very gratifying position,” he said, but “it’s not an inexpensive thing to do.”
Kleinheinz, whose organization works with contractors across the country, said costs vary widely on location and project size.
“It’s all building dependent,” he said. Factors ranging from the number of occupants to structural layout influence the project cost.
But regarding the fire in Bloomfield, he said the costs have to be weighed against the alternative. “That fire was probably held in check or partially extinguished by those sprinklers and saved those people,” he said.
“A lot of people think these are just for big buildings,” Scott said of alarm and sprinkler systems. “In the west coast it’s getting real popular in residential.”
Scott said there are no local laws requiring personal residences to maintain smoke alarms or other systems, but in rental properties, landlords must provide a smoke alarm and the tenant is required to maintain the battery. “A good smoke detector is pretty cheap at most of your home improvement centers,” he said.
From the least expensive smoke alarm to a sophisticated heat-activated sprinkler system, experts agreed that anything people can do to slow a fire and speed up emergency response will help.
You leave the interior door between the garage and the house open because you’re only going to the store for a few minutes.
You haven’t checked if your house alarm is working in months, or better yet, you don’t bother to turn it on when you leave.
It takes the average burglar about two to two-and-a-half minutes to grab what he’s looking for and leave, said Farmington police detective Brian
Killiany.
But in that time you could lose thousands of dollars or an heirloom collection that represents a lifetime of treasured memories.
“The elderly are excellent targets because they tend to forget all the stuff they’ve accumulated over the years,” Killiany told seniors during a home-safety seminar Tuesday at the Community and Senior Center. “And immediately after you’ve been burglarized you feel violated and spend tons of money upgrading security.”
The seminar was part of a community policing initiative designed to offer some simple yet cost-effective tips to make seniors and their homes less of a target.
The seniors meet regularly on Tuesdays and enjoy presentations on a variety of topics, from exercise to home health care to safety issues, said Nancy Parent, director of Recreational and Community Services.
“The value of having something like this is in being informed,” Parent said. “It’s being not informed that creates fear.”
Burglars are “sneak thieves,” Killiany said. They prefer to come in through an easy access entry when no one is home. “Most burglaries occur between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., which is usually when mothers run errands because the kids are at school,” Killiany said. “They don’t want to interact with you. They do their homework. Most professional burglars are smart; they know when someone’s home.”
There are easy steps to take to make it harder for someone to break in, Killiany told the group. Most seemed like common sense, but as the detective pointed out, you actually have to use them.
Use solid doors, not hollow ones, for exterior entrances. If you don’t have deadbolt locks, buy expensive ones that are attached through to the stud. Leave the key in when you’re home — but take it out and actually lock the deadbolt when you leave.
If you have an alarm system, know how to use it properly — and make sure you actually use it. Have the system installed by a licensed reputable company, not your cousin who dabbles in electrical work, and if possible, make sure the alarm is loud.
“Remember, the average burglar takes only two minutes,” Killiany pointed out. “They’ll be long gone by the time we get there. But if you have a noisy alarm, it will scare them off. You want to bring as much attention to your home as possible.”
Other tips included making sure bushes and plants are trimmed back and don’t offer good hiding places for thieves. Knowing your neighbors — and having them know your habits, is a good idea as well. “They know whose car belongs and whose doesn’t,” he said. “It’s not such a bad thing, having nosy neighbors.”
The bottom line, Killiany said, residents need to make good security practices a habit, not an afterthought. “After you’ve been burglarized you feel violated,” he said. “It gives you the willies, your home is your castle. I know people who have actually moved after being burglarized because they felt someone else was sure to break in again.”
Frank Decicco admitted he took Killiany’s words to heart and will be installing deadbolts as soon as possible. “I think it was really informative,” the 78-year-old said. “I keep putting it off, but the deadbolt all the way into the stud is a good idea. I definitely learned quite a bit. Now the thing to do is act on it. No more excuses.”
Beginning Wednesday, false fire alarms will mean the possibility of a
fine in Iredell County, NC.
An ordinance, adopted by the Iredell County Board of Commissioners, will impose civil fines on what are called excessive alarms — more than three in a 12-month period.
Iredell County Fire Marshal Lloyd Ramsey said it is expensive for the county's volunteer fire departments to respond to repeated false alarms.
The city of Statesville instituted a policy of charging for false alarms a number of years ago.
The fine process is as follows:
- One to two in a 12-month period: no fine
- Three to four in a 12-month period: $50 civil penalty
- Five to six: $100
- Seven or more: $250
These fines are for each false alarm above the number considered excessive.
Ramsey said the alarm ordinance effects every business, home, church, factory or any other type of occupancy that has any type of automatic or manual fire alarm system. Ramsey said that includes sprinkler, standpipe or any other automatic extinguishing system which sends a signal to an alarm-monitoring center when activated.
The money collected through fines will go back to the volunteer fire department whose district includes the building where the alarm is activated.
There is an appeals process, Ramsey said. An appeal will be heard by at least two members of the Iredell County Fire Tax Board, a group which includes one commissioner and other members appointed by the board of commissioners.
False fire alarms comprised nearly one fifth of the fire alarm activations county firefighters answered in 2008.
Brad Brawley, assistant communications director for Iredell County, said activations either deemed false or accidental totalled 341 in 2008. County firefighters responded to a total 1,594 fire alarms in 2008.
The remainder of the alarms were attributed to other causes, including smoke in a building or a malfunction in the alarm system.
The county's volunteer fire departments will keep track of false activations and send those to Ramsey or someone in his office.
The fire marshal's office will then notify the owner of the violation and include the dates and times and the fines.
The county finance department will be responsible for collecting the fines.
The entire ordinance can be viewed on the county's Web site at www.co.iredell.nc.us/welcome.asp. Anyone with questions can call the fire marshal's office at (704) 878-3035.
Older women who live alone are vulnerable to unwanted intrusions in their homes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Caregivers of older women often evaluate crime risk and home security, but fail to identify women's intentions to reduce intrusion risk. In a new study, a University of Missouri professor has found that in order to feel safe at home, older women need to recognize safety risks and perceive themselves as capable of preventing intrusions.
"Older women's intentions to ensure accessibility to their homes for family, friends, and neighbors can override their concerns about preventing intrusions," said Eileen Porter, professor in the Sinclair School of Nursing. "Health care providers need to engage older women in conversations about the risks they perceive and their intentions to reduce those risks."
Previously, researchers had not evaluated the use of intention as a component of home safety assessments. The findings of this study reveal the need for safety interventions to supplement basic safety tips, Porter said.
"To ensure that older people avoid victimization at home, health care providers often focus on providing recommendations such as locking the doors and installing security systems," Porter said. "However, it is not enough to ask if they are locking their doors, because the meaning of that term varies among people. Some women, who affirm that they are 'locking the door,' are locking their front door at night and during certain seasons of the year, but otherwise leaving front and back doors unlocked."
Older homebound women who express worry about intrusions can benefit from carrying a portable phone or subscribing to a personal emergency response system, Porter said. Women who own portable phones but do not carry them can benefit from conversations about why they choose not to carry phones and questions about how they would reach help quickly if possible situations arise.
"Caregivers and nurses should develop individualized safety interventions based on older women's intentions to protect themselves and reduce intrusion risks," Porter said. "Nurses should conduct multiple interviews and ask questions about safety perceptions, potential reasons for reaching help quickly and how to reach help immediately."
Porter interviewed 40 homebound women, ages 85 to 95 and living alone, about their perceptions of feeling safe at home and precautions to protect themselves. The women reported various intentions about reducing intrusion risk, perceived capabilities in intrusion situations, and frequency of carrying devices that enable them to reach help quickly. Their main intentions to reduce risks at home were keeping watch, keeping out of harm's way, preventing theft and vandalism, discouraging people who might want to get in, and keeping those people out. Porter says these issues are important to consider when developing assessment questions and safety interventions.
The study, "Reducing My Risk of Intrusion, An Intention of Old Homebound Women Living Alone," was published in October, 2008 in Nursing Research. The study, "Contemplating What I Would Do If Someone Got in My House, Intentions of Older Homebound Women Living Alone," was published in 2008 in Advances in Nursing Science. The studies were funded by a grant from the U.S. National Institutes of Health National Institute on Aging.