It is estimated that approximately 85 percent of car seats being used are installed incorrectly. Although most parents attempt to do the right thing, correct installation can sometimes be difficult. Call us today a make an appointment with one of our car seat technicians. 

For more information on child passenger safety, see: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

• Protect yourself by wearing short or tight-fitting sleeves while cooking. Loose sleeves can dangle over the stove and catch fire.

• Operate microwaves safely. Be especially careful of any food that contains filling. The jelly in a donut heated in the microwave on high for one minute can reach 600 degrees!

• Turn pot handles in toward the back of the stove while cooking. A pot handle sticking out over the edge of the stove can be bumped or grabbed by a child.

Home Heating - Maintain wood heating appliances like fireplaces and wood stoves. Clean your chimney in the fall before you plan on using it and again about midwinter. Check the flu-lining and the inside of your stove for any cracks or weak spots.

• Small hot fires are safer than large smoldering ones. Smoldering fires contribute to the build-up of creosote in the lining of the chimney. Creosote build-up is the number one cause of chimney fires.

• When cleaning your wood heating appliance, dispose of the ashes very carefully. Put ashes in a metal bucket and place outside on a non-combustible surface, away from structures. Never be tempted to put ashes in a cardboard box or paper sack. Seemingly cold ashes can contain warm embers that can build up heat several days later.

Smoking - If there are smokers in the home provide large, deep, non-tip ashtrays. Soak cigarette butts in water before disposing them in the trash. 

• Before going to bed at night, check cushions of furniture for cigarette butts or ashes. A cigarette butt can smolder in cushions for four hours before bursting into flames. This usually happens long after homeowners go to bed.

Electrical Appliances - Each year hundreds of people die and thousands are injured in incidents involving electrical fires or shock.

• Avoid using high-amperage appliance like irons and other heat-producing appliances on the same circuit.

• Use only appliances that are UL listed. The UL listing means that product has been tested and meets basic safety standards.

• Space heaters need space. Allow three feet between your space heater and anything that can burn. Be sure to unplug it when you leave  or before you go to bed at night.

• Don't run electrical cords under rugs. Friction from normal traffic will eventually wear the protective coating off the cord and could cause a fire.

• Have a certified electrician check any problem with flickering lights, tingling when you touch an electrical appliance, discoloration of wall outlets, sizzling sound at wall switches or outlets, or any burning smell around wiring.

Services which the Sandpoint Fire Department can provide its residents upon request include:

• Station tours
• Fire safety presentations for youth groups, scouts, schools, civic organizations or local businesses
• Fire extinguisher training
• Juvenile Fire Setter (children “playing” with fire) education
• Child car seat inspection and assistance
• Fire drills in schools, businesses, or the home
• Installation or assistance with smoke detectors

A priority of Sandpoint Fire is the education of its residents in both injury and fire prevention.   Through partnering with experienced firefighters, emergency medical technicians, we can assist you with any of your injury and fire prevention needs.

The fire service has come to recognize that there are very few true accidents in life. The word "accident" implies that a fire, injury, or injury related death "occurred by chance." The reality is that most of these events are avoidable and preventable. We work closely with the schools to provide education that will last a lifetime.

Learn Not to Burn for Preschoolers - Children under the age of five years are more likely to die in the home from fire than any other cause. Most of these fire related deaths occur because of children playing with fire. The Learn Not to Burn program teaches basic fire safety skills that can be easily understood by this age group. 
 
Youth Firesetter Intervention - Playing with fire is a deadly game that should never be dismissed as "boys will be boys" or "just a phase." All episodes of using fire inappropriately by a child must be taken seriously. Our educational intervention program identifies the firesetting behavior, educates the youth appropriately, and referral as needed. Early detection and treatment are essential to prevent normal childhood curiosity from turning into a disaster.
 
Fire Safety for Home and Business - Portable fire extinguisher training, fire safety in the workplace and emergency evacuation planning is provided upon request. 

"Fire Prevention Week" (Month) - Each year, during the month of October, we go into every elementary school in our District to teach fire safety lessons which can then be taken home to make families safer from injury or death from fires. This year's focus is "Don't Get Burned".  Staying away from matches and lighters, being aware themselves, and reminding parents, to keep combustibles away from heat sources, and sharing information with their parents about the safe use of candles - especially during the holiday season,  can truly make a difference.