FIRE SAFETY VIDEOS
The City of Rocky Mount Fire Department urges everyone to be especially conscious about fire safety throughout the year. We are pleased to present this ongoing series of fire safety videos for your information. To access a particular video topic, select it from options below to load the clip into the viewer, then click on the viewer to play the clip.
Christmas Tree Fire Hazard (01:15) Keeping the holidays safe from fire is an important responsibility for every family. According to the National Christmas Tree Association (NCTA), these simple steps can help guard against the rare, but serious, event of a holiday fire.
Select the freshest-looking Real Tree available. Make a fresh cut across the tree’s base and immediately place in water. Keep the tree’s water container full at all times, checking the water level daily.
Be extra careful with electricity, all open flames and other heat sources during the holidays.
Check all Christmas Tree lights, other electric decorations and electrical appliances for wear (frayed cords, for example). Do not use lights, decorations or appliances with worn electrical cords. Use only UL approved electrical decorations and extension cords.
Place the Christmas Tree well away from heat registers, space heaters, fire places, wood stoves, televisions, computer monitors and other heat sources.
Place the Christmas Tree clear of doors to keep the emergency escape route clear of trees, packages and furniture.
Unplug tree lights and other decorations when out of the room or sleeping.
Gas Pump Hazard (00:41) Did you know that static electricity can cause fires at gas stations when pumping gasoline into you automobile? The Petroleum Equipment Institute researched 150 cases and cited the following facts:
Out of 150 cases, almost all involved women.
Almost all cases involved the person getting back into the vehicle while the nozzle was still pumping gas, when finished and they went back to pull the nozzle out, static electricity ignited the fuel vapors.
Most had on rubber soled shoes.
How can you keep this from happening to you?
Always follow the safety instruction posted on or near the pumps when refueling any motorized equipment. Shut the engine off and turn the ignition key to the off position. The vehicle's electrical system is usually grounded to the automobile body. If the ignition key is not in the off position, electrical energy could be flowing through the vehicle.
Never use a cell phone or other electronic or electrical device while refueling vehicles.
When refueling at gasoline pumps, you should never leave the nozzle when gasoline is flowing through the hose and nozzle. Too many things can go wrong.
If you must go back into the vehicle for what ever reason, make sure that when you get out, "CLOSE THE DOOR" by touching the metal door, you will most likely discharge any static electricity build-up.
If a fire does occur, do not attempt to remove the nozzle from the vehicle when flames are present. Severe burns can result from very short exposure to the heat of flames. There will be an EMERGENCY SHUT OFF near the fuel pump. You should try to identify the Emergency Shut Off switch before you start refueling, just as you would locate an exit in a night club or motel. Use the Emergency shut off and call 9-1-1.
If you would like additional information about static electricity related fires, contact your local fire department.
ADOPT A FIREFIGHTER PROGRAM
The Rocky Mount Fire department developed the "Adopt A Firefighter" program which provides uniformed firefighters in the classroom to reinforce the important lifesaving skills taught by the teachers in the Learn Not to Burn and Risk Watch curriculums.
Firefighters are adopted by one of the participating classes, based on an autobiography submitted by the firefighter. After being adopted, firefighters are informed on important public education issues, fire injuries, fatality statistics, and other items that will help insure that the objectives of the program are met. The firefighters then go to the school and visit with their adoptive class each month.
Although the primary purpose of the program is to reinforce the lifesaving skills taught in the Learn Not To Burn and Risk Watch curriculums, there are however, two other very important goals and benefits of the "Adopt A Firefighter" program. The program also provides positive role models in the classrooms for the students, and increases access to the schools and communities that the fire department might not otherwise enjoy.
At both Faith Christian and Rocky Mount Academy, the staff, the students, and the firefighters participating in the program are very excited. We are looking forward to expanding this exciting new program into other schools in the coming years.
Please contact Kim Wittig, Fire & Life Safety Educator, at 972-1379 if you are a classroom teacher and would be interested in learning more.
The City of Rocky Mount Fire Department has always been instrumental in delivering quality fire and life safety programs. Our two traveling puppet companies are no exception, and have been the core of our fire and life safety education efforts with the children of Rocky Mount for 20 years. During the month of October alone, we present our puppet show to over 4400 children. Our existing program is targeted toward children ages PreK-2nd grade. It offers messages about Stop, Drop, and Roll, Crawl Low in Smoke, Fire Drills, and Don't Play with Matches. To schedule a fire station tour and/or puppet show for your group, please contact Kim Wittig, Fire and Life Safety Educator, at 972-1379.
For children ages 14 and under, the #1 health risk isn't kidnapping, drugs, or disease. It's injuries!
The statistics are staggering. Traffic injuries, drownings, fires and burns, firearm injuries, falls, poisonings...each year in the United States, national injuries kill more than 7,000 kids and permanently disable more than 50,000. With proper education, children can learn to be much safer and vent injuries. And that's exactly what Risk Watch is designed to do. Risk Watch is closely correlated to the North Carolina Standard Course of Study, and it gives kids the skills and knowledge they need to recognize and avoid risks.
Thanks to a generous grant from the Alliance for Polyurethane Industry, the Rocky Mount Fire Department and Nash Rocky Mount Schools have been able to join the fight against preventable injuries and make Risk Watch part of every K-5 classroom in the school system! This exciting project is going to bring over $126,000 of valuable injury prevention resources to our community. More importantly, it may save the life of one our most precious resource...our children. For more information on Risk Watch, visit the Risk Watch website at www.riskwatch.org or contact Kim Wittig, Fire and Life Safety Educator at 972-1379.
A comprehensive injury prevention curriculum for children in preschool through grade 8.
On this page we are please to offer a series of documents that contain important and helpful information on a variety of seasonal safety issues. Click on a link in the list below to read information on a particular topic.
On this page we are please to offer a series of documents that contain important and helpful information on a variety of home fire safety issues. Click on a link in the list below to read information on a particular topic.
Did you know that by simply practicing a home fire drill with your family, you could greatly reduce the chances that one of your family members would be injured if you were to have a fire in your home!
It's easy! Smaller children usually find this fun and exciting. Take the time to discuss what each person should do, and then, sound your smoke alarm and practice your plan. This will help everyone learn the sound of the smoke alarm and make the steps you discuss be an automatic reaction when an alarm activates.
The following steps will guide you to developing the perfect plan. If you need further assistance with your escape planning contact the Life Safety Division of RMFD at 972-1376, or email Kim Wittig, Fire and Life Safety Educator.
Prepare a floor plan of your home showing at least two ways out of each room. For a copy of a floor plan, click here!
Sleep with your bedroom door closed. It helps to hold back heat and smoke.
Agree on a fixed location out-of-doors where family members are to gather for a head count.
The following checklist will help you determine potential hazards in your home. "No" responses provide a guide to what precautions need to be taken. Act now! For help with your home inspection, contact RMFD Life Safety Division at 972-1376, or email Kim Wittig, Fire and Life Safety Educator.
Smoking Habits
Are all matches and lighters kept out of children's reach?
Is "No Smoking in Bed" a rule of the house?
Is your family aware that ashtrays should NEVER be emptied into waste baskets?
Are there plenty of large, safe ashtrays throughout the house?
Do you check for smoldering cigarette butts in the furniture?
Heating and Cooking
If you have a fireplace, is a screen always placed in front of it?
Is the filter for your forced air heater changed yearly and the venting cleaned?
Are furnaces and wood burning stoves in good repair and located away from combustible walls and ceilings?
Do you have the fireplace chimney cleaned and checked periodically?
Do you make sure combustibles are not stored near the stove, heater or fireplace?
Do your children keep a safe distance from flame and heat sources?
Do you turn handles inward, so pots and pans won't be pulled or knocked off the stove?
Do you keep a properly fitting pan lid nearby to use in the event of a grease fire?
Do you turn off the stove when you leave the kitchen?
Electrical Hazards
Are appliances checked periodically for good operating condition?
Are you careful not to run extension cords under rugs or over hooks and nails?
When using extension cords for appliances, does the gauge of both cords match in size?
When replacing light bulbs, do you make sure that the new bulb does not exceed the fixture manufacturer's wattage recommendation?
Fire Escape Plan
Does your family have a fire-escape plan prepared?
Is your escape plan posted and regularly practiced?
Does each bedroom have two exits?
Do all family members know how to dial 9-1-1 for fire, police, or medical emergencies?
Do you show your babysitter the escape routes from your home and review 9-1-1 with him/her?
Does your family (and babysitter) know the first rule in fire emergencies: Get Everyone Out Fast and Don't Go back Inside
Do you have and know how to use a fire extinguisher?
Housekeeping
Do you keep rubbish cleaned out of attics, garages, and yards?
Is paint kept in tightly closed metal containers?
Are flammable liquids stored in safety cans and kept away from heat and children?
Have you made it a rule to never use flammable liquids for cleaning clothes or starting fires?
Are oily rags kept in a tightly sealed container?
Have all dried grass cuttings, tree trimmings, and weeds been disposed of properly or recycled?
Smoke Alarms
Have you installed a smoke alarm outside every sleeping area and on each floor?
Do you test your smoke alarm(s) every month?
Do you replace the smoke alarm batteries at least once a year?
Do you replace your smoke alarms when they are 10 years old?
"REMEMBERING WHEN" A New Fire and Fall Prevention Program for Older Adults
Fact: At age 65, older adults are twice as likely to be killed or injured by fires or falls compared to the population at large.
Fact: Thirty percent of people age 65 and older are involved in falls each year, the leading cause of death from unintentional injury in the home.
Fact: In the U.S. and Canada, adults age 65 and older make up about 12 percent of the population - and their numbers are increasing.
The Rocky Mount Fire Department is a local sponsor of "Remembering When," a fire and fall prevention program for older adults developed and distributed by the National Fire Protection Association Center for High-Risk Outreach and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is an educational and informative program with activities and lesson plans that use a nostalgia theme and scattered references to music, events, and personalities from the past.
Remembering When is centered around 16 key fire and fall prevention messages with a nostalgia theme. Remembering When is informative as well as entertaining. All of the activities and lesson plans are built around a theme of nostalgia and have scattered fun references to music, events, and personalities from days gone by throughout the program. The City of Rocky Mount Fire Department is now offering these classes free of charge to any senior adult group in the city limits. If you are interested in scheduling this class for one of your senior group meetings, contact Kim Wittig, Fire and Life Safety Educator, at 972-1379, or email kim.wittig@rockymountnc.gov.
The Rocky Mount Fire department developed the "Adopt A Firefighter" program which provides uniformed firefighters in the classroom to reinforce the important lifesaving skills taught by the teachers in the Learn Not to Burn and Risk Watch curriculums.
Did you know that by simply practicing a home fire drill with your family, you could greatly reduce the chances that one of your family members would be injured if you were to have a fire in your home!
The following checklist will help you determine potential hazards in your home. "No" responses provide a guide to what precautions need to be taken. Act now! For help with your home inspection, contact RMFD Life Safety Division at 972-1376, or email 
Fact: At age 65, older adults are twice as likely to be killed or injured by fires or falls compared to the population at large.