Featured Posts
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Spring Forward
3/6/2024
#SpringForward into fire safety! Test your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms when you change your clocks this weekend!
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Cooking Fire Safety
2/22/2024
DID YOU KNOW...
47% of all home fires are caused by cooking. Preventing a burn injury is always better than the pain and trauma of medical treatment afterward. In conjunction with the NFPA and American Burn Association, Montgomery County ESD#4 would like to remind you of a few safety tips that will help to prevent burns.
• The best time to cook is when you are wide awake, and not drowsy from medications or alcohol.
• Always wipe clean the stove, oven, exhaust fan to prevent grease buildup.
• Wear short or close-fitting sleeves when cooking.
• Keep a pan lid and dry potholders or oven mitts near you EVERY time you cook.
• Turn pot or pan handles toward the back of the stove.
• When heating food in the microwave, use microwave safe cookware that allows steam to escape.
• Allow food to rest before removing from the microwave.
• When frying, use a pan lid or splash guard to prevent grease splatter.
• Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, grilling, or broiling food. If you leave, turn off the stove.
• If you are simmering, baking, roasting, or boiling food, check it regularly. Remain in the home while food is cooking, and use a timer to remind you to check on your cooking.
• After cooking, check the kitchen to make sure all burners and other appliances are turned off.
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Super Bowl Safety
2/9/2024
To keep you and your guests safe this Super Bowl Sunday, follow these kitchen safety tips:
-Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, grilling or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen even for a short period of time, turn off the stove.
-Heat cooking oil slowly. If the oil starts to bubble or smoke, turn the burner off or back to low.
-If you are simmering, baking, roasting, or boiling food, check it regularly, remain in the kitchen while food is cooking, and use a timer to remind you that you are cooking.
-Keep anything that can catch fire away from your stove top: oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels, or curtains.
-Turn handles inward to avoid bumping or knocking hot pots over.
-Keep decorations and flammable items away from open flames.
No matter what team you’re cheering for, we all can be a winner if we practice these fire safety tips.
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Smoke Alarms Save Lives
1/30/2024
Smoke alarms save lives. On the morning of 1/29/2024, C-shift responded to a reported structure fire and upon arrival the resident was outside their home. When the crew interviewed the resident he stated that a smoke alarm installed by our department alerted him to the fire giving him time to escape. If you need smoke alarms for your home please reach out to us, we can help.
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Cold Weather Fire Safety
1/9/2024
With the temperature dropping low at night and in the mornings, follow these winter weather safety tips to keep yourself and your home safe from the cold ❄️🚒
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NYE Fire Safety
12/28/2023
If you plan on using fireworks this weekend, follow these tips to help keep yourself and your home safe!
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Holiday Light safety
12/7/2023
Inspect holiday lights each year before you put them up. Throw away light strands with frayed or pinched wires.
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Thanksgiving Fire Safety
11/15/2023
During the season of giving, MCESD4 wants to give you some fire prevention tips to utilize this Thanksgiving.
-Stay in or near the kitchen when cooking on the stove, oven, or microwave. An unattended cooking fire can extend and spread rapidly.
-Cooking while drinking too much alcohol is never a good idea.
-Ensure that all combustibles are kept away from the cook top and heat source.
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Fall 2023 Time Change
11/1/2023
The time changes on Sunday, November 5th, at 2 a.m.. As you move your clocks back an hour, don't forget to change the batteries in your smoke detectors and other home safety devices. Having a working smoke detector can mean the difference between life and death.
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Cooking Safety
10/11/2023
This years Fire Prevention Theme is “Cooking safety starts with YOU. Pay attention to fire prevention™"
Here is your reminder to turn pot handles away from the stove's edge. Always keep a lid nearby when you cook. If a small grease fire starts in a pan, slide the pan lid over the pan.
#fpw2023
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Fire Prevention Month
10/3/2023
October is Fire Prevention Month!
Hear a BEEP, get on your feet. Get out and stay out. Call 9-1-1 from outside. Hear a CHIRP, make a change. A chirping alarm needs attention. Replace the batteries or the entire unit if it’s over 10 years old. If you don’t remember how old the unit is, replace. Fire Safety Week is Oct. 8 - Oct. 14, and the theme is “Cooking safety starts with YOU. Pay attention to fire prevention™"!
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Burn Ban Lifted
9/17/2023
The ban on residential burning of limbs and leaves in unincorporated parts of Montgomery County has been lifted. All other burning must follow applicable state law.
CAN I BURN?
• Small limbs and leaves I gather on my residential property - YES *
* Local restrictions may apply, it is your responsibility to check
• Garbage, trash or man-made materials - NO
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September CPR Course
9/5/2023
Are you, or someone you know, interested in becoming CPR Certified? MCESD4/ Needham Fire Rescue is hosting an American Heart Association Heartsaver CPR/AED Adult Child and Infant Course on September 16, 2023 from 9 A.M. - 1 P.M.. The AHA’s Heartsaver CPR AED Course is a classroom, Instructor-led course designed to prepare students to provide CPR and use an automated external defibrillator (AED) in a safe, timely, and effective manner. The class itself will be free, however there will be a fee of $22.60 due, via Venmo, upon registration to cover the cost of the BLS CPR Card. You can sign-up HERE .
Can't make it to this class but want to become CPR Certified? We will be hosting classes once a month, so make check back for the details.
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Hot Weather Safety Tips
8/30/2023
With high temperatures continuing, Needham Fire Rescue wants to remind residents to take safety precautions, especially during outdoor activities, to prevent illness and injuries.
Safety tips for those outside include drinking plenty of fluids like water, while avoiding alcoholic beverages and drinks with caffeine and large amounts of sugar, as they can cause an individual to lose more bodily fluid; wearing loose-fitting, lightweight, light-colored clothing as well a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses; wearing sunscreen and minimizing exposure to the sun; taking frequent breaks; and avoiding strenuous exercise during the hottest part of the day, which typically is around 3 p.m.
Individuals also are advised to check on family, friends and neighbors, especially if they do not have air conditioning, and avoid leaving children or pets in a vehicle, which quickly can reach over 100 degrees.
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River Ridge Smoke Alarm Blitz
8/12/2023
#GetAlarmedMontgomeryCounty Needham Fire Rescue successfully completed a Smoke Alarm Blitz in the River Ridge area! This blitz provided smoke alarms to homes that did not not have them or that needed them replaced. Overall 242 smoke alarms where installed.
We would like to thank our neighboring department Magnolia Fire Department for providing manpower to help us accomplish our mission.
This smoke alarm blitz was a success because of the hard work of everyone involved, the assistance provided by our neighboring department and last but not least due to the generous donation of smoke alarm’s from our community partner The American Red Cross.
If you find yourself in need of a smoke alarm in your home please reach out to us at 936-321-0999 or click HERE!
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Burn Ban in Effect
8/10/2023
With consecutive weeks of very high temperatures and the shortage of annual rainfall in Texas, The Montgomery County Commissioners Court has issued a burn ban for a 30 day period in the unincorporated areas of the county. We are asking all residents in our area to adhere to the ban on outside burning. Any outdoor burning with the current conditions can quickly get out of control. Anyone having questions about the current burn ban should click here for more information.
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Wildfire Season
7/14/2023
While Montgomery County is currently not in a Burn Ban, it is important to be mindful of what you can do to prevent wildfires from occurring. Yesterday, Texas A&M Forest Service responded to 8 new requests for assistance on wildfires that burned 792.6 acres across the state. Our crew is currently deployed to 1 of those 8 new requests.
Triple digit temperatures return to the forecast this week, causing surface fuels to dry and grasses to wilt. The heat combined with mostly sunny skies will increase ignition potential during the afternoon hours.
#PreventWildfires