Bill Hodapp, St. Regis Park Public Safety Officer, has offered the following information that will be useful to keep you and your families safe year round. Contact him at 671-9469 or at bekainc@hotmail.com with any questions or comments.
HOME SECURITY
Keep your exterior lights on at night, garage doors closed, cars locked and place valuables (bikes, lawn equipment, etc) out of visible sight. You also want to secure all windows and doors when not at home and consider the installation of a home security system.
If you have any type of criminal activity, please report it to LMPD. The more information the police have, the more resources they will provide to our neighborhood.
If you have a streetlight that needs repaired, contact me or LG&E.
BLOCK WATCH
I am in the process of re-establishing the Block Watch program and need volunteers. Please send an e-mail to bekainc@hotmail.com if you have an interest in helping.
DISASTER PLAN
The Council is in the process of creating a disaster plan. The plan will require zone captains that will report to the Public Safety Officer. We plan to have a list of people that can help coordinate clearing of roads, driveways, and offer assistance to the elderly that may require uninterrupted service for oxygen use and any other activities that will keep our City safe. We would also like to identify neighbors that are certified in first aid and CPR.
EVACUATION PLAN
Develop a fire evacuation plan for your family and practice the drill. Know where to meet and don’t re-enter the home to find pets or get personal items.
SMOKE DETECTORS
Where you place smoke detectors depends on the size and layout of your home, and where people sleep in your home. Since the primary job of a smoke detector is to awaken sleeping persons and warn them of urgent danger, put a detector in each sleeping room and place additional detector(s) in the hallway or area by the bedrooms within five feet of the door to these rooms. In a house where the bedrooms are upstairs, one additional detector should be near the top of the stairs to the bedroom area.
Don’t put detectors within six inches of where walls and ceilings meet, or near heating and cooling ducts. Detectors located in these areas may not receive the flow of smoke required to activate the alarm. You may want to also install detectors in your laundry room and garage.
I would recommend a 10 year tamperproof detector which can be found at local retail stores.
FIRE EXTINGUISHERS
I would recommend having a 5# ABC rated extinguisher in your kitchen, laundry room and garage. I have found that the on-line price is about $26 but you may find a less expensive extinguisher at a local retail store and save on shipping. Please read the directions and know how to use the extinguisher. You may also qualify for a reduction in your homeowners insurance.
CARBON MONOXIDE (CO) MONTIORS
CO is the number one cause of poisoning death in America. It is an odorless, invisible, and extremely dangerous gas, which can be given off by the most common appliances in your home or even a car in an attached garage. You cannot see or smell carbon monoxide, but at high levels it can kill a person in minutes. Carbon monoxide (CO) is produced whenever any fuel such as gas, oil, kerosene, wood, or charcoal is burned. When appliances that burn fuel are maintained and properly used, the amount of CO produced is usually not hazardous. However, if appliances are not working properly or are used incorrectly, dangerous levels of CO can result. Hundreds of people die accidentally every year from CO poisoning caused by malfunctioning or improperly used fuel-burning appliances. Even more die from CO produced by idling cars.
Again, CO monitors can be found at your local retail stores and you must follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
ESCAPE LADDERS
Someone in the U.S. dies in a home fire every three hours, according to the The National Fire Protection Association, which recommends one ladder in every occupied room on floors above the main level. A fire escape Ladder provides a means of escape from a fire if you live in a two or three story home. It stores easily under the bed or near a window, and is quick and easy to use.
RADON
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) and the Surgeon General’s Office have estimated that as many as 20,000 lung cancer deaths are caused each year by radon. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer. Radon-induced lung cancer costs the United States over $2 billion dollars per year in both direct and indirect health care costs. (Based on National Cancer Institute statistics of 14,400 annual radon lung cancer deaths – Oster, Colditz & Kelley, 1984)
You can search the web or go to a local hardware store to find an inexpensive test kit that will allow you to measure the radon levels in your home.
