|
|
Greetings!
Winter has officially arrived (but you might not know that based on today's weather)! As you prepare to spend time with your family and friends over the next several days, I wanted to take this opportunity to share with you some information about what is happening in the Occoquan District. |
|
New Year's Open House | | |
Please join us on Sunday, January 1, 2012 to ring in the New Year at our Annual New Year's Open House. Our office, located at 2241-B Tackett's Mill Drive, will be open from 2 to 4 p.m. Light refreshments will be provided.
For more information, please contact Alyssa at aedson@pwcgov.org. No RSVP is required, but it would be great if you could give us a heads up as to whether you plan to attend so we can figure out how much food to provide. |
|
Virginia Puts Traffic Accident Data Online | | |
A new interactive database of traffic accident data in Virginia will give residents, researchers and public safety advocates a better idea of conditions on the commonwealth's roads, Government Technology reports.
Virginia's Department of Motor Vehicles is making its Traffic Records Electronic Data System available to the public online. It will consolidate traffic accident data that was previously available separately from several different agencies, GovTech reports.
The interactive nature of the data could also make it easier for researchers to spot accident trends, thus allowing public safety resources to be increased in areas of more dangerous traffic conditions. |
|
Prevent False Alarms This Holiday Season | | |
From the Prince William County Police Department - Don't let your holiday season be ruined by false alarms! There are simple steps that you can take to avoid what could be costly mistakes, while at the same time creating a lovely holiday atmosphere in your home or business.
Motion Detectors and Holiday Decorations
- Always ensure that hanging or moving decorations will not activate motion detectors, especially when heating systems come on.
- If you don't know the location of your motion detectors, or the area they cover, contact your alarm company for assistance. They should be able to tell you what your motion sensors "see" and you will be better able to avoid potential false alarms.
- Once your decorations have been placed, inspect everything to make sure they do not interfere with any window or door contacts for your alarm system.
- Firmly secure outdoor lights around doors and windows so that they will not activate glass break detectors in the event of winds or storms.
- Check doors and windows for cracks or a loose fit in the frame, as inclement weather and wind gusts during the winter season could cause false alarms.
- If your doors and windows are loose, coordinate their repair with your alarm company to avoid unnecessary false alarms.
Family, Friends, Temporary Users and Holiday Travel
The holiday season provides an opportunity for family and friends to visit. Children are home from college or military service. Statistics indicate that false alarm calls increase during this time.
To prevent this from occurring:
- Ensure that everyone with a key to your home or business knows how to properly operate your alarm system.
- Instruct everyone with access to your home or business on the appropriate procedures for canceling law enforcement response should a false alarm occur.
- Advise your alarm company if you will be out of town and provide them with phone numbers to contact you in the event of an alarm activation.
- If you have a house-sitter, ensure that this person knows how to operate the alarm system and cancel a dispatch, and make sure he or she has been provided with temporary passwords. Inform your alarm company of those temporary passwords and contact numbers for the house-sitters.
For more information, or to register your alarm system with the Prince William County Police Department, please call the False Alarm Reduction Unit at 703-792-6687 or 703-792-7281. |
|
Keep Your Holiday From Going Up in Flames! | | From Occoquan-Woodbridge-Lorton Volunteer Fire Department - For most of us, the holiday season represents a time for family festivities and good cheer. What few of us consider is that the holiday season is a time when there is an increased risk of home fires. In trying to create a warm hearth, many in our community will use their fire places and woodstoves without having them inspected first. OWL VFD is reminding residents that due to this year's earthquake, your chimney may not be secure. "Even under normal circumstances, homeowners should have their chimneys cleaned and inspected by a qualified professional, in order to prevent a chimney fires during use." Said OWL VFD Chief Jim McAllister. "But this year, it is even more important to have your fire place checked because of the recent earthquake."
Since earthquakes are not a normal occurrence in our area, homeowners may not know that they could have cracks in their chimney's interior that would allow heat and hazardous gasses into the home. OWL VFD recommends residents to have their chimneys inspected by a certified, licensed chimney sweep. In addition, here are some tips from the U.S. Fire Administration to keep the home fires safely burning.
Keep Fireplaces and Wood Stoves Clean
- Have your chimney or wood stove inspected and cleaned annually by a certified chimney specialist.
- Clear the area around the hearth of debris, decorations and flammable materials.
- Leave glass doors open while burning a fire. Leaving the doors open ensures that the fire receives enough air to ensure complete combustion and keeps creosote from building up in the chimney.
- Close glass doors when the fire is out to keep air from the chimney opening from getting into the room. Most glass fireplace doors have a metal mesh screen which should be closed when the glass doors are open. This mesh screen helps keep embers from getting out of the fireplace.
- Always use a metal mesh screen with fireplaces that do not have a glass fireplace door.
- Install stovepipe thermometers to help monitor flue temperatures.
- Keep air inlets on wood stoves open, and never restrict air supply to fireplaces. Otherwise you may cause creosote buildup that could lead to a chimney fire.
- Use fire-resistant materials on walls around wood stoves.
Safely Burn Fuels
- Never use flammable liquids to start a fire.
- Use only seasoned hardwood. Soft, moist wood accelerates creosote buildup.
- Build small fires that burn completely and produce less smoke.
- Never burn cardboard boxes, trash or debris in your fireplace or wood stove.
- When building a fire, place logs at the rear of the fireplace on an adequate supporting grate.
- Never leave a fire in the fireplace unattended. Extinguish the fire before going to bed or leaving the house.
- Soak hot ashes in water and place them in a metal container outside your home.
Protect the Outside of Your Home
- Stack firewood outdoors at least 30 feet away from your home.
- Keep the roof clear of leaves, pine needles and other debris.
- Cover the chimney with a mesh screen spark arrester.
- Remove branches hanging above the chimney, flues or vents.
Protect the Inside of Your Home
- Install smoke alarms on every level of your home and inside and outside of sleeping areas. Test them monthly and change the batteries at least once a year. Consider installing the new long life smoke alarms.
- Provide proper venting systems for all heating equipment.
- Extend all vent pipes at least three feet above the roof.
By following these fire prevention tips and measures, O.W.L. V.F.D. says you can greatly reduce the risk of fire in your home, and enjoy a safe holiday season. "The holidays can quickly turn from joyful to tragic when a fire occurs," says Chief McAllister "By taking simple precautions, people can avoid potential fire hazards, and make this time of year a healthy and happy one."
OWL VFD is one of the largest and busiest volunteer fire and rescue departments in the United States. OWL VFD provides fire suppression, EMS care, and rescue services to 80,000 residents in our 27 square mile area through the operation of three fire stations. OWL volunteer Firefighters and EMTs work the 6 pm to 6 am shift, five days a week, plus 24 hours on holidays and weekends.
For more information on OWL VFD, visit www.owlvfd.org or become a fan on Facebook at Occoquan-Woodbridge-Lorton Volunteer Fire Department. |
|
Holiness Tabernacle Food Bank | |
Holiness Tabernacle distributes food to the local community every second Monday from 12 - 3 p.m. If you or someone you know is in need of food, please call the church Missions Department at 703-497-7928. All calls are kept confidential. |
|
|
