SNOW BLOWERS ! WOW!!!

Some time ago I wrote a blog about Making Mowers Last. It was fun to do, but that season is over now and new machines are coming out of garages all over the country. Mine came out of the garage just today for a shake down. That's right, it's snow blower time.

A friend of mine just bought one and is chomping at the bit to start using it. There hasn't been enough snow in a single storm to yet really use my snow blower this season. That's ok, I am not as excited to use it. I am glad to have gotten it out and got all the fluids refreshed and the mechanisms lubricated though. In the article Making Mowers Last, I outlined what needs to be done to make these machines last for many years. The snow blower is no different in that it needs the oil changed, filers replaced, fittings and mechanisms checked and tightened up when needed. If you do these things, you will have your snow blower for a very long time.

I am a little concerned about another subject related to snow blowers and that is safety. I was doing a little research earlier and heard one doctor express the number of more than 7,000 accidents (injuries) related to snow blowers annually.

I have not personally been involved in a snow blower accident, but have with lawn mowers. I responded to a call (in my police days) of a man injured by a lawn mower. We used to respond to medicals and would try to be of help before the ambulance and paramedics would arrive. When I arrived I found a poor fellow that had tried to clean out the grass shoot while the mower was running. You know what comes next. He got his hand too far up the shoot and got his fingers mixed up with the mower blade. He lost part of all his fingers on his right hand. When the medical crew asked me to go look about the yard for parts of fingers that might be re-attachable, I found nothing.

Snow blower augers are every bit as dangerous and destructive when they connect with flesh and bone. As I said before, I have not been involved personally with one of those kinds of accidents, but I did have an incident two seasons ago in my mother's driveway that ought to put the fear in you. It did me!

My Honda snow blower is a powerful one. It has an 8 horse engine and is track driven. I have not had trouble clearing some of the deepest and hardest packed snow. I have run into the occasional stick buried in the snow and the machine has had no trouble shredding it and spitting it out in slivers.

I bought it 16 years ago (see the article - Making Mowers Last) as part of my lawn care business. I had a couple contracts that wanted me to keep their walkways clear. Thought I would make some serious money during the winter. Turned out to be one of the driest on record and I didn't make a dime that season. When we closed the mowing business down, we decided to keep the machine and put it to good personal use.

My driveway is a nice flat rectangular slab of cement and is easy to clean off. My mother's driveway on the other hand is very long and uneven. We have in past years shoveled off the whole thing by hand, and when the snow is 4 inches deep or more, well you really have a job to do. It can take a full day to complete the job for one person. Guess what you feel like when that job is done?

One day I was at Mom's clearing off a good 6 inches of snow with the snow blower. All was going well when I heard a loud BANG and the snow blower just stopped. The engine instantly stopped. I knew I had hit something really hard as I had hit sticks and things like that in the past and the machine just ate them.

This time was different. After using a broom handle to clear out all the packed snow and ice in the auger, I found the auger had picked up a steel bar with a T handle on the end. The bar was 1/2 inch in diameter and the T handle at the end was made of channel iron. I loaded the snow blower into the truck and took it home. I was certain that major damage had been done to the machine and would cost a lot of money to fix or replace. I paid $2,300.00 for it when it was new and there was no way I could afford to replace it with a like machine.

As you can see, this was an impressive piece of distruction! I was sure the mechanism was severly damaged. A friend of mine, that had also been in the lawn care business, had his son mow his lawn at home with his commercial lawn mower. The little guy ran over a bicycle with the mower. His engine came to a complete stop just like mine did. When he couldn't get it to run, he took it to the dealership. They told him the engine was toast. The crank shaft had been bent by the force of the engine being stopped so abruptly.

Here you can see the bar coming up from under the auger and then (as you see in the previous photo) the bar wrapped around the output shaft one full revolution. Pretty impressive eh?!

The other bar sticking up is a crow bar to make sure the auger doesn't turn while I am working on it. You see, I love my hands and fingers!

Well I knew the engine was not damaged that badly, as I was able to restart it to load it into the truck. I just didn't try to engage the blower part of the machine. Of course, as you can see, the steel bar would not have allowed that.

I scratched my head and decided I would get a small air powered hand grinder and see if I could cut the bar out. Worked great, and in short order I was able to remove the steel bar from the snow blower.

Here is the snow blower with the bar removed and cut in two. No damage to the machine and I finished the season with it and used it last season with no problems.

When I started the machine back up to try it out, I found there was no damage to my snow blower. WAHOO!! At first I was greatly impressed with the strength and toughness of the machine. Then I was frightened by it's power. Could you imagine what would happen to a person's arm, hand, foot, or leg if it were caught in the auger? Let's try not to, but always remember that these great conveniences can be very dangerous when not used correctly or if we disregard the safety sections of the owners manual.

Here is a closer view of the bar after I cut it out. STAY SAFE and HAPPY WINTER!!!

FIRST AID KITS

When I was fifteen years told I was out fishing with a scout group in the High Uinta Mountains. We had hiked sixteen miles into the wilderness to enjoy a great roughing it kind of camping trip. Actually, this was a big deal. We were sixteen miles from the nearest car and further than that from the conveniences / necessities we are all used to. That means no highways, phones (back then), no moms to help us with cooking and cleaning, no quick communication, and no close medical facilities or professionals. The plan was to stay for two weeks to explore, fish, and do some truly fun growing up. We packed in all our supplies in backpacks and on special carts. There are no motorized vehicles allowed in that area.

I was having a great time! I love the out doors and two weeks in the wilderness was a great adventure that I still look back on as a highlight in my life. I learned so much from that experience that influences me today. One of those great lessons came while I was fishing.

The fishing in the lakes surrounding the Red Castle area is tremendous! At least it was back then. There were Rainbow and German Brown trout. Some of the fish we caught could provide dinner for several boys. They were large and wild and they tasted nearly as good as they fought.

While fishing one morning I got into a snag. My line broke while I was attempting to free my lure and caused a terrible tangle in the reel. I worked on the tangle for some time and finally got the line straightened out. I had used my trusty (and sharp) knife as a cutting, prying, and screw-driving tool. Just as I was using the tip of my fairly large knife to replace a small screw, the tip of the knife slipped (notice how I blame inanimate objects for my own stupidity) off the screw I was working on and slid the sharp edge of the blade across my left middle finger.

I was deeply cut and the blood flowed freely. I was in no real danger of bleeding to death from this injury, but I was still fairly seriously injured. I reported the injury to my adult leader and asked if there were some first aid supplies. The answer was yes, but what was available was more suited to small cuts and scratches. On the other hand there were a few bandages more suited to the battle field. If I had been shot in the chest with a shotgun, they had a large bandage for that. We were not prepared for a 3/4" cut to the bone on a finger.

We still had a week and a half left on our trip in the wilderness, so it was going to be a while before a doctor saw my cut and was able to stitch me up. We had no butterfly bandages to close the cut and hold it together. All we could do is cut up some of the enormous bandage we had and use it to protect the wound. Halfway though the trip we ran out of first aid tape and had to resort to tearing up strips of cloth from an old shirt to tie the bandage in place. By the time I had gotten home from the trip, I had a very sore infected finger. WE WERE NOT PREPARED!!!

Sometimes I think we don't worry about having such supplies around because of the convenience of medical facilities around us. From my home I can drive to a hospital in five minutes. There are a few doctors offices and walk in medical facilities that are closer than that. The ambulance station is located not more than two minutes drive from my front door under normal driving conditions. At my place of employment I can be to the closest hospital in less than five minutes by car. So why worry about having a first aid kit?

The answer is that not all injuries or medical problems require a visit to the doctor or even the hospital. Should someone go to the hospital because they have a bad cold? Of course not. Most of us deal with that kind of issue at home and we use over the counter medications to deal with the symptoms.

If you tinker in the garage or work on your own car, you have experienced small injuries than need attention but not hospitalization. Many of these smaller injuries need cleaning and antiseptic treatment. Some need to be protected with some covering to help avoid infection, but don't need the attention of a doctor. Don't get me wrong, when you need medical attention it is time to get it in whatever avenue is best for the situation. In many cases these little injuries and illnesses can be handled just fine at home with a decent first aid kit.

What about those times when you are out of town or out in the wilderness? In my case, a good first aid kit would have taken care of my issues when I had cut my finger. The potential for serious infection was certainly there. Our leader had a kit, but it was wholly inadequate. I don't think that kit had been inspected or updated in fifteen years. I did not recognize the labels on the ointments or bandage packaging and much of the packaging was open, leaving me to believe there was a lack of sterilization of the contents.

I have been thinking about this lately and realized that our first aid kit at home was very outdated. I started looking around at getting a new kit and finding what was still good in the old one. I thought of putting together my own kit. That would be exciting, except I don't have a lot of time on my hands. As I looked about on the Internet I found the Red Cross has great first aid kits. I found numerous other suppliers that I could order from that had good deals and provided great kits.

As I looked about I found myself in Sam's Club. They had a great kit that I ended up buying for under twenty dollars. It was full of all the things you would need under most first aid situations. There are still a few things I feel I need to have most issues covered, but still, most of what I need is there.

Here is a list of the contents:

30 Antiseptic Towelettes 128 Adhesive Bandages of varying sizes

30 Alcohol Pads 18 Wound Closure Strips

3 Povidone Iodine Pads 2 Rolls of Gauze

6 Sting Relief Pads 2 Eye Pads

6 Packets of Antibiotic Ointment 10 Sterile Gauze Pads 2" x 2"

6 Packets of Burn Cream 6 Sterile Gauze Pads 4" x 4"

3 Hydro cortisone Cream 1 Sterile Trauma Pad 5" x 9"

12 Antacid Tablets 20 Cotton Swabs

12 Non-aspirin tablets 1 Adhesive Tape Roll 1" x 5 yards

12 Aspirin Tablets 6 Finger Splints

1 First Aid Guide 1 Triangular Bandage

1 Instant Cold Compress 3 Splinter Removers

4 Examination Gloves 1 Set Medical Scissors

1 Set of Medical Tweezers

That is a lot of stuff and will take care of most of my worries around the house. It also came in a handy plastic carry case (11.5 x 13.75 x 4.25") so it can be taken with us on most of our camping trips. There are a few things that I feel I need to add to the kit though. I need a set of hemostats and a one way mask. The hemostats are great for dealing with a fishing hook in the finger and the one way mask is for mouth to mouth resuscitation. If it is my family involved, I don't think I would waste a half second to get the mask out, but if I am out and about on a trip or in my own neighborhood, I would want the mask to assist someone else with CPR. It is a good idea.

How Should Your First Aid Kit Be Equipped?

Well, what are you out doing or what are you up to at home? I think of a hunting trip I took a few months ago. My hunting partner had a first aid kit, but thinking back on it, I have no idea what was in it. I know safety comes first and you should not shoot yourself or someone else on a hunting trip. In fact, we went over the safety rules a few different times. Drove my buddies nuts! But I didn't see any safety violations. But what if it happened? We were probably 25 miles from the nearest trauma center and the guns we were carrying would cause terrible damage in the event of an accident. Do you think about these things when you go out into the wilderness? Do you have the equipment to deal with accidents relative to what you are doing?

I mentioned fishing earlier. Have you ever had to deal with a fish hook in the finger? I have. The right tools can go a long way toward your comfort and safety. What about hobbies you might have. I have a friend that makes jewelry in his home shop. Another that used to do gunsmith work. He had a small machine shop as well as all the chemicals for bluing metal surfaces. That entails some caustic chemicals.

Emergency and BOB Kits

If you have a Bug Out Bag (BOB) should it have a first aid kit? Of course. Smaller than the one for home maybe, but still well equipped. I found a good deal on some of these at Wall Mart. I paid less than ten dollars apiece for the two I bought and you would not believe what it contained.

Here is the list:

9 Cleansing Wipes 2 Antibiotic Ointment

1 Burn Cooling Patch 1 Anti Itch Cream

20 Butterfly Closures 8 2" x 2" Gauze Pads

1 Set Oval Eye Pads First Aid Tape

Tylenol Motrin

Imodium Cold Pack

Survival Wrap Finger Splints

Exam Gloves Tweezers

First Aid Guide Omni Glow Light Stick

118 Different Band Aid Bandages from 5/8" x 2.25" to 2" x 3"

All in a 9.75" x 6.75" x 3" plastic carry box.

These two kits are for our BOB bags. In the case of an emergency where we needed to evacuate our home we would take these bags. They would be our 72 hour kits. Not only that, but I think I will have this bag with me in the car on the commute to work or my other family travels. Now there is a pretty good first aid kit in there and I don't have to worry about it.

What about those big disasters? Any of us could find ourselves in a situation where emergency services are not going to be available for days and in some cases we have seen in the not too distant past, weeks! We need to have good first aid supplies and we need to keep them current. A lot of good aspirin or antacids will do if they have been expired five years. We all have date books or calendars, set a date to inventory your first aid kits. Better yet, use the kits and put it in your date book to resupply every time you use it.

Last but not least, get some training and refresh yourself from time to time with first aid manuals. Keep a first aid manual in the kit so it can be referred to. A lot of good first aid gear is if you don't know how to use it. I am not suggesting we all go to paramedic school, but good first aid training is only as far away as the Internet or the phone. There are classes going on all the time through the Red Cross, Fire Departments, Church, and Civic Groups. Give it a try. You will be amazed at the confidence and peace of mind it will bring.

Stay Safe!!!

What About The Car? Yes, Fires Happen In Vehicles!

Well, we've talked about fire in the kitchen and other parts of the home. We've mentioned that there are different kinds of fire extinguishers to fight different kinds of fires. Is it confusing to choose the right fire extinguisher? NOPE, it's simple. In fact, all you have to do is look at the label and you can usually know what you need in a fire extinguisher.

We have talked about where we should have our fire extinguisher strategically located so as to best be able to get to one in the event of a fire. We have it pretty well covered don't we? Not even close! Let me share a couple of examples.

One day while out on patrol I noticed a little smoke coming from the back area of a parked car. It was just a little smoke. Not enough to really raise the alarm. Oops! Next thing I know, the back half of the car is on fire. What I didn't take into account was that the back of the car was where the engine was in that model. The engine block was made of magnesium which is a metal that burns. When it burns it is white hot!!! In a matter of just a few seconds, the back half of the car was engulfed in flames and my little fire extinguisher wouldn't touch it. The fire department responded in just minutes, but this car was doomed to complete destruction. All the fire department could do was keep the fire contained at the car. The magnesium would not be put out and the fire departments efforts were just enough to contain the fire in place.

Had I hit the little fire with the extinguisher right off the bat, I might have saved the little Volkswagen. That is, if the fire was not already into the engine block. Otherwise, that car was doomed from the beginning. I have seen many car fires over the years and have seen some where little damage was done because a fire extinguisher was deployed in time. I have seen others where damage was less than could have been, because a fire extinguisher was available.

Vehicle fires happen fairly frequently. Have you ever been out on the highway and seen the vehicle shaped burn print on the side of the road? We all have. Many of you have been out on the highway and personally witnessed the fire department working on a vehicle that was smoldering. Just the other day I was out on the highway and saw a semi tractor on fire. Man, that was exciting! They had separated the tractor from the trailer and the tractor was almost fully engulfed in flames. That's a lot of flames.

Well no wonder! Motor vehicles have all the greatest combinations for creating a fire. If all the systems are not functioning as they should, well, there are a lot of things that will burn in a car or truck.

Think about it. You are carrying gasoline, oil, transmission fluid, plastic, rubber, fabrics, and in the case of some vehicles, magnesium and other highly flammable material. Compound that with the fact that you are purposely creating combustion, friction, and all in close quarters.

Many vehicle fires are caused by friction issues. If you have ever followed a loaded semi truck down a long steep mountain pass and seen smoke coming from under the truck, you have witnessed overheated brakes. Sometimes people overload small trailers or trucks and the tires rub. Fires can start this way.

Electronics fill our cars and trucks with all kinds of great gadgets that make our motoring a little easier and fun. However, sometimes electronics fail and wires can be worn through. Create a short in the system and you could end up with the beginnings of a fire.

So let's talk a little common sense here. What can you do with a fire extinguisher? A small fire on the tires? Yes. How about a small fire under the hood? Probably, but you have to remember that if there is a little fire starved for oxygen under a closed hood and you open it, well, you just created a big fire. I have in the past opened the hood just an inch or two and blasted the extinguisher through the small opening. Then opened the hood a little more and blasted again. I have put fires out under car hoods this way, but remember that you are feeding a small flame that wants oxygen. You give it lots of oxygen and it will flare up quick, almost explosively.

Just like the house fire videos I have shared with you, car fires can quickly get to the point where you just get back and let them burn until the professionals show up. To do otherwise puts you in danger of serious injury or worse. Here is a video of a mini van fire on the side of the road. It is fairly long but you can see how intense a car fire can get and what kind of force and effort it takes to put one of these monsters out. Also notice that car fires are not limited to older vehicles. This van is fairly new.

So how bad can it get? Here is a shorter video from San Francisco that will catch your attention. Remember how we mentioned all the different things that can burn in cars. Well watch how this fire spreads. It is through leaking fluid from one of the cars.

You Tube is full of really interesting videos of these fires and the explosions that can result. Look at them and tell me how many of these fires you think would be a great idea to get the fifteen or less feet you need to be to effectively use a fire extinguisher.

Fire extinguishers are great devices that can save property and sometimes lives. Always remember that property is replaceable. If you can safely approach a small fire with a fire extinguisher, by all means, put it out. Otherwise, get back!!! Yes, get an extinguisher for your cars and trucks. Especially your motor homes and trailers.

Motor homes, trailers, and boats are an interesting prospect. Not only do you have all the material for burning that a car would have, but you are going to purposely start fires in them. What am I talking about? Cooking, which also adds the component of hot grease over an open flame, and heating and cooling. Cooling and refrigeration are sometimes powered by open flame. I once had a camper trailer that you had to light a small pilot light, which heated the chemicals in the tubes to create the circulation in the tubes to work the refrigerator freezer. Then we went to sleep inside a small camper trailer full of combustibles attached to a tank full of propane. Whew!

How bad can the situation get in the event of a motor home / trailer/ boat fire? Not to bore you with You Tube video, but this one will answer the question. Note the propane tanks over pressure valve working to keep the tanks from blowing up. Yet, when they vented, they vented propane gas directly into the fire. Pretty dramatic! Not a time for a fire extinguisher.

When is the time for a fire extinguisher as it relates to vehicles? When the fire is relatively small and localized. If the fire has spread through the vehicle, it is time to get back and keep others back as well. Calling 911 is a must and can save lives. The earlier the fire is extinguished the better.

If the extinguisher won't handle it, you need the fire department. Remember from the videos how the fire spread. In the case of the San Francisco car fire, many cars became involved. That fire could have taken the whole city block! How about the motor home fire? Did you notice that even though the surroundings were completely green, they started to burn. Could have burned an entire forest! In my area (northern Utah) where it is much dryer in the hills during the summer, a large mountain wildfire would likely result.

So what do we do? First and foremost, we keep our vehicles well maintained. We don't just slap electronic devices into them without carefully following the manufacturer's instructions. Better yet, have them installed by professionals. We need to frequently inspect our vehicles to ensure that all systems are operating correctly and that electronic connections are clean and free from wearing through the insulation. It is always a good idea to have a cell phone with you. Remember the olden days when you ran to find a phone in a house or business when an emergency occurred? I do!

Yes get a good fire extinguisher for your vehicles! I recently saw an interesting add for a fire extinguisher for vehicles. It was not only a fire extinguisher, but had a special end to break glass in the event the electric windows would not work and the doors could not be opened. It also had a cutter to easily cut through seat belts to free trapped passengers. Look around and check your budget. There are a lot of great products available in hardware, auto supply, RV and boat supply stores.

HAPPY MOTORING and stay safe!

Picking And Using Fire Extinguishers

It has been said that you need to use the right tool for the job. Very true. As you can see from the previous blog, throwing water on every fire is not the right tool. If you have not seen the video on the previous entry, please go back and look it over. I of course got that video off You Tube. I thought it much better to do that than to demonstrate it myself. What I can demonstrate is the fire extinguisher I just bought for our kitchen. No I won't set a fire and blow all the contents out rendering it useless for our home. I will show it to you though. I do have a couple videos to show you that will demonstrate how to use a fire extinguisher and to also let you know there is a point where you just get out and let the professionals deal with the fire.

HERE IT IS!

It is the kitchen fire extinguisher by Kiddie. I picked it up at Lowe's for $18.97. That's not bad is it? Of course not. It stands only 13 3/4" tall with a canister width of 3 1/4" wide. It easily fits under the cabinet on the kitchen counter. We chose to place it on the opposite end of the kitchen counter, so that in case of fire on the stove, we can make the choice to use the extinguisher or run out the back door. Either way the choice is made while moving away from the fire.

Besides what I considered a good price for a worthwhile tool, I liked the fact that it has the gauge on the side like the one's I used at the Police Department. We had good sized extinguishers that could put out a pretty good fire. If you couldn't put it out, you could at least beat it back.

The gauge shows the readiness of the extinguisher and you can tell simply by taking a quick look that it is ready to use. If the gauge shows below the green (in the red for danger), you know it is time to replace the extinguisher or in the case of more expensive models, recharge it. If you look at the photo of the gauge on the fire extinguisher, you will see a yellow needle pointing at the green zone. In the green zone is the word "full". This one is ready for action!

To deploy a fire extinguisher, simply pick it up by the handle, pull the ring (red plastic) out of the handle (pull it right off), point it at the base of the fire, squeeze the handle, and move the stream back and forth across the base of the fire. The fire, if not already out of control, will go out or have been beaten back considerably. This could buy valuable time for your family to get out.

Some fire extinguishers have a metal ring. This one has a hard plastic red ring. They operate the same way (most of them) and are deployed the same way. Always read the instructions that come with your extinguisher and be aware of the rating your extinguisher has. In other words, what type of fires your extinguisher was made to fight.

Even if you successfully put out the fire the fire department should still be called. The heat that has been generated could start the fire up again or smoulder for a considerable amount of time inside the wall or wherever it was burning and flare up again. Fire departments are also experts in the area of hazardous materials and can determine if there are other hazards relative to your particular circumstance.

Types of Fire Extinguishers

Fire extinguishers are classed into basically five categories (A, B, C, D, and E):

A - Used on fires involving wood, cloth, paper, and plastics.

B - Used on fires involving flammable liquids like grease, oil, gasoline, & paint.
C - Used on fires involving electrical appliances.

D - Extinguishers for manufacturing where flammable metals are involved.

E - Extinguishers for large kitchens. Oil/Grease fires.

We chose a B/C extinguisher for our kitchen because B/C fires are what you usually see in the kitchen. According to statistics, most fires in the kitchen are started on the stove or with other appliances. We expect a lot from the little electric motors in our kitchens. When electric motors in mixers and other like devices fail, fire can result. The B/C rated extinguisher is perfect for these kinds of fires.

That's not to say an A/B/C extinguisher wouldn't work in the kitchen. Of course it would, but we will have other fire extinguishers available in the house. How many extinguishers should we have in our homes? Well, according to several fire associations, we should have an extinguisher in the kitchen, the garage, and all levels of the home. My home in other words should have five fire extinguishers. FIVE! That's a lot of money! Well, don't just rush out and buy five fire extinguishers all at once if you can't afford it. Pick one up every month or when the budget will allow, but get them.

Here is a little video put on the by the Glendale Fire Department that I think shares a lot of valuable information. It's great to have someone tell you how to do something, but much better to see.

Now let's not try to be heroes! If there is a little fire on the stove, put it out. If the fire gets large at all, GET OUT! The flames are not the only hazard. The smoke, heat, gasses, and the speed with which fire spreads are all deadly threats. We all have a great deal invested in our homes and the belongings we house there. None of us want to loose any part, much less all, we possess. That is what insurance is for. That is why we take precautions, like buying a fire extinguishers. It is why we are cautious about our cooking areas and garages. We want to prevent any fire hazard we can to protect our investments, but what is most important? Our loved ones. I can rebuild my home and do anything as long as I know my family is safe. That is what it is all about.

I have included a You Tube video here that demonstrates how fast a fire spreads in the home. Watch it a few times. There is much to be learned from it about how long you should take to fight a fire yourself. It might give you clues as to whether or not you should even move in the direction of the fire at all. I don't care how big a fire extinguisher you might have, if the smoke is thick, dark, and low, just get out of there. Notice the narrator's information about heat at the varying levels of the room. Could you survive the heat even though the flames are not particularly close to you? The answer is no.

From the video we just watched we saw how fast a fire can spread. We need a plan! Fire extinguishers are a valuable part of that plan, but not the total answer. If in two minutes a room can flash over, it is obvious we need to know how to get out of the house from any room without going back into the house. Our children need to know how to get out of the house and where to go. Our home has a fire hydrant out at the front corner of the property. Our children were taught to get out their windows and go to the fire hydrant. It things were to hot there, they were to go to the same spot across the street. We used to practice it from time to time.

There are many sources on the Internet that can help you in your search for the right information for home fire safety. I encourage you to do some research on the subject.

Thanks for looking in and stay safe in your sensible homes.

Dan

Emergency Preparedness In The Home

Being prepared for emergencies is not always about hurricanes and tornadoes. Earthquakes and forest fires do not have to come knocking for your neighborhood to have a big problem. Lets talk about some of the little things that can happen that can put your home and family at risk.


I have not had the challenge of facing any of those huge regional or statewide disasters myself. We all see them on the news and for many of us, these are things that happen some place else. For those of you many people that have faced these huge disasters, we welcome your comments and wisdom. I will discuss these later, but for now, we will discuss those local things that can happen in our neighborhoods short of national impact disasters.


Certainly if something keeps you from being able to live in the home you have worked so hard to build (be it your house or an apartment or condo) you have at least been inconvenienced and at most faced your own little disaster. We all want our neighborhood to be safe and free of danger.


Here are just a few issues that we can all face in our neighborhoods.

Neighborhood Fires

One evening while working a patrol shift I pulled into my place to get something to eat. One of the conveniences of living in the city I worked in was being able to save money by taking my meal breaks at home. After dinner I got back in the patrol car to go back to work when I noticed a huge amount of smoke rising above the trees next door. I called it in on the radio and grabbed a fire extinguisher from the patrol car. I ran to discover the neighbor two doors up had a dumpster in the back yard for a major clean up. The dumpster was as large as a semi trailer and was full. The fire in the dumpster was just really beginning to rage sending flames twenty feet into the air. It was also sending burning debris skyward which was going to rain down on the neighborhood's sixty and seventy year old homes. If unchecked for just a few more minutes, this fire would have spread to the garage and house at that address. All the homes in the area are close and garages are right against the property lines. The fire extinguisher pushed the flames down for a few minutes giving the fire department enough time to keep this disaster confined to the dumpster area. There was some damage to the neighbors trees and garage, but the fire stayed confined to the lot where the dumpster was. You may find it interesting to note that the neighbors who lived there did not like cops, so they rewarded me by sicking the dog on me for being on their property without permission. Another story for another time.

A friend of mine had a little accident in the kitchen one afternoon while cooking french fries. The result was their home being permanently condemned because of the damage to the home. There was no salvaging any of it.

Natural Gas / Propane

A suicidal man one night decided he would asphyxiate himself by opening up the natural gas line from his hot water heater. He then called his girlfriend (the cause of his sadness) to let her know what he was doing. After a considerable conversation, they decided to sleep on the issue and talk again tomorrow. I can't help thinking that the rather large amount of alcohol he had been consuming might have helped influence his decision to disconnect a natural gas line in the first place. Certainly it had something to do with his forgetting the gas was still feeding into the house at a high rate when he lit a cigarette blowing the outside walls of the home in all directions. The roof dropped straight down where the walls had once stood. The poor man landed in the middle of the street in front of the house. He survived, but OW! The explosion only affected a few homes, but two of those homes had no windows on the side facing the home that blew up and there was damage to the outside walls of those homes.

About a year ago in Salt Lake City there was an issue of leaking natural gas that caused an explosion in one home. The homes on either side of the home that blew up were severely damaged by the blast and the resultant fire. All three homes were rendered uninhabitable.

How about propane and similar gas products. There are dozens of gas grills in our neighborhoods and not all are being cared for as they should. I had a neighbor that had two larger (25 gallon) propane tanks he used at home for storage. You know, in case the natural gas feed into his home became disrupted somehow. I think it's a great idea, however in this case it became a problem. I got a call from my wife telling me the neighborhood had been evacuated while a leak in one of the tanks valves was being taken care of. The leak put propane gas all around our homes. No damage this time, but we were not able to be in or near our homes for several hours. Propane is a great convienience for back yard grillers and campers, but it is also a very dangerous gas if not managed properly. One of these little bottles can really mess up a neighborhood.

Water

We love water! Swimming, running through the sprinklers, drinking ice water in the summer, washing the car. The list goes on and on. Think about all you use water for during any given day. We take it for granted most of the time, but we use it in almost all aspects of our lives. None of us would think of water as a hazardous material or a threat, unless we have lived in area where large floods have occurred. Then we realize the massive power and potential for destruction when water is not under our control.

It doesn't take a huge wall of water coming at a high rate of speed to cause thousands of dollars of damage. All it takes is for you to be gone for a day and the neighbors sprinkler system to go haywire to create a damaging basement flood. A swimming pool in a friend's neighborhood became a problem for several homes when a big rain storm came into the area. The water came flooding through the back yards, through the pool, and into several basements. No lives were threatened, but lifestyles were set on their ear for weeks because of the little disaster that came to that neighborhood.

Trees

Not long after we had moved to northern Utah we were living in a beautiful old house surrounded by large trees. There were several varieties and I loved living in what I thought was a forest. One night the wind came up and a blizzard ensued. A lot of snow fell and wind speeds in the 60 mph gust range put us all on edge. In the middle of the night we heard and felt a large crash. One of those venerable old trees fell on the roof of the house ripping a third of the roof away as it came down. It was the middle of the winter and our protection from the elements was all but gone.

What To Do?

We need a plan! Whether the disaster is small or large won't matter if we aren't prepared to deal with it. Of course having things in place to avert problems is the thing to do, but in addition, we need to have a plan to deal with problems when they run out of control. Take the case of my friend with the oil fire in the kitchen. Would a fire extinguisher have solved the problem? Probably, if it were the right kind. How about placing something over the pan to cover the flames? If the fire hasn't spread to the walls this might be a good idea. How about throwing water on the pan?

For a little example of what happens when water is thrown on a kitchen oil fire, check out some of the you tube videos on the subject. I have downloaded a video to show what happens. Suffice to say, water on a burning kitchen oil fire are literally explosive! This is what happened to my friend. He grabbed a hose from the front yard and sprayed the fire with water. The result of his actions were similar to what you see in the you tube demonstrations. EXPLOSIVE! After seeing the results of spraying water on an oil fire the answer to the question becomes obvious. Never throw water on a burning oil fire. "The effects can be devastating."

Many "emergencies" can be easily handled if we have a good plan. If we have properly planned for emergencies, we say things after the event like, "that could have been disastrous" and we move on. My friends house fire would have resulted in minimal damage had he had the right plan and equipment.

So what next? We will discuss some of the different issues that we deal with at home and some of the planning that will help us avert disaster. Let' start next time discussing fire in more detail and some plans to avoid fire and how to deal with fire when it comes anyway.

Dan

Emergency Prepardness

Well I think it's time we finally had that little talk. Yep, disaster preparedness. I know, I know, you don't want to discuss it. It upsets you and makes you a little squeamish. The subject is so large that when you look at books or go to a little class on the subject you are overwhelmed. Not only the worry of what could happen if a disaster occurred, but how in the world are you supposed to come up with the money to buy all that stuff they recommend. I hear ya! So I thought we could start a little series on the subject and take it one step at a time.

Believe it or not, if you have a place to live stocked with the necessities of life, you are on your way. There are many things right there at home that will serve as tools and equipment in the event of a disaster. Think about it. What are you looking for in the event of a disaster? Water, shelter, food, and generally protection from the elements. That is why we build houses in the first place. Survival!

Now if you like camping, hey, you're a step ahead of the rest. What you are doing when you go camping? Believe it or not, you are preparing to survive during the most serious disasters. That's right, by sleeping in tents and cooking outdoors, you are not only preparing to survive a major evacuation, but are honing skills to deal with the elements. You didn't know that? You thought you were going out into the wild to relax and have a little fun? Your right, and I don't want to take that away from you. It's the reason I go camping in the wilderness, but guess what, if you have a disaster that knocks your house down or otherwise renders it and the neighborhood uninhabitable, you are in the wilderness.

My intent is not to start out talking about dealing with major disasters at first. I think you might find that it doesn't take a major disaster as we normally think of them, to create considerable discomfort and even hazard. Think about the news and how many deaths they report because of a heatwave in some area of the country or during winter when it gets extra cold in some areas. A disaster for you could be something as simple as getting stuck in the snow while out on the road. Or it could be a power outage that goes on for some time. I can tell you from personal experience, that if the power goes out for just a few hours during a hard blowing snow storm, things start getting serious fast if you are not prepared.

So we're going to start with the small stuff and hopefully have a little fun with it as well. FUN?!!! DISASTERS FUN?!!! No disasters are not fun, but being prepared is. There is nothing like knowing you are going to be alright when things go sour. In fact, if you are prepared for problems, are they really problems? Or are they just part of living?

So here we go! We will talk about some of the things that we can easily prepare for and experiment with some of the things we have around home that will help us deal with some of the small disasters that can come our way. We will also evaluate and think through some of the scenarios that can come to some of our areas of the country during different times of the year. We will also experiment and play with some of the things that may make our outdoor outings a little more fun and help us be better prepared for trouble.

Thanks for reading and we will be seeing you again soon with some interesting investigations into the world of preparedness.

Dan

VACATION!!!

It's been a while hasn't it? I know, to be a successful and interesting blogger you need to be consistant and diligent in maintaining and adding to your blog. Well, I had lots of work, went on vacation, and my computer battery died. Almost sounds like complaining about the sun being in your eyes. No, I forgot to bring my power cable on vacation and in a couple days the old battery died before I could even download the pictures I was taking.

Where did we go? The Black Hills of South Dakota! What an awesome place! For me, to get away from the hustle and hastle of work pressures, I have to do two things. Go away, and go where the air is clear and the scenery completely distracts me from the concerns of work.

A friend of mine had been to see Mount Rushmore in the past and seemed to really enjoy the trip. I have thought about the pictures he had taken and wanted to see it for myself. After talking it over with my wife, we decided to go.

This trip was completely spontanious. I had been so engrossed at work that I had literally forgotten when my vacation was scheduled. On Friday I looked into when my vacation was supposed to start and realized that it was starting on Monday. Well, how are you supposed to plan something significant in just a day or so!? On Sunday we discussed a few options which included the Black Hills area and decided to go.

Monday morning we packed our things arranged for a hotel room in Spearfish, South Dakota, loaded the car, picked up my mother, and took off.

A little spontanious? YEP!

The nice thing about the Black Hills area is that it is a one day (long day) drive from where we live in Syracuse, Utah. The plains of Wyoming are purported by some to be desolate and boring. We found them to be quite the opposite. Maybe it was partly due to our traveling through there during the first week of June. The plains were green and lush. Animals, both wild and domestic, were everywhere. The history of the pioneers traveling through that area is interesting and causes one to think of the sacrifices that were paid for our ability to live and travel in the West.

The day after we arrived we went right to touristing. You say touristing is not a word? Well of course it is. It is printed here and that makes it a word. It is the act of traveling, seeing the sites, walking around the sites, buying souvineers, eating the food in all the little stops, and paying to much to get into attactions. It is on trips like these that you find yourself looking at rocks in a shop that sells rocks from their specific area, knowing you have rocks in your own yard. Maybe not the same color as the ones in the shop, but rocks just the same. Touristing is letting go of all that makes sense during your normal day and just enjoying seeing and being in a place that is so different than the norm, that you achieve that state of existance that you have longed for, but not known how to find. It is another word that some say, but few really understand completely unless they are or have recently been touristing. The word is "relaxed". You watch, touristing will be in some dictionary some day. Maybe.

We went to Mount Rushmore first and really were taken with the area and the majestic sculpture that has become known as the Mount Rushmore National Memorial. What a fantastic place. The whole thing just took my breath away! I couldn't stop looking at the mountain and the fantastic depiction of those four great Presidents, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Rosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. I was suddenly greatful for the history teachers and classes over the years. The books and documentrys I had seen. There it was!!! I'll bet we shot more than a hundred exposures of the monumnet between the three of us. Lucky for you, I will only post one of these photos here.

The whole thing was awe inspiring! The monument nestled in some of the most spectacular country in the world. The temperatures were perfect and the air clear and clean. We did encounter some rain, but it only seemed to help keep things cool and refreshing.

We also saw the Crazy Horse monument, which has been under construction since 1948. At first glance one would ask why it has taken so long. Well, the portion of the monument that has been completed is the face. It is eighty feet tall!!! The rest of the monument is moving much faster now than it was in the earlyer days due to a larger crew, better technology, and a system for funding such a large project. I don't know when it is slated for completion, but we are talking many years hence I'm sure.

The hostess in the hotel breakfast room told us of a great german resturant in Hill City called the Alpine Inn. We went there and gave it a try. What a fantastic place! It is literally like stepping into an old german town and enjoying the culture for a little while. The food is awesome and the service as well, but I liked the food best. The picture tells the rest of the story I think, but if that isn't enough, standing in line to eat if you aren't there early tells the rest. The prices were unbelievable! In a tourist town, in such great atmosphere, with great german food, to come out having paid for three meals for $31.00 plus tip is remarkable! That included one desert which the three of us shared because it was that big! Oh, and it was the best!

Custer State Park was a disneyland of wildlife and scenery. I shot too many pictures of this area, but I sure enjoyed it. Here are just a couple.

Here is the buffalo that was trying to figure out what was in the car. Made a mess of my hood. No damage but mud and buffalo drool all over the hood of the car. We had big laughs about it the rest of the trip. I kept looking for a car wash and my wife kept telling me to save it for the grandkids to see when we got home. You know, proof of the adventure.

Here is a photo of Martin's Cove and Devil's Gate Wyoming which has come to represent to many the sacrifice paid by the pioneers for the westward expansion of this great country. It was here that many pioneers paid with their lives for the opportunity for greater freedom and possibilities for themselves and their families. The fall of 1851 killed many good people in the storms and exposure to crossing rivers. I have walked around this area and it has a special spirit about it.

So what has all this got to do with "Sensible Home"? A great deal. Our work is important and I believe an inportant part of what keeps us young and healthy. When work becomes our entire life we begin to loose perspective. In a balanced life we need to have interests outside of work. Do we live to work or do we work to live. Wow, sounds like something on a tattoo or something! Seriously though, we work to provide for our families and get some of the things we might like to have or persue. Don't we? Sometimes our work can be a great enjoyment in and of itself, but if we loose perspective of the most important things in our lives, our families, service to God and those around us, we begin to run into problems. These little outings help bring us back down to earth and enrich us with wonderful memories and ties to family and friends. It also give us greater appreciation for this great nation in which we live.

Have a great summer and get out an go someplace. Sure was good for me!