Spring Cleaning
As spring draws to a close, it is not too late to get caught up on those spring cleaning chores. Most households have old paint cans and other household chemicals stored in basement workshops or in the garage. Monroe County provides residents with a way to safely recycle or dispose of household hazardous waste free of charge.

Common household products that are accepted by the Monroe County Hazardous Waste Program are:

• Oil based & latex paints
• Wood stain & preservatives
• Automotive fluids (antifreeze, brake, power steering & transmission fluids)
• Pesticides & fertilizers
• Flammable products (gasoline, kerosene, thinners, solvents, glues, etc.)
• Household cleaners ( soaps, waxes, drain cleaner, etc.)
• Driveway sealer
• Porpane tanks (1-20 lbs only)
• Pool chemicals
• Rechargeable batteries
• Mercury (thermometers, thermostats, fluorescent bulbs & tubes)
• Syringes/sharps (safely packaged)
• Cooking oil & grease
  
  

To ensure safety and better serve customers items are accepted by appointment only. Call (585) 753-7600 (option #3), between 8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday-Friday to schedule an appointment or have your disposal questions answered.

Novelty Lighters & Children and Fire

Dean Smith , Fire & Life Safety Educator

Do you know what a novelty lighter is? It’s one that works like any other lighter, except that it looks like a child’s toy. They could easily be confused for the toy your child receives in their kid’s meal at the local drive thru. There are literally hundreds of lighters disguised as toy animals, cell phones, key rings, balls or other colorful items. Some have flashing lights or can play music making them even more attractive to children.

Novelty lighters can be purchased in many local stores and online. This is where we need your help. Please do not purchase novelty lighters and bring them into your home. If you already have novelty lighters please remove them. Let’s protect our children and our community from the dangers created by these unsafe products.

The National Fire Protection Association reported in 2002, that children playing with fire (matches, lighters & candles, etc.) were responsible for starting 13,900 structure fires resulting in 210 deaths and 1,250 injuries. Most of the fire causalities were under the age of five, making playing with fire the leading cause of fire deaths among preschoolers.

Safety Tips:
• Store matches & lighters out of children’s reach and sight. Preferably up high in a locked cabinet.
• Never use matches & lighters as a source of amusement. Children will imitate you.
• Use only lighters designed with child resistant features. Remember child resistant does not mean child proof.
• Teach young children to tell an adult if they see matches or lighters. They should not handle them are tools, not toys.
• If you suspect your child is playing with fire or is overly fascinated with fire, we can help.

Contact us at 581-6295 with any question or concern you might have about this important safety issue.

Carbon Monoxide: The colorless, odorless, tasteless gas that can kill!

Dean Smith , Fire & Life Safety Educator

Carbon monoxide is produced from the burning of any fuel. Common sources of carbon monoxide around the home include space heaters, charcoal grills, fireplaces, water heaters, furnaces, vehicles running in a garage or next to a structure in the driveway and appliances like gas stoves and clothes dryers.

Carbon monoxide is known as the silent killer because it is colorless, odorless and tasteless. Each year, hundreds of people experience what they think are symptoms of the flu: Headaches, fatigue, nausea and dizziness, but they are mistaken. If these symptoms disappear and you feel better when you go outside your home but reappear when you go back inside, you may have carbon monoxide poisoning. Unborn babies, infants and senior citizens are more susceptible to the effects of carbon monoxide than healthy adults.

For these reasons it is recommend that you have a carbon monoxide detector in your home. These devices are designed to detect the presence of carbon monoxide building up in your home before it becomes a threat to your family’s health and safety. Follow the manufactures recommendation when installing a carbon monoxide detector. Some units plug into an electrical outlet; others are mounted on your ceiling like a smoke alarm. Combination Carbon monoxide/ smoke alarm units are available in most home improvement stores. When the detector alarms itself, it will sound like a smoke alarm activating. Leave your home and call 911. Don’t delay calling because you think the detector is defective or you don’t want to bother anyone. You may have a serious problem in your home. The Fire Department and RG&E will respond to your home and identify the source of the problem so corrective action can be taken to insure your family’s safety.