The Edinburgh Fire & Rescue would like to remind property owners, residents and businesses that all structures are required by law to have address numbers posted on them. These numbers should be plainly visible and legible from the street or road fronting the structure and should be of contrasting color with their background. It is recommended that residential numbers be no smaller than 3” and commercial type facilities no smaller than 5”.

Take time now to go out and look at your property. From the street area, is your address plainly visible and obvious in both day and night? If not, it might be time to change or update your address numbers.

If you are renting property and do not have address numbers, ask the property owner to install address numbers and apartment numbers. For those living in rural areas, reflective signs are available to purchase. If you are unsure of your address or where to locate the address numbers call the fire department for additional information or assistance.

Tragedies like these happen every day, and Edinburgh is no exception. This loss of life and property is staggering, but there is much that you can do to protect yourself and your loved ones. We want you to recognize this danger and learn the ways you can prevent a candle fire in your home.

Used safely, candles can fill our homes with fragrance and create a calming and welcome mood. They add glow to the holidays and are an important part of religious observances. But what you may not realize is how easily a fire can start when a candle is left unattended or left burning while someone sleeps. Like a lit cigarette or a pan on a stove, a burning candle without human supervision is a disaster waiting to happen.

The most important thing to remember is that you can make sure candles are used safely in your home. If you use candles in your home, follow this safety advice:

• Place candles on stable furniture, in sturdy holders that will catch dripping wax.
• Never leave a candle unattended.
• If the power goes out, use flashlights for illumination, not candles.
• Keep candles away from all things that can catch fire.
• Place candles on higher furniture, where they won’t be knocked over by children or pets.
• Never place lit candles in windows, where they could ignite blinds or curtains.
• Don’t allow children or teens to have candles in their bedrooms.
• Ask questions about the candles and candleholders you buy. There are new standards that major suppliers will follow, to make sure the candles and candleholders won’t break, tip over, or otherwise malfunction in ordinary use.

Extinguish candles carefully, using a long-handled candlesnuffer or a soft, directed breath. Be careful not to splatter wax when extinguishing.

The Edinburgh Fire & Rescue uses the Learn Not to Burn Preschool Program as the building blocks for fire safety education for the children in our community.   It is designed for early childhood educators to use to create a unit that is appropriate to the developmental levels of our students. We build from the 8 key fire safety behaviors taught to preschool children as the child grows and matures

8 Key Fire Safety Behaviors for Preschool Children

1. Stay away from hot things that can hurt.
   1. The child will identify hot things that can hurt and knows not to touch them.
2. Tell a grown-up when you find matches or lighters.
   1. The child knows that matches and lighters can get hot and hurt them
3. Stop, drop, and roll if your clothes catch on fire.
   1. Child will know what to do if their clothes catch on fire.
4. Cool a burn.
   1. Child can recite the correct first-aid procedure for minor burns
5. Crawl low under smoke.
   1. The child can describe what to do if there is lots of smoke.
6. Know the sound of the smoke detector / alarm.
   1. The child will describe the sound of the smoke detector when it’s warning of smoke.
   2. The child will know that they must escape the building or home.
7. Practice an escape plan.
   1. Child will describe routes to take from the care center to the outside and describe the agreed-upon meeting place outside
8. Recognize the fire fighter as a helper.
   1. Child will recognize the different clothing and equipment use by the fire fighter and identify them as a friendly helper.

These key safety behaviors are taught in a non-threatening way. Fire is frightening, so every effort is made not to scare the children, but rather teach them what to do if they find themselves in danger from fires or burns.

Fire Facts for Child Centers

• Fire is a wide spread tragedy in the U.S.
  • Fire kills more than 5,000 people and injures nearly 30,000 people in the U.S. every year.
• Children are particularly vulnerable to fire.
  • Children age five and younger and adults 65 and older have the highest fire death rates in the U.S.
  • Preschool children age five or younger have a fire death rate of 44 fire deaths per million children or more than twice the national average.

E. D. I. T. H.  (Exit Drills In The Home)

Draw a floor plan of your home, marking two ways out of every room, especially sleeping areas. Go over the exits with everyone in the household.

Get out fast! In case of fire don’t stop for anything. Do not try to rescue possessions or pets. Test doors before you open them. If the door is hot, use another escape route. If the door is cool, open it with caution. Once outside your home, call for help & do not go back inside. Explain the importance of this with children. Toys, clothing, and pets are replaceable, and people are not.

Crawl low under smoke. Smoke contains deadly gases, and heat rises. Cleaner, cooler air will be near the floor. If you encounter smoke, use your secondary exit. If you must exit through smoke, crawl on your hands and knees, keeping your head low to the floor.

Agree on a meeting place. Agree upon a meeting place outside your home where every member of the household will gather after escaping a fire. Wait there fore the fire department. This allows you to count heads and inform the fire department if anyone is trapped or missing.

Practice your escape plan at least twice a year. Have a fire drill in your home. Appoint someone to monitor and have everyone participate. A fire drill is not a race. Get out quickly, but carefully! Make the exit drill as realistic as possible.

If you live in a two-story house and you must escape from a second-story window, be sure that there is a safe way to reach the ground. Make special arrangements for children, older adults, and people with disabilities. People who have difficulty moving should have a phone in their bedroom and, if possible, should sleep on the ground floor.

When a fire occurs, there’s no time for planning. Sit down with your family today and make a step-by-step plan for escaping a fire. Practice this plan often and always think fire safety. Help us keep our families safe.

The laws governing fireworks use and sale have changed in Indiana.

The law that Governor Mitch Daniels signed in March will help fund public safety programs around the state, such as firefighter training, through the collection of a new 5-percent safety fee on the sale of all fireworks began June 1. The law also includes requirements regarding where and when consumers can set off fireworks.

The new law removed the requirement for fireworks purchaser to sign a document stating that they will take the fireworks out of state before setting them off. However, there are restrictions that are in place on the use of fireworks as well as the penalties for violators.

Some of the provisions in the new law include:

• Fireworks may be used only on the user’s property; or on the property of someone who has consented to the use of fireworks; or at special discharge locations.
• Fireworks can be purchased only by someone 18 years of age or older.
• Children may possess or use any kind of firework only when an adult is present.
• Consumer and Sec. 8(a) fireworks may be used only between 9 am & 11pm on days other than holidays.
• Holidays include Memorial Day, July 4^th, Labor Day and New Year’s Eve.
• Penalties for violating the fireworks law can range from a Class A misdemeanor up to a Class C felony in the case of the reckless or intentional use of fireworks that results in a person’s death.

Fireworks Safety Tips

• Never let children handle, play with or light any fireworks.
• Store fireworks in a cool, dry place away from children.
• Always purchase your fireworks form a reliable, licensed retailer.
• Use in open, clear area. Keep audience a safe distance away from the shooting site.
• Safety glasses are recommended for those individuals lighting the fireworks or those in close proximity to the fireworks.
• Do not alter any fireworks devices or make your own fireworks.
• Light only one firework at a time.
• Never attempt to alter or re-light any “dud” firework item.
• Have a fire extinguisher, water supply, hose or bucket of water nearby.
• Be cautious of lighting any fireworks during strong wind conditions and light fireworks with prevailing winds away form the audience.
• Never smoke when handling fireworks.
• Do not use alcohol with fireworks.
• Never aim or throw fireworks at another person.
• Use fireworks outdoors, never indoors.

In February 2003 the Edinburgh Fire & Rescue joined over 7000 communities nationwide and implemented a rapid entry system. This system allows the Fire Department immediate access to your property. The rapid entry system used by our Department is the Knox-Box Rapid Entry System.

Reasons to Install a Knox-Box

• Eliminate needless, costly forced entry damage that may not be covered by your insurance deductible.
• Assure immediate building entry by firefighters without delay or waiting for building keys.
• Protect inventory, equipment and supplies from unnecessary water damage caused by delayed sprinkler shut-off.
• Satisfy local fire codes and emergency access ordinances.
• Save time and aggravation by not having to drive to your building at 2 am for a false alarm.
• Feel secure about emergency coverage when your building is left unattended. The fire department holds the only key to the Knox-Box.
• Maintain building security after a fire alarm investigation by simply re-locking the undamaged door.
• Protect your property from thousands of dollars in damage with this one-time investment.

Here is how the Knox-Box system works. As the property owner, you purchase a Knox Box device then mount it near your building entrance or property gate according to fire department guidelines. Firefighters use a unique high security Knox Master Key to open Knox-Box devices in our jurisdiction allowing immediate access to the property. Only our fire department will have the master key to the boxes in our jurisdiction. The Knox-Box device has the capability of being wired into an existing burglar system so that when the box is opened it is as if a door has been opened.

Who must install a key box system? The fire code section 506 states that the following properties shall install a key box system if:

1. the building is protected with an automatic sprinkler system equipped with a local or transmitted water-flow alarm, or
2. the building is provided with any fire alarm system equipped with an outside audible / visual signaling device, or
3. the building is provided with any fire alarm system where the alarm is transmitted to an off-site location, or to the fire alarm center for the servicing fire department.

Local ordinance 1990-7 covers the burning of combustible materials passed on November 26, 1990. Within the Town limits of Edinburgh all open burning is illegal. This includes the burning of leaves, brush, trash, construction materials and any other type of products. It is also illegal to burn any of these products in a wood burning stoves or incinerators. Open burns consist of burning in any type of containers such as patio burners, fire bowls, Chiminea’s, outside fireplaces or burning directly on the ground. For the purpose of cooking food, charcoal or gas grills are the only types of grills, cooking devices or burners that may be used.

While it is legal to burn some products outside Edinburgh’s Town limits, State laws oversee this burning. Only natural vegetation such as limbs & leaves may be burned. Natural vegetation must be burned on the property that it is generated from. These burns cannot take place after dark, must be attended at all times and must not cause a burden to or become a nuisance to anyone. If a complaint is received, the fire must be extinguished immediately. No other products can be burned.

New System Information

In July of 2002 a fund raising effort began to upgrade the Towns Severe Weather Siren system. The 17 year old siren was beginning to lose it’s effectiveness. 3 new sirens strategically placed to provide outdoor weather warning for our residents replaced the old siren. The sirens are located on the east side of town at the Aquatics Center; on the south side in the Industrial park; and on the west side at Fulford Park. The $30,000 system was purchased through donations, locally supported golf tournaments and a grant.

The new system is radio controlled by the police dispatch and has the ability to add personal warning devices in the home and business.

Severe Weather Siren Activation Guidelines

Severe Weather Sirens shall be activated under any one of the following criteria:

1. A Tornado Warning is issued for Southern Johnson, Northern Bartholomew or Southwestern Shelby Counties by the National Weather Service.
2. When a Public Safety Officer reports sighting a Funnel Cloud or a Tornado in the Edinburgh area.
3. When Southern Johnson County, Northern Bartholomew County, or Southwestern Shelby County is under a Tornado Watch and a Severe Thunderstorm Warning is issued at the same time.
4. When directed to activate the Severe Weather Sirens by the Edinburgh Fire Chief, the Edinburgh Town Marshal, the Town Council President, or their designees.

In time of threatening severe weather, the Severe Weather Sirens will continually sound. Once severe weather or Tornado conditions pass through our area, we DO NOT sound an all-clear signal. This has proven to be very confusion to residents. Local weather broadcasts are your best source of information pertaining to severe weather as it approaches and when it passes through our area.

The best shelter available is underground. This can be a basement, cellar, storage area or a specifically built severe weather enclosure. Once in an underground area, stay away from any windows and away from objects that could become flying projectiles in the event of a Tornado.

In the absence of any underground protection, move to the smallest interior room on the ground floor. Stay away from any windows and items that could become flying projectiles. Try to cover yourself with a mattress or other solid protective surface.

If you live in a mobile home, your park manager may have a pre-designated shelter area for you.

In an office environment check with your employer’s emergency action plans. This can involve going to the ground floor or to an interior closet or room. If this is not an option, your best choice would be to position yourself under a desk on the ground floor to protect you form falling and flying objects.

If you are out driving, walking, etc. during a Tornado, stop your car and go to the lowest lying land available. Stay aware of moving water and the potential for flash flooding during severe storms.

Severe Weather Siren Test

The Severe Weather Sirens are tested every Saturday at 6 pm. This weekly test will consist of a brief 20-second blast from the sirens. Use this opportunity to familiarize yourself and you family with the sound of the sirens. If severe weather is a threat for that time, the test will be postponed.

Severe Weather Alert Levels

Our Department uses a series of Alert Levels to notify its personnel of pending weather situations. The 5 Level Alert System is described below:

Level 5 Alert: Severe Thunderstorm Watch
This level of alert is issued when a Severe Thunderstorm Watch is issued for the Edinburgh area. This Alert will be in effect for 5 hours unless extended or canceled depending on weather conditions.

Level 4 Alert: Tornado Watch
This level of alert is issued when a Tornado Watch is issued for the Edinburgh area. This alert will be in effect for 5 hours unless extended or canceled depending on weather conditions.

Level 3 Alert: Severe Thunderstorm Warning or Tornado Warning
This level of alert is issued when a Severe Thunderstorm Warning or Tornado Warning is issued for any part of Johnson, Shelby or Bartholomew Counties and severe weather is possible for Edinburgh. This alert will be in effect until a specific time mentioned, or a higher alert level is issued.

Level 2 Alert: Severe Thunderstorm Warning For Edinburgh
This level of alert is issued when a Severe Thunderstorm Warning is issued for Edinburgh. With this alert, Edinburgh Fire & Rescue personnel report to Fire Station 1 for weather standby. This alert will be in effect until a specific time mentioned, or a higher alert level is issued.

Level 1 Alert: Tornado Warning For Edinburgh
This level of alert is issued when a Tornado Warning is issued for Edinburgh. With this alert, Edinburgh Fire & Rescue personnel report to Fire Station 1 for weather standby. This alert will be in effect until a specific time mentioned.

The Edinburgh Fire & Rescue would like to remind everyone on the importance of smoke detectors. Smoke detectors are a family’s first warning towards the deadly affects of a fire. Unfortunately, many people believe a fire in their home will wake them up. In actuality, the smoke a fire produces contains many toxic gases that can render a person unable to wake up and act upon the situation at hand. The early warning capabilities of smoke detectors provide you with early warning and increased opportunity for survival.

There should be a working smoke detector on every level of your home, along with one outside of the sleeping areas. These detectors should be placed on the ceiling or high up on the wall. Follow the installation guide that comes with the smoke detector for proper placement instructions.

Smoke detectors require little maintenance. The batteries should be replaced twice a year. The detector should be tested monthly by pressing the test button. Sadly we see many smoke detectors installed with the battery compartment open and the battery removed. Remember that a smoke detector without a battery, or one not properly operating cannot save your life. Children we educate are challenged to return home and have an adult assist them with locating and testing the smoke detectors in their home.

Town Ordinance No. 1995-2 covers the Installation and Maintenance of Smoke Detectors. It is the responsibility of property owners to install smoke detectors. If you are a renter and do not have properly working smoke detectors please contact your landlord. Thanks to donations from the Edinburgh Lions Club, smoke detectors are available at the Fire Station for Edinburgh homeowners who cannot afford to purchase one.

Please install and maintain smoke detectors in your home. Make time to teach your children the sound of the smoke detector and what to do in the event of smoke detector activation. Help us keep our families safe.