Alert Montgomery

How do you get your information during an emergency? Montgomery County residents should sign up for “Alert Montgomery,” the County’s free official electronic emergency warning system. It will give you the information you need, when and where you need it. And one type of emergency information that becomes very important when school is in session is providing announcements when schools are closed due to weather or another type of emergency. When you sign up you can register for alerts to go to your home and/or work land-line phone, cell phone or email accounts or text pagers.

 

Back-to-School Safety

the danger is real

The last official day of summer is September 21. But the start of the Montgomery County public school fall session on Tuesday, September 4, marks the unofficial end of summer with a change in routines and traffic in our communities. So this is the place to studiously read up on how to make this a safe transition. It is also a good time to register, if you haven’t already, for “Alert Montgomery,” the County’s electronic emergency warning system. We really hope that these Summer of Safety tips have helped you and your family have a safer summer. Staying safe doesn’t end with a season. So we encourage you to “fall” into making safety practices a consistent part of your life all year long. Because hazard prevention and safety tips aren’t just confined to summer, Safety is for all seasons!

Bike Safety

During the summer, many adults and kids grab their bikes and zip out. Bikes are a fun way to get around and, reducing traffic congestion makes everyone’s summer a bit more enjoyable. First, bicyclists of all ages should wear properly fitted bike helmets every time they ride: It’s the single most effective way to prevent head injury. Check the video for the best way to do that. Remember too, bicyclists must obey the same rules of the road as other vehicles. And, drivers of motor vehicles need to share the road with bikers: Maryland law requires drivers to allow at least three feet of clearance when passing bicyclists on the road. It’s also important, before anyone opens a car door, to look for bikers behind them – “dooring” a cyclist can cause serious injuries. Drivers are urged to be watchful for cyclists making left or right turns. And finally, bicyclists are encouraged to wear bright clothing and use a front headlight and rear reflector at night. As drivers and bicyclists act more courteously toward one another and follow the rules of the road, we can all be safer!

 

Car seats – kids left in

It is without a doubt the worst nightmare for any parents of a baby or toddler…forgetting to take the child out of the car seat and going on with the day’s work or activities. It can, and has had tragic results. Routines change during the summer months so it is easier to get out of a regular pattern. That, combined with just how quickly a car heats up at this time of year, makes this a safety topic we really want to draw your attention to. Taking a few moments to read these tips could prevent a needless tragedy and a lifetime of overwhelming guilt and sorrow for the responsible adult.

Child Safety Seat Proper Installation

One of the many safety goals of the MCFRS is to ensure that the children of Montgomery County are properly secured in car seats and seat belts while traveling. Research has found that motor vehicle crashes are the leading killer of children less than 15 years of age. MCFRS and the SAFE KIDS Montgomery County organization sponsor child safety seat inspection stations. Because of the high demand for this service, the Montgomery County Car Seat Inspection Stations are for Montgomery County residents only. Non-county residents are welcome to participate in Fitzgerald Auto Mall's monthly (no appointment needed) seat check in Rockville. Call Montgomery County's Child Passenger Safety Hotline, 240-777-2222 to get the next date and phone numbers for other inspection sites.

Selecting the Right Car Seat

Car Seat Inspection Station Locations

Child Safety Seat Inspections at Fitzgerald’s Auto Mall

Concussions

If you or a member of your family play contact sports, you'll want to make sure you understand concussions. People do hit their heads all of the time – on the playground, when playing sports, or just falling down. If you take a knock to your noggin, most of the time, the injury isn’t too serious…but only a medical professional can make that determination. Take time to learn about concussion prevention. Knowing the seriousness of brain injuries along with understanding the signs and symptoms of a concussion, can help you determine when medical attention is required.

 

Deck Safety

Summer entertaining always includes spending time outside on your deck. To ensure the safety of your guests and family, please make sure that you:

  1. Don’t grill on the deck.
  2. Take time each year to check your deck. Although fatal deck collapses - like the incident in Berkley, California last spring, are rare - injuries are not.

Proper deck maintenance will help keep your deck strong. However, it can’t protect against a fire caused by grilling on your deck. So stay safe! To ensure your deck is ready for summer gatherings follow these tips to make your deck stronger and safer. Per the Family Handyman, the 7 most common problems include missing lag screws, missing joist nails, rotting posts, weak joints and excessive wobble, missing flashing and weak railings.

 

Educators – Safety Tips for

Safety tips from the MCFRS

 

Fires – Prevention Tips for the Most Common Types

If you think for a minute you can probably come up with the most common activities and practices that could lead to an unintentional fire. We hope that you’ll take a few minutes to review the steps to prevent them. What we are all learning this summer is that most safety hazards that we encounter throughout the year are within our control to prevent. Oh, did you want to know the most common types of fires? Just read the links below.

 

Fireworks

If you remember only one thing from what Montgomery County’s Fire and Rescue Service would like you to know…it is: Leave Fireworks to the Professionals! What seems like great fun unfortunately has the potential for great injury. Each year, locally and across the country, people of all ages are injured by fireworks – both legal and illegal. As a matter of fact, 83 percent of the fireworks injuries treated in hospital emergency rooms involved fireworks that federal regulations permit consumers to use. We hope that gives you reason enough to understand their danger and gives you good reason to learn more below.

Where can I go in Montgomery County to see fireworks?

Public fireworks displays, conducted by trained professionals, are the smartest and safest way to view fireworks because they are established under controlled settings and safety regulations and monitored by public safety organizations. 

The County hosts two Independence Day fireworks displays on July 4 

  • Germantown Glory, South Germantown Recreational Park , 18041 Central Park Circle, Boyds, Maryland. Celebration kicks off at 7 p.m. and features a concert by Quiet Fire. Fireworks begin at approximately at 9:15 p.m. 
  • Mid-County Sparkles, Albert Einstein High School , 11135 Newport Road, Kensington, Maryland. Entertainment begins at 7:30 p.m. with a concert by Gringo Jingo. There will only be handicapped parking – available at the school. There will be shuttle bus service beginning at 6:15 p.m. at Westfield Wheaton Plaza between the North Building and the CVS store. Fireworks begin at approximately at 9:15 p.m.

Other July 4 fireworks displays in Montgomery County include:

Food Safety

Yahoo, summer means outdoor parties, weddings, family reunions and cookouts…and let’s not forget those 4th of July celebrations. Montgomery County’s Department of Health and Human Services doesn’t want food poisoning be an uninvited guest at any of your summer gatherings. Did you know that more than half of the cases of salmonellosis reported each year occur during the summer months?

What is Salmonella? It’s one of the most common bacteria found in foods that are improperly cooked. It’s not usually fatal, but you will typically feel the symptoms 12 to 36 hours after eating contaminated food. And those symptoms aren’t pretty: headache, nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea and fever.

What types of foods are likely to contain the bacteria if not cooked properly? Watch out for dishes with eggs, meat, poultry, fish and cooked high-protein foods that have not been refrigerated after cooking, such as rice, potatoes and beans. Take a minute from putting together your red, white and blue decorating theme and learn more.