Fire Prevention Specialist
Robert Marshall

A child playing with fire is the leading cause of deaths at the preschool age.  It is not limited to any social or economic level, and is a problem that any parent may have to deal with.  Lake Stevens Fire recognizes the importance of having an intervention program to help families in need.  The program called "Firestoppers" is in place to help curtail the firesetter behavior.

Lake Stevens Fire is continually striving to provide the best in safety and injury prevention education to meet the growing needs of our community.  Thank you for your continued support of all our education programs.   Please direct any questions to Robert Marshall, Fire Prevention Specialist at 425.212.3042.

Downloadable PDF Files

	Young Drivers Safety Tips (14k PDF)
	Poison Prevention Tips (17k PDF)
	Power Outage Tips (17k PDF)
	Generator Use Tips (11k PDF)
	Earthquakes (46k PDF)
	Thunderstorms (47k PDF)
	Facts On Fire (58k PDF)
	Water Safety Tips (23k PDF)

At Home

	Home Safety Rule Number One: Always supervise toddlers in the bathroom.
	Never leave a baby or toddler alone while bathing, not even long enough to run to the phone or answer a doorbell. Remember, a child  can drown in only 30 seconds.
	Take a safety inventory of your home and yard.  Remove items such as five gallon buckets and children's swimming pools after use. Note any drainage areas in your subdivision. Make sure pools, spas, hot tubs, and fishing ponds are barricaded by multiple levels of protection. A child can drown in as little as two inches of water.
	Get involved and volunteer to provide water safety talks with a park ranger to church groups, school groups or other civic groups. Our goal is to save lives.

Around Pools and Lakes

	Learn to swim. It is the first step towards water safety.
	Provide constant supervision and demonstrate safe water practices. Remember: a lifeguard’s job is to provide safety, not supervision.
	Teach your children to wait for permission to get in the water.
	Swim only in designated swimming areas.
	Never swim alone.
	Don’t over-estimate your swimming skills.
	Never rely on toys such as inner tubes and water wings to stay afloat.
	Discourage habits such as diving into shallow water, playing in drainage ditches, and running on docks or pool decks.
	Learn infant/child cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

Learn "Reach, Throw, Row, Don't Go!"
Most people drown within 10 to 30 feet of safety. Learn these few simple techniques to help someone in trouble and keep yourself safe.

	Reach: To help someone in the water, reach first with a fishing pole, towel, boat oar, but don't get in the water yourself.
	Throw: Scan your area for items such as an empty milk jug, cooler, ring buoys that can be thrown to someone in the water.
	Row: It's not safe to go near a swimmer with the boat motor running. Use the oars to bring the boat close enough to reach or throw something to them.
	Don't Go: Without expert training and experience in lifesaving techniques, you could put yourself in danger along with the person you are trying to help.

Keep This Checklist On Your Boat

	Float plan - let a friend know when you're leaving, where you're going, when you expect to return, what to do if you don't, and a description of your boat
	Charts of the area and compasses
	Registration certificate or documentation
	Personal Flotation Devices (wearable and throwable) - cg approved, good condition, readily accessible, assigned and fitted
	Fire Extinguishers - right number, size, and class for boat; charged, not corroded, nozzle clear, bracketed, readily accessible
	Visual Distress Signals - current dates on pyros, proper number, batteries good if lights or epirb
	Anchors and Line - adequate anchor for bottom, adequate line for water depth
	DeWatering device - bilge pump operable, alternative bailing device available
	Watch or clock - operable
	Boarding ladder (or other means of boarding)
	Heaving lines - at least 30 feet with monkey fist
	Mooring lines - bow, stern, and spring lines, preferably three-stranded nylon with an eye in one end and of adequate length for your boat and mooring conditions
	Bright flashlight or searchlight
	Navigation lights - tested and operable, spare bulbs
	Batteries - fully charged, encased in plastic boxes or terminals covered, securely fastened down
	Sound producing device - horn, whistle appropriate for boat
	Alternate propulsion - paddle or oar
	Boat hook(s)
	FCC license - if VHF radio, radar, epirb or other transmitter aboard and you plan to enter a foreign country
	Oil discharge and trash placards affixed - if required by boat size
	Bell - if required by boat size
	First Aid Kit
	Gauges - functional and reading properly
	Ventilation - power ventilation operable (blower) and natural ventilations cowls open and clear
	Tools and spare parts
	Depth sounder, lead line, or sounding pole
	Compass
	Copy of Colregs (NavRules) - if required by boat size
	Spare propeller and lock nut
	Sunscreen and sunhat
	Extra clothing...wool sweater, gloves, socks and other articles for warming if temperature drops or someone gets wet
	Binoculars
	AM radio...static on AM forewarns of nearby lightning
	Drinking water
	Personal needs like prescription drugs
	Carry a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers navigation chart. Follow this link to navigation charts from the Corps homepage.

Tips on Life Jackets

	Wear your life jacket.  They float-you don't.
	Always choose Coast Guard approved life jackets.
	A snug fit is essential. In addition to checking weight and size requirements, try the life jacket on your child. When picked up by the life jacket shoulders, the child’s chin and ears shouldn’t slip through.
	Infant and toddler life jackets should roll the child onto his back and keep his head above water. The life jacket should have a rounded flotation collar with a grab strap if possible (United States Coast Guard approved TYPE II).
	Again, let the child select his or her life jacket. Kids and adults are more willing to wear a vest that feels and looks good.
	Check life jackets for tears, loose buckles and straps, dry rot or mildew.

Flooding

	Determine if you are in a flood-prone area by calling your local emergency management office or Red Cross chapter.
	Plan and practice an evacuation route.
	Have disaster supplies on hand, including a battery-operated radio.
	Designate a point of contact for flood situations in case the family is separated.
	Avoid driving in flooded areas.
	If your car stalls, abandon it immediately. If the water exceeds 1/3 the height of your tire, the car is weightless.
	If advised to evacuate, do so immediately.