Fireworks Safety
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.
Summer 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.
The HHS summer food safety webpage
Grilling Safety
Some “Grill Masters” barbecue all year long, but with the run of warm and then hot weather we’d had in May and June, even grilling amateurs have already started honing their outdoor cooking skills. Just maybe, a barbecue is in your plans for celebrating the 4th of July. The Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service wants to help ensure that you and your loved ones safety enjoy this prime grilling season. So before you get your hands all sticky shaping hamburger patties dripping with BBQ sauce, make sure you read these important grilling safety tips.
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.
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.
