Whangarei Area Neighbourhood Support - Winter Fire Safety Tips
Winter is here so it's time for some winter fire safety tips!
Link: www.neighbourhoodsupport.co.nz...
Winter brings a unique set of fire dangers that you need to be aware of. Follow these fire safety tips to help keep yourself and your family safe.
- Fireplaces and Chimneys
Clean chimneys and flues before you light the first fire of the season.
Always use a fireguard or spark-guard when using an open fire.
Never throw rubbish into the fireplace – particularly batteries and aerosol cans.
Always empty ashes and ashtrays into a metal bin and pour water over them before disposal. Remember that ashes can take up to 5 days to cool.
Keep matches, lighters and anything else that can create fire out of reach of children.
- Electric Blankets
Replace your electric blanket every 5 years with newer heat-protected models. Worn and old electric blankets can give you an electric shock and start a fire.
At the first sign of wear, have your electric blanket checked by a qualified electrician.
Don’t place heavy objects on the bed while the blanket is on and never sleep with it on.
Make sure the blanket is always flat on the bed and that controls or cords are not twisted or caught between the mattress and the base of the bed. Twisted cords are a common cause of electric blanket fires.
Roll your blanket when you store it for the summer, don’t fold it.
- Heaters and Clothes Dryers
Remember the ‘one metre from the heater’ rule – always keep furniture, curtains, clothes and children at least one metre away from heaters and fireplaces.
Never cover heating appliances or store objects on top of them.
Don’t overload clothes dryers and clean the lint filter after each load cycle.
- Portable LPG Gas Heaters
Check to see the gas hose is in good condition and doesn’t show signs of damage or wear.
If the heater does not light straight away, turn it off and then try again. Don’t let the gas build up before trying to relight it.
Always have fresh air coming into rooms where a gas heater is in use.
Have your heater serviced every 12 months.
Want to make sure your home is fire safe? Use the fire safety checklist on the Fire and Emergency NZ website to find anything that might be putting you at risk.
For more fire safety tips at home, visit fireandemergency.nz....
Poll: Would you rather: Christmas in summer forever or winter forever?
Just a bit of a fun poll to get you thinking.
If you had to live out your Christmas days, would you prefer it was a summer Christmas or a winter Christmas?
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60.8% Summer
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36.9% Winter
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2.3% Other - I'll share below
Poll: Cast your vote for NZ's Merriest Home 2024
Neighbourly members across the country have been sharing their festive decor to be in to win the title of NZ's Merriest Home. We've narrowed the entries down to six finalists (our toughest feat yet!).
Now it's up to you!
Click on the name of the finalist to see all of their photos before you cast your merry vote!
Nishan Wijesinghe from Te Atatu South - See all photos here
Mark Williams from Tamatea - See all photos here
Linda Clack from Cockle Bay - See all photos here
Luke Murphy from Hornby - See all photos here
Joanne Isles from Hokowhitu - See all photos here
Kirstyn Tait from Wigram - See all photos here
The finalist with the most votes will win the title of NZ's Merriest Home and $200 to go toward more Christmas goodies!
You can also enlarge the images below by clicking on them. Happy voting, neighbours!
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17.3% Nishan Wijesinghe from Te Atatu South
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27.9% Mark Williams from Tamatea
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6.1% Linda Clack from Cockle Bay
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25.9% Luke Murphy from Hornby
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6.9% Joanne Isles from Hokowhitu
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16% Kirstyn Tait from Wigram
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️
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