ReutherjimJamestown (CSi)  The Jamestown City Fire Department reminds residents about winter safety.

Fire Chief Jim Reuther says, with the extended cold weather we have experienced, residents should check their homes sewer vents for ice accumulations.  Toxic vapors and sewer gas can be a serious hazard when sewer vents become plugged with ice.

The smell of sewer gas in a residence is often the first indication of a problem, but homeowners should also make a visible check of their roof vents to make sure ice has not accumulated.  Another indication of ice build-up on a sewer vent may be that sinks and bathtubs do not drain properly.

Use care when checking or clearing a frozen sewer vent on the roof as the job may involve a ladder and icy roof. It’s a good idea to team up with a neighbor or friend and work with a partner on the ground.

Consider helping an elderly friend or neighbor with these simple tasks. 

Help the Jamestown Fire Department by adopting the fire hydrant closest to your home or business and keep it free of snow.

At a fire, the Fire Department must quickly locate and gain a water supply source from the closest fire hydrant. A fire engine carries enough water for approximately 3 1/2 minutes of firefighting. If a fire hydrant is buried by snow, it is difficult to find and valuable time must be spent digging it out. The delay in gaining a water supply from a fire hydrant may cause firefighters to abandon firefighting efforts and may allow a fire to grow.

Keep the snow clear from around the fire hydrant and shovel a path from the street or roadway up to the fire hydrant. These actions will allow the Fire Department to quickly locate a fire hydrant and obtain a water supply for firefighting activities.

A reminder to  building owners, managers and occupants to be sure to keep all exit doors to buildings free of snow and ice buildup. The recent back to back snow storms which hit North Dakota have created a potential safety hazard. In some cases, excessive amounts of snow are blocking alternate means of escape from buildings limiting many buildings to just one entrance or exit.

The need to clear snow from main entrances so occupants can access buildings has caused secondary and other emergency exits to be forgotten. Additionally, the unusually large snowfalls have overwhelmed normally open space creating the added burden of where to put snow so it will not be in the way.

Exits should be cleared at least the width of each exit door and the exit path should lead to the nearest public way. Anyone finding blocked exits should notify building management immediately.