Scarsdale Fire: Candle And Generator Safety Tips

The following is an announcement from the Scarsdale Fire Department:

As residents of the Village of Scarsdale deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, including widespread and long term power outages, the Scarsdale Fire Department would like to remind all residents to be extremely vigilant with their the use of candles and generators.

Candles should not be left unattended for any reason, and must be extinguished before leaving the room and before sleeping. Candles should only be placed on sturdy non-combustible surfaces and combustible items like paper and cloth should not be placed near candles.

When using generators be very mindful that carbon monoxide is created when the generator is running. Generators must be placed outside the house and in a well ventilated area! In addition, residents are urged not to connect their generators to their main electrical panel themselves – this work should only be performed by a licensed electrician. Finally, when connecting appliances, lights, etc to portable generators be sure to use UL listed extension cords of adequate size and capacity.

On a related note, all Fire Department business phone lines are still out due to the storm. Emergencies should be reported to 911 or the Fire Department emergency number at 914-722-1217.

Non-emergency storm-related issues should be reported to Scarsdale’s Emergency Operations Center at 914-722-1150 between the hours of 6am – 9pm. After hours non-emergency issues can be reported to the Scarsdale Police Department at 722-1200.