vernonia rural fire protection district
2016
Vernonia Rural Fire Protection District
RV Fire Safety:
Preventing Recreational Vehicle Fires
By: Robert Schattschneider
With the beginning of summer
finally here, many of you are packing
up your campers and RVs for some re-
laxation, fresh air and sunshine in one of
our State Parks or private campgrounds.
Now I know that all of you are
doing a great job of planning for all of
the essential items that you will need on
your camping trip, but are you ready for
all of the things that can go wrong?
With some help from the Or-
egon Office of State Fire Marshal, I’ve
put together some safety tips and advice
to help ensure that your camping vaca-
tion will turn out just as fun and problem
free as you anticipated.
Let’s take a look at your cook-
ing appliances and cover some safety
tips. First of all, make sure that you have
proper ventilation before using that gas
stove or oven, by opening an overhead
vent and turning on any existing exhaust
fans.
One of the leading causes of
kitchen fires, in your home or RV, is
leaving things unattended. Stay in the
kitchen area and keep an eye on the stove
top or electric skillet. Just as you would
at home, make sure that combustibles
are well away from burners and skillets.
Never use cooking appliances for heat-
ing your camper.
Before and after using your gas
appliances, check to make sure the nobs
are in the off position. Accidentally leav-
ing the nobs in the on position can cause
a buildup of gas which can be dangerous
in more than one way.
After use, make sure the nobs
are again in the off position. Extinguish
all open flames, pilot lights, and shut
off the gas supply. In the event that you
smell gas, do not operate any electrical
switches or any other device that can
produce a spark or open flame.
If you smell gas or even think
that there might be a gas leak, open the
windows, ceiling vents and doors to ven-
tilate the camper or RV, then get every-
one outside while the camper ventilates
itself. Again, shut off the main gas sup-
ply. Do not open the gas supply again
until you have found and corrected the
source of the gas leak.
Electrical heaters can be just as
dangerous in your camper as they are at
home. All heaters need plenty of space
away from anything that can burn. Keep
all paper, furniture, bedding and cur-
tains at least three feet from your heating
equipment.
When it comes to general elec-
trical safety, make sure that your power
cord connecting the RV to the camp-
ground electricity supply is in good
condition. Inspect it for cracks or any
kind of damage, including broken plugs
or missing grounding blades. Check all
electrical appliances for loose connec-
tions or controls that seem to be loose
or missing. Avoid electrical overload by
limiting the number of appliances oper-
Please Slow Down
By Robert Schattschneider
On July 13, 2016 the VRFPD
responded to a two vehicle accident
at the 69-mile marker on Nehalem
Highway South.
I witnessed several drivers
approaching the scene at high rates
of speed, oblivious to the accident
just ahead, in spite of emergency
vehicles with flashing red and white
lights, burning flares on the side of
the road, and a flagger with a red and
white stop sign.
Although traffic was stopped
in both directions at this particular
accident, eliminating the threat of
passing vehicles, we still needed to
be aware of approaching vehicles that
failed to slow down in a reasonable
manner.
Please slow down to a
maximum speed of 5 mph when
passing
emergency
vehicles,
flaggers, and first responders. 15 to
20 mph might seem awfully slow to
you, but when we are standing on the
pavement, 15 to 20 mph is extremely
fast from our point of view.
Please pay closer attention
to your driving habits when
approaching and passing accident
scenes. We want to go home at the
end of the day! Thank you in advance
for your cooperation!
ating at one time.
If you have your camper plugged
into a power source at a campground,
you should disconnect the power cord
before using any generators to supply
power to your camper. Suppling your
camper or RV with both power sources
at the same time, can cause your electri-
cal circuitry to malfunction, causing an
electrical fire.
Let’s take a look at generator
safety. Make sure that you check your
generator’s exhaust system. Check all
of the connections regularly for leaks
and tighten as necessary. Also check to
make sure that generator’s tailpipe ex-
tends past the edge of the RV. Whether
your generator is built in or an external
generator, make sure that you always op-
erate the generator in an area where the
wind will carry the exhaust fumes away
from the RV. Always allow the generator
to cool down properly before refueling.
Make sure that your camper or
RV has a smoke detector and a carbon
monoxide (CO) alarm. Make sure that
you check the batteries prior to each trip
to make sure your alarms are working
properly. If either type of alarm makes
a chirping sound, replace the batteries
right away. Check the age of your alarms
and replace them if they are 10 years old
or older, or if the age of the alarm cannot
be determined.
You are going to want to make
sure that your camper is equipped with
the correct type of fire extinguisher.
july21
Make sure that it is the proper size and
securely mounted in a convenient loca-
tion. You will want to make sure that ev-
eryone knows where the fire extinguish-
er is located and how to properly use it in
the event of a fire.
After you finish setting up your
campsite, go over your escape plan with
everyone, including where to meet in the
event of an emergency. Once everyone
has been accounted for, make sure you
alert anyone else in the immediate area
that might be affected.
Lastly, let’s talk about campfire
safety. Select a spot that is away from
grasses and shrubs, overhanging branch-
es, and stacked firewood. Scrape away
leaves and litter to bare soil, at least 10
feet on all sides, and circle it with rocks.
Keep your fire pit small and easy to man-
age.
Before you light any campfires,
make sure that campfires are allowed in
your campground. Always have a shovel
and a bucket of water readily available.
When you turn in for the night, or before
leaving your campsite, make sure your
campfire is completely extinguished.
I hope that the tips contained in
this article will help you to plan a safe
and fun vacation for you and your fami-
ly. Now get out there and have some fun!
VOLUNTEERS
WANTED
VERNONIA RURAL FIRE
PROTECTION DISTRICT
VRFPD is currently accepting applications
for Volunteer Fire Fighters.
Burn Legally • Burn Responsibly
Burn Permits,
Rules & Regulations
Vernonia RFPD 555 E. Bridge St.
Mon-Thurs 9am-4pm or
by appointment 503-429-8252
• You must have a High School Diploma or
G.E.D., a valid Oregon Driver’s License, and
be at least 18 years of age.
• Currently, you must be able to attend
weekly training on Monday nights
Here’s What We Do!
Calls responded to June 1-30
Fire
Emergency Medical Service
Hazardous Condition
Service Call
Good Intent
Severe Weather & Natural Disaster
Special Incident
No Emergency Found
False Alarm
Total
3
35
1
10
3
0
0
0
2
54
15
• Willing to attend the Fire Academy
VRFPD
• Live or work (employer willing to let you
respond to calls) within VRFPD’s District
555 E. Bridge St.
Vernonia, OR 97064
503-429-8252
• Applications can be picked up at the Fire
Station.
VRFPD FIRE CHIEF
Earl Dean Smith
dc4502@yahoo.com
503-709-882) (cell)
503-429-8252 (office)
VRFPD P.I.O.
Robert Schattschneider
pio.vrfpd@gmail.com
97)-225-8332 (cell)
503-429-8252 (office)
