Clarendon County Fire Rescue promotes summer safety

Although summer is weeks away, the weather is quickly approaching. Boating traffic on roadways and waterways has increased, along with campers and other vehicle traffic, indicating the time for getting out is here. Safety during outdoor activities is crucial to risk reduction for everyone. Tips for some of these activities are:

Swimming

- Never swim near a boat ramp, marina or close to a boat.

- Teach children to always ask permission to go near water.

- Adults need to stay with children when they are in or around water.

- Children and inexperienced swimmers should wear U.S. Coast Guard-approved life safety jackets.

- Always swim with a buddy.

- Keep areas around docks and pool decks clear of floats, balls and other toys.

Bicycling

- Always wear a bike helmet and bright-colored clothes when cycling.

- Install reflectors and lights for better visibility.

- Ride with both hands on the handlebars.

- Check your brakes often to make sure they work.

- Ride in a single file in the same direction as traffic.

- Stop at STOP signs and obey traffic lights.

Campfires

- Always check with local authorities to make sure campfires are permitted in your area.

- Clear the area of dry leaves, low-hanging branches and other combustibles.

- Build campfires 25 feet from buildings and trees.

- Monitor weather conditions to avoid dry and windy conditions.

- Follow the 3-feet rule. Keep children, pets or anything that might catch fire at least 3 feet from any heat source.

- Always stay with your fire.

- Have tools, dirt and/or water close by to extinguish the fire.

Pet Safety

- Avoid exposing pets to loud noise from fireworks and thunderstorms.

- Keep them cool or in the shade during high summer temperatures and bright days to prevent dehydration, overheating and scorched paws.

- Store insecticides, products with citronella, glow sticks and other toxic items out of the reach of pets.

- Follow the directions when spraying chemicals, and keep pets away from those areas.

- Do not leave pets in hot cars! An 85-degree day with a window open 1 inch will allow an increase in temperature to 100 degrees in 10 minutes.

- As summer approaches, keep a watchful eye on weather conditions. Stormy conditions increase significantly during May, and being aware is the beginning of safe activities.

We want to express our appreciation to The Sumter Item, Clarendon Sun, for their support and for allowing us to share Fire and Life Safety messages. This contribution assisted in Clarendon County Fire Rescue receiving a Fire Safe South Carolina Community Designation, along with 79 other departments, for the second year in a row.

For these safety tips and more, please visit our website, www.clarendonfirerescue.com.