The information below is provided by the Farmington Hills Fire Department in an effort to help you understand local severe storm and tornado activity. What is a tornado and how do they form? A tornado is a column of violently rotating winds extending down from a thunderstorm cloud touching the surface of the earth. A tornado spins like a top and may sound like an airplane or a train. Before thunderstorms develop, a change in wind direction and an increase in wind speed, with increasing height, create an invisible, horizontal spinning effect in the lower atmosphere. Rising air within the …

The Farmington Hills Fire Department would like to make all residents aware that heating equipment is a leading cause of many home fires during the winter months. Home furnaces should be checked annually by a qualified contractor to ensure that they are operating safely and efficiently. Alternative equipment such as fireplaces, fixed space heaters, water heaters, and portable space heaters, if used improperly or not maintained, may all contribute to the cause of a home fire. Throughout the U.S., heating equipment is second only to cooking equipment as the leading cause of home fires. When …

Now is the time of year for cold temperatures and winter storms. It’s also the time of year when gusting winds and ice and snow can bring power outages. Here are a few tips on how to prepare: Make sure you have a battery-powered or hand crank radio to listen for emergency updates and news reports. The Farmington Hills emergency radio station operates at 1650 AM. If using a portable generator during a power outage, it should always be operated outside, away from doors and windows to avoid dangerous carbon monoxide. Also be sure the generator is operated downwind from any homes. Every home …

While decorating homes and businesses is a long-standing tradition, unfortunately when not done in an approved manner these same decorations may increase your chances of fire. The Farmington Hills Fire Department would like to remind everyone that all fires are preventable. Following a few simple fire safety tips can keep electric lights, candles and the ever popular Christmas tree from creating a tragedy: Holiday Lights - The importance of maintaining your holiday lights cannot be understated. Inspect holiday lights each year for frayed wires, bare spots, gaps in the insulation, broken or …

The Farmington Hills Fire Department wants to ensure that all residents understand the legitimate concerns regarding the practice of using a deep fryer to cook a turkey. Problems arise because typically most residents do not monitor the process the entire time that the turkey is cooking in the deep fryer. The overall prudent method is to place the turkey in the oven and set a timer to check on it when it is finished cooking. With that said, the Farmington Hills Fire Department, along with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and Underwriters Laboratory (U.L.), are strongly …

Living in a society where older adults can live to their full potential should be expected. However, falls remain a threat to the health and independence of the older adult population and can significantly limit their ability to remain self-sufficient. According to the American Trauma Society, falls have become a public health crisis and are the leading cause of injury-related deaths among older adults. One out of every three adults age 65 and older falls each year. Of those, two out of three will fall again within six months. Of those reported, 20 to 30 percent will sustain moderate to …

With the recent warming trend, we have seen some serious thunderstorms, hail and even a tornado that touched down in Dexter, Michigan, damaging over 100 homes. This is very early in the year for tornadoes, but it can also show you that this could have easily hit the Farmington Hills area as well. Fortunately in Dexter, no deaths or serious injuries were reported, thanks in part to early warning notifications and the residents of that town being prepared ahead of time. Are you prepared in the event of high winds or a tornado touching down in our city? If you don’t recognize some of the signs …

Throughout the year, Farmington Hills firefighters respond to downed power lines. Most are caused from storms, heavy snow, and high winds. As we transition into spring, this is the season for high winds and thunderstorms, so precautions must be taken when outside, especially if power is lost to your home. Utility companies use many different educational phrases in an effort to educate residents, but one that seems to sticks out is Look Up, Look Down, and Look Out! Pretty good advice, I’d say. Here in Farmington Hills, there have been a number of people who have been electrocuted by simply …

The Farmington Hills Fire Department is joining fire departments all across America in the annual “Change Your Clock, Change Your Battery” campaign. This simple program is designed to save lives by encouraging people to change their smoke alarm battery when they change their clocks forward for Daylight Saving Time on Sunday, March 11. Farmington Hills Fire Lt. Denny Hughes is encouraging all residents to adopt this simple, life-saving habit of changing the batteries in their smoke alarms. “It’s a simple, and inexpensive way to protect your family and home," he said. Since 1987, the …

If you’re a winter enthusiast, you’re not too happy with the weather so far this winter. We’ve had a couple of minor snowfalls and no real stretch of cold weather. But give it time, the dog days of winter are still ahead of us, and it’s a good time to plan for that extreme weather we’re sure to get soon enough. When temperatures drop, the Fire Department responds to numerous calls for frozen pipes, not only in residential properties, but in commercial properties as well. It creates a huge inconvenience. An average of a quarter million homes sustains some type of water damage each winter. …

It should come as no surprise that heating equipment, which includes fireplaces, fixed space heaters, water heaters or portable space heaters, is the leading cause of home fires during the winter months of December through February, and trails only cooking equipment as the leading cause throughout the entire year. Where portable space heaters were involved, the leading cause was combustibles too close to the appliance. The leading cause of fireplace or wood stove fires was a build up of creosote (a tar-like build up in the chimney). If you have a natural burning fireplace and haven’t had your…

As 2011 – one of the most active years for disasters in recent history – comes to a close and Americans get ready to ring in a new year, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is encouraging all Americans to "Resolve to be Ready" by making a New Year's resolution to be prepared for emergencies. As a recent report by the National Climatic Data Center highlights, 2011 has seen more billion-dollar natural disasters than any year on record. This year alone, the U.S. experienced its first hurricane landfall since 2008, the most deadly series of tornadoes since the 1950’s, significant …

Driving in the winter means snow, sleet and ice that can lead to slower traffic, hazardous road conditions, hot tempers and unforeseen dangers.  Last winter about 300 people were stranded in their vehicles on Canadian Highway 402, east of Sarnia, Ontario, when a winter storm dumped a large amount of snow on the roads. Few of them were prepared to be marooned in their cars. The safest thing to do is to postpone the trip until the roads are clear. However, if you must travel remember these tips: Prepare your car for winter Check the ignition, brakes, wiring, hoses and fan belts. Check the air, …

Botsford Hospital Trauma Center is urging state and local residents to use seat belts during the 2011 Thanksgiving holiday period, which is one of the most heavily traveled times of the year. Thanksgiving can be a dangerous time for motorists, especially unbelted ones – day and night. Make sure the only belt unbuckled is at your Thanksgiving dinner table and not in your vehicle, whether you’re traveling during the day or at night. National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) Facts: During the 2009 Thanksgiving holiday travel season, 303 passenger vehicle occupants were killed in motor …

This article and safety advice has been released for the past four or five years, yet we still get information every holiday season on residents who defy the odds and risks associated with turkey fryers. It’s possible that some of these residents are actually monitoring their turkey the entire time they are being cooked, but for some reason, we doubt it. And if they are standing there, watching the turkey being deep fried for hours, it would have been much easier to place it in the oven and set a timer to check on it when it is finished cooking. With that said, the Farmington Hills Fire …

October is the designated month for the country to focus their attention on teen driving safety. Our goals are to guide parents in taking on the important role of teaching and enforcing basic rules and strategies to get through the first years of driving. While doing so, bringing awareness through education and encouraging teens to be safer drivers is what’s necessary to meet these goals, not only in October but throughout the year. Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death among teens. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2009, about 3,000 teens in…

The Farmington Hills Fire Department is joining with nearly 6,000 fire departments nationwide in promoting the annual Change Your Clock, Change Your Battery campaign on Sunday, Nov. 6. Fire Lt. Denny Hughes encourages all residents to adopt the simple, life-saving habit of changing smoke alarm batteries when they change their clocks back from daylight savings time to standard time. “It’s an easy, inexpensive, and proven way to protect your family and your home,” Hughes said. Since 1987, the International Association of Fire Chiefs has joined forces with Energizer batteries to spread the …

Temperatures are slowly dipping each week and before you know it, fall will be here. Football is in full swing, hunters can’t wait to take to the woods, and soon leaves will be turning colors and falling from the trees. When that happens, it’s “fall clean up time” at most households. Unlike some rural areas where open burning is permitted, it is against city ordinance to burn here in Farmington Hills. You can’t burn leaves, branches, or any yard debris … ever! Some people think they’ve found a loophole and burn their yard waste in portable fireplaces, burn pits or ceramic chimneys that are …

Dialing 9-1-1 is the first step in having your fire department, police or an ambulance respond to your emergency – the key word here is “emergency.” “Not everyone views an ‘emergency’ the same, and many times fire and police are responding with their lights and sirens to an incident that is really not an emergency, but rather a call for assistance,” Farmington Hills Fire Lt. Denny Hughes said. “This becomes an unnecessary use of resources and puts the general public at risk, while emergency vehicles are rushing to your aid, driving quickly through traffic.” The universal emergency telephone …

Whether you are an incoming freshman or a returning student, you’re probably getting ready for the upcoming fall semester on campus. Besides figuring out who’s buying the fridge or futon, you should be thinking about safety, too. Many colleges have received grants to make necessary upgrades with regard to built-in fire and security protection. This year, I’ll have two of my own kids attending college at Michigan Tech University and Northwood University. I can assure you that we’ll be taking a tour of the dorms and learning where the exits are, where they can find a portable fire extinguisher…