Preparing Your Home for COVID-19

Create a household plan of action to help protect your health and the health of those you care about in the event of an outbreak of COVID-19 in your community:

• Talk with the people who need to be included in your plan, and discuss what to do if a COVID-19 outbreak occurs in your community.
• Plan ways to care for those who might be at greater risk for serious complications, particularly older adults and those with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease.
• Make sure they have access to several weeks of medications and supplies in case you need to stay home for prolonged periods of time.
• Get to know your neighbors and find out if your neighborhood has a website or social media page to stay connected.
• Create a list of local organizations that you and your household can contact in the event you need access to information, healthcare services, support, and resources.
• Create an emergency contact list of family, friends, neighbors, carpool drivers, health care providers, teachers, employers, the local public health department, and other community resources.

What should I do if someone in my house gets sick with COVID-19?

Most people who get COVID-19 will be able to recover at home. CDC has directions for people who are recovering at home and their caregivers, including:

• Stay home when you are sick, except to get medical care.
• If you develop emergency warning signs for COVID-19 get medical attention immediately. In adults, emergency warning signs*:

• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
• New confusion or inability to arouse
• Bluish lips or face
• *This list is not all inclusive. Please consult your medical provider for any other symptom that is severe or concerning.

• Use a separate room and bathroom for sick household members (if possible).
• Clean hands regularly by handwashing with soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
• Provide your sick household member with clean disposable facemasks to wear at home, if available, to help prevent spreading COVID-19 to others.
• Clean the sick room and bathroom, as needed, to avoid unnecessary contact with the sick person.
• Avoid sharing personal items like utensils, food, and drinks.

Click here for updates regarding COVID-19 in Illinois.

How to prevent home fires

U.S. fire departments respond to a home fire every 86 seconds. That’s over 1,000 fires a day.

Home fires are not 100 percent preventable. Though, you can take necessary steps today to reduce your risk of home fires. Here’s how:

• Install and maintain smoke alarms on every floor of your home and within every bedroom. Roughly 50% of home fire deaths occur during the night while people are sleeping.
• Never leave food cooking unattended, especially deep fryers and other frying equipment.
• Avoid using portable and fixed space heaters, as heating equipment is the second leading cause of home fire deaths.
• Have a fire plan that gets you out of your home in less than two minutes and practice it.
• Avoid smoking in the house.

Electrical safety & home fire prevention

Electrical malfunctions are one of the leading causes of home fires. Make sure that you hire a qualified electrician to make any changes in your home. In addition, be sure to check electrical cords regularly, and make sure cords do not run across doorways or under carpets where they could be damaged.

Remember to limit the number of plugs you have in an electrical outlet or power strip. Overloading an electrical outlet can not only trip a breaker, but it could also start a fire.

Additionally, only use light bulbs that match the recommended wattage for each lamp. Your lamps and light fixtures should have a sticker that indicates the maximum wattage light bulb you may use.

Testing your smoke detector could save your life

Every smoke alarm should be tested monthly by pushing the “test” button and batteries should be changed when needed. It is best to always have at least one spare battery. If your smoke alarm ever “chirps,” it is time to replace the battery immediately. Most smoke alarm failures occur because of a missing or disconnected battery or a dead battery.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) estimates that three out of every five home fire deaths resulted from fires where there were non-working smoke detectors or no smoke
detectors at all. Having the proper fire safety equipment in your home can truly save your life.

Where to install smoke detectors

The NFPA recommends installing a smoke alarm on every floor, including the basement, and inside every sleeping room. Smoke alarms should be mounted high on a wall not more than a foot from the ceiling or on the ceiling. Remember, smoke rises.

• Kitchen: It is critical to mount smoke alarms in the kitchen at least 10 feet from any cooking appliance to minimize false alarms when cooking.
• Basement: Smoke alarms in the basement should be installed on the ceiling near the bottom step of the stairs up to the first floor.

There are many brands and types of smoke alarms you can choose from. All of the best smoke alarms should meet the Underwriters Laboratories Standard. Look for the UL label on the packaging.

To operate a fire extinguisher, remember the word "PASS:"

• Pull the pin. Hold the fire extinguisher with the nozzle pointing away from you and remove the pin to unlock it.
• Aim low. Point the nozzle at the base of the fire.
• Squeeze the lever slowly and evenly.
• Sweep the nozzle from side-to-side.

Fire extinguishers should be checked regularly and tested by a professional every few years.

Different types of fire extinguishers

It’s also useful to know that there are five different types of fire extinguishers for putting out different kinds of fires.

• Class A extinguishers: for use on materials like cloth, wood, and paper.
• Class B extinguishers: for use on combustible and flammable liquids like oil, gasoline, and grease.
• Class C extinguishers: best for electrical equipment and appliances like stoves, televisions, and computers.
• Class D extinguishers: for use with flammable metals.
• Class K extinguishers: best for cooking oils commonly found in commercial kitchens, including vegetable oil.

Lemont Fire District is participating in the "Be Alarmed" Smoke Alarm Installation Campaign

"Be Alarmed!" is a fire safety education and smoke alarm installation program administered cooperatively between the Illinois Fire Safety Alliance (IFSA) and the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal (OSFM). The program distributes fire safety education materials and Ionization smoke alarms with a 10-year concealed battery to fire departments in the state of Illinois. The fire departments then deliver the education and install smoke alarms in homes within their communities while recording data for reporting purposes. Both the educational materials and smoke alarms are provided to fire departments at no cost as a result of funding from both the IFSA and OSFM with additional assistance from Kidde and Menards. The program seeks to:

1. Educate Illinois residents, young and old, on home fire safety and prevention methods
2. Reduce the number of fire-related injuries in Illinois
3. Reduce the number of fire-related deaths in Illinois
4. Identify the reason for non-working smoke alarms in Illinois homes.

• According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), working smoke alarms are the key to saving lives from fire. 
• Fire can grow and spread through a home in a matter of minutes. The advance warning provided by smoke alarms can be essential to saving lives. 
• In fires in which the smoke alarms were present but did not operate, 46% of the smoke alarms had missing or disconnected batteries NFPA's "Smoke Alarms in U.S. Home Fires" ~Sept. '15
• Three of every five home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms (38%) or no working smoke alarms (21%)  NFPA's "Smoke Alarms in U.S. Home Fires" ~Sept. '15

The smoke alarms received from the “Be alarmed! Program are for homeowners only, landlords must supply and install their own smoke alarms for their tenants.

If you are a homeowner and in need of smoke alarms for your residence, please contact the Lemont Fire Protection Bureau at 630.257.0191 or email sdominik@lemontfire.com for scheduling of installation.

Small Business Fire Sprinkler Incentives Tax Reform Info

2018 Edition – revised January 29, 201822020018 Edition revised January 29, 2018
Now is the time to invest in your fire sprinkler system or retrofit your building with lifesaving and property conserving protection.

In December, Congress passed the most sweeping tax reform legislation since 1986. Included in this legislation (P.L. 115-97) are two provisions that will greatly incentivize the installation of fire sprinklers. The National Fire Sprinkler Association appreciates the efforts and work that happened for 14+ years prior to this passage that allowed fire sprinklers to be included. A special thank you to Congressman Jim Langevin, who has championed this inclusion since the beginning as a result of the Station Nightclub fire being in his district. We also thank all of our fire service partners – Congressional Fire Services Institute, International Fire Chiefs Association, International Fire Fighters Association, National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, National Fire Protection Association, Common Voices, National Volunteer Fire Council, Security Industry Association, Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors and many others. We will work with stakeholders to gain additional clarifications in regards to IRS interpretations as this is put into use. Encourage owners to work with their tax expert for their specific situation.

The fire sprinkler incentives are:

Small Business Section 179 Expensing –
Previously qualified small businesses were allowed to fully expense purchases such as computers, equipment and light duty vehicles up to an annual cap of $500,000. Under the new law Congress has added fire protection as an eligible expenditure under section 179 of the tax code. Congress also increased the cap to $1 million as the amount that a small business can deduct in a single year. This provision applies only to commercial structures and cannot be used for retrofitting sprinklers into residential structures. However, critical occupancies such as entertainment venues could easily be done under this provision. This change is also a permanent law and unlike section 13201 is not gradually phased out over time. In order to help our members and interested stakeholders fully understand this new tax law, we have created a few examples.  

Fire sprinklers save lives, property, water, money, the environment, and on and on. Keep your patrons safe, keep your business running and limit your liability. 

Example 1: Nightclub Retrofit
7,500 square-foot assembly occupancy
Cost to install fire sprinklers = $6.00/sq. ft
Total $45,000
Assuming this is owned by a small business, under 179 they could fully expense the cost. The 179 change is permanent law and is not subject the phase out.
Current Law: you are depreciating over a 39-year period

Example 2: Bowling Alley
20,000 square-foot assembly occupancy
Cost to install fire sprinklers = $4.50/sq.ft.
Total $90,000
Same as Example 1
Note: These are specific examples of actual buildings in various locations around the country. The actual cost is impacted by many variables, including the region of the country. Please reach out to NFSA or find a member on our website to assist in your particular situation and for a quote specific to your building and region.

NFSA encourages business and industry owners to contact their tax professionals and refer them to the changes in Section 179 of the recently passed tax reform legislation (P.L. 115-97).

If you have a question about a building type that is not shown or additional questions about those that are listed, please reach out to us by contacting Vickie Pritchett, Director of Outreach & Government Relations at 443-569- 9506 or via email at pritchett@nfsa.org.

My Medical Information

The Lemont Fire Protection District is pleased to provide FREE My Medical Information kits to the senior citizens, those with special needs, and others within the District that may need them.
The kits consist of a red plastic pouch with a magnetic back and are intended to be attached to an individual's refrigerator. Inside the pouch is a cardboard pamphlet that an individual can use to write down his or her personal information, emergency contacts, medications, allergies, medical conditions, and advanced directives. Paramedics can then use this vital information when providing emergency care.

To obtain your FREE My Medical Information kit, contact the Fire Prevention Bureau at (630) 257-0191 or fpb@lemontfire.com. Provide your name and mailing address, and a kit can be mailed to you. You may also stop by Station One, located at 15900 New Ave, Monday thru Friday, from 8:00 AM to 4:00 to pick one up.