Safer Huntington WV » Personal Safety

Litter Getters Should Beware Bottle Bombs

Bill — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 23:51:51 +0000

I, like many people in Huntington, spend a portion of each of my days picking up trash around town. However, today I was informed about a serious risk to anyone who is picking up a discarded plastic bottle. It’s called “Works Bomb” or a bottle bomb. The bomb consists of a soda or water bottle with some household chemicals mixed together in it. The chemicals react and begin to boil so that once the lid is placed on the bottle the gases created via the boiling reaction create pressure in the bottle. Eventually the pressure builds up enough that the bottle explodes.

The force created by the bottle explosion is enough to remove fingers, seriously disfigure your face, or destroy a mailbox. Thus it behooves you to approach any closed bottle containing liquid with caution. If the bottle appears to be melting or seems swollen call 911 and ask for assistance. I haven’t heard about these kinds of incidents here but it can’t hurt to be on the safe side.

Daylight Savings Time = Changing Batteries Time

Bill — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 13:31:54 +0000

It’s that time of year again; on Sunday you need to Spring your clocks forward an hour for daylight savings time. While it is important for you to remember to adjust your clocks so you don’t show up for work late on Monday it is even more important that you remember to change the batteries in your smoke detector.

It’s an age old rule of thumb that you change your batteries when you change your clocks – even if you don’t think your battery needs changing. Why risk it? A 9 volt battery is an inexpensive bi-annual investment that can help save the lives of every member of your family. So please, take a few minutes this weekend and change out your batteries and test your smoke detectors!

Six Safety Tips

Bill — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 14:42:26 +0000

Here are six tips that can help you stay safe and, maybe, even improve the city:

Clean.Keep YOUR yard and the street neat. Place trash in a trash can, sweep grass clippings and leaves away from the sidewalk and curbs.
Light & Lock.Lock doors and windows, open or close curtains often, turn porch and post lamps ON dusk to dawn, install motion detecting lights and when away from your home, turn on a tv or radio and use automatic timers to turn fixtures on/off. Don’t give thieves and vandals a place to hide – keep property organized.
Report suspicious activity.Call 696-4444 to and relay details anonymously. Be brief, but specific. Provide detailed information about vehicles and individuals. If something happens on your property always file a police report.
Be Neighborly.Watch and talk to or call those around you; ASK if they need anything, watch for unusual activity or people and notify them and call the police.
Stay informed.Read the paper, watch Channel 24. Participate in decisions that affect you – VOTE!
Communicate. Contact your city representatives to ask questions, discuss issues or to say thank you.

Following these six simple tips will help make both your home and your neighborhood safer.

Home Security Checklist

Bill — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 20:05:03 +0000

We have just uploaded the Home Security Checklist to the tools section of the site. The Checklist is a guide you can use to check your home for safety measures and was developed by the various neighborhood assocations. This is an easy tool you can use that will instantly imporve the security of your home. So please download it today and utilize this short 2 page checklist!

The list covers topics such as exterior doors, garage doors, outdoor property, and ways to protect the property within your home. It’s easy, free, and can only help so please download it today.