to do & see
W.L.E. PUBLIC SAFETY DEPT.
by Chief N.R. Kizer
Spring is back once again and
as the Chief of Public Safety, I would like to write to you about a few safety
issues we all need to think about for the good of everyone.
SMOKE ALARMS
Having a smoke alarm in your
home can reduce the risk of fatalities. If your home is not equipped with them,
now is the time to install them on every level of your home as well as in each
bedroom. If possible, choose one with a 10-year lithium battery and if it uses
regular batteries, remember to replace them every year. Test your smoke alarms monthly, and be sure
that your kids are familiar with the sound. Almost 60% of all fatal residential
fires occur in homes that don't have smoke alarms, so this may be the single
most important thing you can do to keep your family safe. Because smoke rises,
the detectors should always be placed on ceilings or up high on your walls.
Should your smoke detector near a kitchen go off while you're cooking, do not take the battery out of it;
you may forget to put them back in. Open the doors and windows instead. You
might consider installing a rate-of-rise heat detector for places like the
kitchen where smoke or steam from cooking are likely to cause false alarms.
These alarms can sense when the temperature reaches a set critical point or
when it rises by more than a certain number of degrees a minute.
PLAN AN
Planned escape routes are a necessity, especially if a
fire were to occur during the night. Go through each room in your house and
think about the possible exits. You should have two escape routes from each
room, in case one is blocked by fire. Check the room to make sure that
furniture and other objects are not blocking doorways and windows. Make sure
that the windows in every room are easy to open and are not painted over or
nailed shut. Remember, these may be your only way out in a fire. Be sure to let the baby sitter know what to do in case of a
fire.
PRACTICE FIRE DRILLS
Kids have fire drills at
school and adults have them at work. Why shouldn't you have them at home, too?
Fires are frightening and can cause people to panic. By rehearsing different
scenarios, your family will be less likely to waste precious time trying to
figure out what to do. Discuss and rehearse the escape routes you've planned
for each room of your home. Designate a meeting place outside your house that
is a safe distance away from the home where everyone can be accounted for
after they escape. Then, every so often, let everyone know it's time for a fire
drill, set off the smoke detector by pushing the button. See if everyone can evacuate
your home and gather outside within 3 minutes the time it can take for an
entire home to go up in flames. Being prepared is the best way to protect your
family from a fire so make sure your kids know what to do in case of a fire. A
few minutes of planning now may save lives later on. LET’S MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR OUR LOVED ONE’S SAFETY.
MEDICAL & FIRE
EMERGENCY - DIAL 911 FIRST
The
Emergency phone is for Fire, Police, and Medical calls only. It is not for
barking or loose dogs, opening buildings, power outages, or any other none life
threatening situations. It’s for Emergency Calls only.
We
have an answering machine which is checked every half hour when there is no one
in the office, but that is a rare occasion now. We have Communication Officers
in the office part-time after hours taking all the emergency and non-emergency
calls. They will dispatch a Patrol Officer to take care of any problems.
Have a list of your
medications in case you ever need an ambulance or a disaster emergency occurs.
This is very important and will save time. This information should be kept on
the refrigerator door or inside in a jar.
PHONE NUMBERS
You need to update your phone
numbers that you have listed in the office. Many times in emergency situations
we have needed to contact a property owner and have no phone numbers listed or
have numbers that are no longer in service. This is very important.
SCHOOL BUS LAW
The State’s School Bus
Stopping Law requires all motor vehicles to stop in either direction whenever
they approach a school bus and must wait until the red lights have stopped
flashing, the stop arm has been withdrawn and all children have reached a place
of safety. Violators will receive a 60-day driver’s license suspension, five
points on their driving record and a $250 fine. Wallenpaupack Lake Estates
requires ALL vehicles to comply with the state laws as well. Anyone not
following these rules will be fined $250. This
includes all Recreational Vehicles as well.
HOME ALARM SYSTEMS
Having an alarm system in
your home is a very good idea, especially if your home is only for weekend or
summer use. The Public Safety Department patrols the roads and amenity areas of
W.L.E. 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Although we are on constant patrol, with the 18 miles of roads, over 20 amenity
areas and 1300 homes in Wallenpaupack Lake Estates, it is still a good idea to
alarm your home. I will list a few. We use Northeastern Security Systems,
570-613-5025 or 1-800-439-0087 for our buildings. There is also ADT Alarm
System, 1-866-562-9052 and Radio Shack Alarm System, 570-689-3433, Vector
Security, 689-2646. If you need any further help you can contact me at XLT6000@aol.com.
FEEDING THE DEER
FEEDING DEER IN .WLE IS AGAINST THE RULES AND REGULATIONS
AND YOU WILL BE FINED.
Problems with feeding deer include transmission of
diseases, such as Lyme disease, Tuberculosis and CWD
– Chronic Wasting Disease. The common deer
and human conflicts in communities include more vehicles hitting deer and
damages to property owner’s gardens and their landscaping. It is clear that the
negative consequences of feeding the deer outweigh the benefits. You are doing a lot more harm than
good.
NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH
I want to thank the leader of
Neighborhood Watch, Mick Henry, and the other members as well for their help
and support this year. LET’S TAKE A BITE OUT OF
CRIME, JOIN THE NEIGHBORHOOD CRIME WATCH.
HOME SENSOR LIGHTS
Since it is a fact that criminals don’t like bright
areas, let’s illuminate our homes at night with motion sensor lights. Be sure
to point them down so they don’t disturb your neighbors.
DRUGS AND ALCOHOL
The
use of Drugs and Alcohol in Wallenpaupack Lake Estates will not be tolerated by
anyone. The State Police will be brought in and charges filed on anyone caught
using illegal drugs. The use of alcohol by any Juvenile in the State of
THE FACT IS YOU WERE
DRINKING ALCOHOL & IT’S AGAINST THE LAW IN
What parents should know:
As a parent, you cannot give
alcohol to your teen’s friends under the age of 21 under any circumstance,
even in your own home, even
with their parent’s permission. You cannot knowingly allow a person under 21,
other than your own child, to remain in your home or on your property while
consuming or possessing alcohol.
If you break the law:
You can face a maximum
sentence of one year in jail and / or a $2,500 fine. Others can sue you if you
give alcohol to anyone under 21, and they, in turn, hurt someone, hurt
themselves or damage property. Officers can take any alcohol, money or property
used in committing the offense.
SPEED LIMIT:
The speed limit for all vehicles in WLE. is 20 mph or less. The Patrol Officers will be out there enforcing
this law.
DOGS:
You must keep your dog on a
leash, if your dog is caught running loose off of your property, you will be
fined $100 1st time, $200. 2nd time and so forth for each offense. A dog that is constantly barking will be
fined $25 1ST time, $50 2nd time and so forth for each
offense. Dog licenses must be purchased on or before
January 1st of each year, and dogs must have a current Rabies inoculation. I
have requested Dog Enforcement Officers to come into WLE on a regular basis
again this year. Your neighbors and friends do not want to be inconvenienced by your
pets.
PARKING:
Parking on the side of the
road is not permitted in WLE. It
causes a hazardous condition for vehicles passing by, maintenance plowing snow
and for emergency vehicles. Let’s keep our roads safe for all.
STOP SIGNS:
Stop signs are for your
safety as well as the safety of others. Be a role model for your children as it
could save their lives. The stop signs means stop and the Officers will be out
enforcing this law for your safety.
PATROL OFFICERS:
The Patrol Officers here at
WLE are out there trying to keep you, your children and WLE safe from harm. The
Rules and Regulations are for the safety and well being of all. The Public
Safety Officers are just doing their jobs, they do not make the Rules and
Regulations, they only enforce the law, so please don’t take your hostility out
on them. My door is always open if you have a problem, or I can be reached at XLT6000@AOL.COM.