Police Chief offers summer safety tips

Summer is here, and with advent of warmer temperatures people spend a lot more time outside. Living in the South, we know we need to practice sun safety. This means applying sunscreen and wearing sunglasses when going outdoors.

We also know the annoyances of mosquitoes and ticks that can carry diseases. This means wearing insect repellant when outdoors, which helps repel ticks and mosquitoes. Eliminate the worry of Lyme disease-carrying ticks and mosquitoes that carry the West Nile Virus with the vigilant use of insect repellant.

In addition to fun in the sun, people also spend a lot of time in the summer working in their yard. In Daleville we have odd/even water days, and citizens are advised to be aware of which day applies to them when watering their yard, and using water outside.

Odd street addresses are permitted outside water use on odd days of the month.

Even street addresses are permitted outside water use on even days of the month.

When working in the yard, leaf, brush and other garden refuse accumulates quickly. The City of Daleville would like to remind everyone that our sanitation department will pick up debris from your curbside, so there is no real need to burn it.

However, some still prefer to burn that excess garden and yard refuse. With that in mind, citizens are reminded to be safety conscious and to show a courtesy towards their neighbors.

Things to remember about open burning:

• When a statewide burn ban has been issued, the Department of Public Safety will enforce the measure.
• The State of Alabama also prohibits the open burning of hazardous materials, which emit toxic materials. Burning items such as household trash that contains plastic, rubber, foam, chemically treated wood, textiles, electronics, chemicals or hazardous materials poses a danger to human health and the environment.
• If burning brush, and leaves, residents are urged to be thoughtful of neighbors with concern as to where smoke will blow and where ashes from the fire might land.  Be aware if your neighbors have respiratory problems that could be exacerbated by the smoke. 
• At no times should an open fire be left unattended, and a water hose to keep the fire from getting out of control should always be nearby. Unattended fires can get quickly out of hand.
• While the City of Daleville does not require a burn permit, a courtesy call to the Department of Public Safety at 598-4442, to advise of an open burn lets us know not to dispatch fire services to the residence when and if someone calls with concerns about the smoke. 

Also, summer is a time when we like to grill, and again safety is a concern.  Remember when grilling to:

• Position the grill in a well-ventilated location. Never barbecue inside homes, tents or vehicles. Burning charcoal indoors can kill you. It gives off carbon monoxide, which has no odor.
• Keep children and pets away from the grill when it’s in use.
• Never add lighter fluid directly to hot coals to get a sluggish fire going again. The flame could travel up the stream of fluid and burn you.
• Never use gasoline or kerosene to light a charcoal fire. Both can cause an explosion.

On behalf of the Department of Public Safety, we want everyone to enjoy their summer days but most importantly we want everyone to be safe, and to show courtesy to those around you.