Summertime Bicycle Safety

Bicycling and Skating Tips

The single most effective safety device available to reduce head injury and death from bicycle crashes is a helmet.

  • Make it a rule: every time you and your child ride a bike, wear a bicycle helmet that meets the safety standards developed by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
  • If your child is reluctant to wear a helmet, try letting him or her choose his own.

Helmet fit is important.

  • Make sure the helmet fits and your child knows how to put it on correctly. A helmet should sit on top of the head in a level position, and should not rock forward, backward or side to side. The helmet straps must always be buckled but not too tightly.

Try the Eyes, Ears and Mouth Test:

  • EYES check: Position the helmet on your head.  Look up and you should see the bottom rim of the helmet. The rim should be one to two finger-widths above the eyebrows.
  • EARS check: Make sure the straps of the helmet form a "V" under your ears when buckled.  The strap should be snug but comfortable.
  • MOUTH check:  Open your mouth as wide as you can.  Do you feel the helmet hug your head?  If not, tighten those straps and make sure the buckle is flat against your skin.

Use different helmets for different activities.

  • Children should always wear a helmet for all wheeled sports activities. A properly-fitted bike helmet is just as effective when riding a scooter, roller skating or inline skating. However, when skateboarding and long boarding, make sure your child wears a skateboarding helmet.

Proper equipment fit and maintenance are also important for safety.

  • Ensure proper bike fit by bringing the child along when shopping for a bike. Buy a bicycle that is the right size for the child, not one he will grow into. When sitting on the seat, the child’s feet should be able to touch the ground.
  • Make sure the reflectors are secure, brakes work properly, gears shift smoothly and tires are tightly secured and properly inflated.

Always model and teach proper behavior. Learn the rules of the road, and obey all traffic laws.

  • Ride on the right side of the road, with traffic, not against. Stay as far to the right as possible.
  • Use appropriate hand signals.
  • Respect traffic signals, stopping at all stop signs and stop lights.
  • Stop and look left, right and left again before entering a street or crossing an intersection. Look back and yield to traffic coming from behind before turning left.

Adult supervision of child cyclists is essential until you are sure a child has good traffic skills and judgment.

  • Cycling should be restricted to off-roads (e.g. sidewalks and paths) until age 10.
  • Children should be able to demonstrate riding competence and knowledge of the rules of the road before cycling with traffic.

Children should not ride a bicycle when it’s dark, in the fog or in other low-visibility conditions.

  • If riding at dusk, dawn or in the evening is unavoidable, use a light on the bike and make sure it has reflectors as well.
  • Wear clothes and accessories that have retro reflective materials to improve biker visibility to motorists.

Open Burning

smokey.jpgDuring the spring months in the St. Louis Area, we have many days of high temperatures, strong winds, and low humidity. These factors and intermittent rainfall can lead to dangerous grass and brush fires.

Per Missouri Department of Natural Resources Regulations-

St. Louis Metropolitan Area: Open burning of trees, tree leaves or brush is allowed only in areas outside of incorporated municipalities from Sept. 16 to April 14 of each calendar year.  These brush piles are limited to a base of 16 square feet and the burning is allowed from 10 a.m. through 4 p.m..

We always ask that Eureka Fire Protection District residents contact Engine House 1 at 636-938-5505 before burning so we may know about it first. Eureka Fire Protection District does not issue burn or bonfire permits, but we may advise you not to burn at any particular time due to conditions.

For more information, you can download a hotsheet with safety tips and state and local regulatory rules on open burning.

 

Souvenir T-Shirts

Tee_Shirt_Front.JPG The Eureka Firefighters Association has souvenir t-shirts for sale! They are available in adult sizes from small to XXX-large. The graphics on the back show 3 of our front-line trucks: 2412, 2424, and 2427. Shirts are $20.00 each. Come by Station 1 located at 4849 Highway 109 in Eureka to purchase them.

 

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             New Design for 2013!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also Still Available, EFPD Breast Cancer Awarness Tee Shirts.

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                Pink Tee Shirts to promote awareness through out October and all year long. Tee Shirts are $20.00 each, and proceeds are being donated to the Susan G. Komen Foundation and the St. John's Mercy Show Me Healthy Women Program.