Fire Safety & Public Education

Fire safety education at this level is based on escape planning programs. Behaviors taught include, but are not limited to:

• stop, drop, cover and roll
• good fire-bad fire
• crawl low under smoke
• kitchen fire safety
• testing and proper smoke detector maintenance
• Training and services
• Fire escape plans

Need your blood pressure checked by a trained professional? Paramedics are staffed at all five fire stations and would be happy to take your blood pressure free of charge. This service is available at any Glenview fire station; stop in today!

We welcome the opportunity to meet our residents on this informal basis. Firefighters demonstrate their tools of the trade and provide insight to some of the mysteries of our job: why firefighters cut holes in roofs and break windows; how much water is on an engine. There is a high demand for fire department apparatus to visit neighborhood block party events. We attend as many possible with advanced notification. Block parties and other appearances are done as an in-service detail.

Block party applications can be found here.

We open our doors to interested groups that want to view our fire stations. An age-appropriate fire safety message is included in ALL fire station tours. Every visitor leaves with a better understanding of fire department operations. To schedule a group visit, please contact Fire Administration. If you want to visit your local fire station, you can walk in anytime during normal business hours. If we are not out on a call, a firefighter would be happy to provide a tour of the station and its apparatus equipment.

We will install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and replace batteries for individuals who may not be capable of doing so themselves.

This hands-on class is offered to local business employees only. Different types of fire are discussed, as well as how to choose the correct fire extinguisher. Using the P.A.S.S. technique (pull, aim, squeeze, sweep), employees are instructed on proper and safe use of extinguishers.

Home surveys are conducted on an advisory basis only. When asked, we will provide tips and instruct the homeowner on a home fire escape plan. This plan should include multiple ways out of the house, designating a family meeting place and discussion of smoke and carbon monoxide detector placement.

Seven out of every 10 adults in the U.S. have a grill or smoker, which translates to a lot of tasty meals. But it also means there’s an increased risk of home fires. A grill placed too close to anything that can burn is a fire hazard. Read the safety tips below:

• Grilling safety flyer
• Outdoor Barbecue and Grilling Regulations for Multifamily Dwellings in Glenview

What is an emergency? An emergency is when time and resources are in short-supply and more than a routine response is needed to save lives, protect health, safety, property and the environment.

What is a disaster? A disaster is when there is severe danger in an area, not enough resources, and big losses that disrupt the social and/or economic structure to the extent the community cannot function normal.

For information about preparing for emergencies and disasters, visit these web sites:

• American Red Cross
• Cook County Department of Public Health
• Federal Emergency Management Agency
• Illinois Department of Public Health
• Illinois Emergency Management Agency
• National Organization on Disability
• U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Finally, the NorthShore University Health System offers classes on first aid and CPR training.

Every year communities big and small are terrorized by these natural disasters, creating millions of dollars in property damages. Tornadoes, however, can endanger something far more precious than property---our lives. The best way to prevent disaster is to prepare for it. Read and familiarize yourself with the following definitions and tips:

• Tornado Watch vs. Warning – A watch means weather conditions are right for a tornado and one is expected to develop. A warning means a tornado has actually been sighted – listen closely to reports and take protective cover immediately.
• Pick an uncluttered place where family members can gather if a tornado is heading your way. It could be the basement or a center hallway, bathroom or closet on the lowest level.
• If you are in a high-rise building, you may not have time to go to the lowest level. Pick a hallway in the center of the building, where there are no windows.
• Assemble a disaster safety kit containing the following necessities: first aid kit and essential medications, battery-powered radio, flashlight and extra batteries, canned food and a can opener, bottled water, boots, work gloves, rain gear, and blankets.
• Mobile homes are particularly vulnerable to overturning in strong winds. If your trailer park has a community center, go there. If there is no shelter nearby, lie flat in the nearest ditch, ravine or culvert and shield your head with your hands.
• If you are in school, go to an interior hallway on the lowest level. Avoid auditoriums and gymnasiums, or other spaces with wide, free-span roofs.
• If you are in your car when a tornado is sighted, leave your vehicle immediately. Do not try to outrun a tornado Seek shelter in a nearby ditch, ravine or culvert and lie flat.
• Set up a family separation plan in case of separation during a disaster. Establish an out of town family member or friend to be your family contract.

For additional severe weather preparedness tips visit the National Weather Service.

Tornado sirens located throughout the Village are activated by the Glenview Public Safety Dispatch Center (GPSD) to alert those outside that a tornado has been reported near the Village. Portable weather alert radios (NOAA Weather Radio) that turn on automatically when activated by the National Weather Service are available at many retail stores.