Hazardous Materials | Smoke Detectors | Animal Rescue | Emergency Medical Services | 911 | Fire Response | Emergency Preparedness | Residential Sprinklers

Q: I have some old gas I would like to dispose of -- what can I do with it?

A: One of two things you can do, pour the gas into your cars gas tank or dispose of the gas at service station in your neighborhood. Never pour the gas into the sewer.

Q: Can I just throw latex paint into the garbage or how do I get rid of it?

A: There are a few things you can do, such as repaint a wall in your home to use the paint, or purchase some kitty litter and stir the kitty litter into the paint can. Leave the lid off - the litter will absorb the liquid in the paint and harden the paint. After the paint is hard you can dispose of the paint in the garbage.

Q: What can I do with oil based paints?

A: If you have small amounts of oil base paint you have a few options:

• You can just keep painting
• Give the paint to a friend who may need it
• Wait until there is a household hazardous waste collection day
• Apply the paint to cardboard or a piece of wood and let dry. Then the cardboard or wood can be disposed of with a regular garbage pick up.

Q: How do I dispose of regular household batteries?

A: The Village provides a recycling drop-off service at the Municipal Yards Building, 1390 Willow, for all types of household batteries. Lithium, NiMh and NiCad rechargeable batteries must have masking tape on contact points or be placed in individual zip-lock plastic bags.

Q: How do I dispose of Ni-Cad batteries (Nickel Cadmium Batteries)?

A: Ni-Cad batteries are the rechargeable batteries you use in cordless and cellular phones, camcorders, power tools and laptop computers. All Black and Decker, Motorola, Radio Shack, Sears, Target and Wal-Mart locations accept Ni-Cad rechargeable batteries. You can also dial the Recycle "Hotline" at 800-8-Battery and punch in your zip code or visit their website at www.rbrc.org and type in your zip code to find locations near you.

Q: I am a diabetic, what should I do with my used needles and syringes?

A: Per Village code insulin syringes may be disposed of in the regular garbage as long as they are: dissembled (if possible) and sealed in a rigid leak resistant container that will not tear or burst under normal conditions of use or handling and is clearly marked with “DO NOT RECYCLE” written in capital letters in indelible ink on a water resistant label. The Fire Department also participates in the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County's (SWANCC) Residential Prescription Drug & Sharps Disposal Program. Sharps can be dropped off at the Fire Dept. Monday through Friday, 8:30 - 5:00 PM.

Q: How do I dispose of my unused prescription medications?

A: Home prescription medications may be dropped off at the Fire Department Monday through Friday from 8:30 - Noon and from 1 - 5 PM. Please note that the Fire Department cannot accept narcotics.

Smoke Alarms

Q: What should I (my family) do when our smoke alarms activate?

A: Waiting to decide what to do when your alarm activates is too late. Sound fire prevention activities include developing a family escape plan that includes two ways out and a family meeting place outside the home. Just having a plan is not enough in the event that disaster strikes. You must practice the plan so that it becomes second nature when the smoke alarm sounds!

Q: Can our battery-operated smoke alarms go bad and how do I dispose of our old detector?

A: Smoke alarms that are battery-operated should be changed and replaced with new smoke alarms every ten years.

Q: Does my landlord have to place and maintain a smoke alarm in my rental unit?

A: State law requires your landlord to provide a working smoke alarm in every residential unit, but it is your responsibility to maintain the battery. Replacing the battery once a year will insure a working smoke alarm.

Q: My smoke detector is chirping every few minutes. Can you tell me what’s wrong?

A: A chirping smoke alarm indicates that the battery is weak or failing and needs to be replaced immediately. Smoke alarms are an inexpensive yet important defense against smoke and fire for your family and your house.  Do not wait until the alarm chirps to replace the battery.  If you are on vacation and the smoke alarm begins to chirp, the battery might die before you ever hear the chirp and you will end up with a dead smoke alarm and no protection. A good safety habit is to replace the battery in your smoke alarm every time you turn the clock back.  “Change your clock, change your battery.”  When you change the battery, write the date on it.  This way, you will not confuse new batteries with the old batteries. For the price of a 9V battery and a few minutes of your time, you have bought yourself some peace of mind in the event of smoke or fire in your home.  If you need help with replacing a smoke alarm or battery, call us.

Q: Are carbon monoxide detectors required by law?

A: CO detectors are required by State law to be installed within 15 feet of all sleeping areas.

Animal Rescue

Q: We have a cat in the tree outside our home. Will the Fire Department respond to rescue the animal?

A: It has been our collective experience that any attempt to remove the animal has caused more harm than good. Raising a ladder to reach the pet will cause it to either climb further up where there are smaller branches unable to support the animals weight causing it to fall great distance or attempt to escape downward, loosing it’s balance and falling to the ground. The best action to set out some the pet’s favorite food and or water and they will make their way down safely.

Emergency Medical Services

Q: Why is there always a fire engine on an ambulance call?

A: A fire engine responds on every ambulance call for several reasons.  First of all, the ambulance may not be the closest unit or maybe on another call and the engine is paramedic equipped to begin treatment while an ambulance is in route.  Secondly, in order to perform the quality of service one would expect, a minimum crew of five firemedics are needed on each ambulance call.  There are many tasks to perform.  It can start with gaining access to the patient, carrying several bags and machines necessary to begin treatment, treating the patient, caring for the family members, contacting the hospital for approval of additional treatment by the emergency room physician, making sure the house is secured, moving the patient from their location to the ambulance cot and then to the ambulance.  Patients are rarely able to move on their own and many times located on the upper floors of a home in tight quarters. It is not feasible for two paramedics to locate, treat, move and transport a patient safely (for the paramedics and the patient) and effectively.  For vehicle accidents, the engine crew is also responsible to make sure the vehicles are safe and to extinguish any fires or mitigate any hazards. 

Q: Can your department transport my mother/child to Northwestern or Children’s Memorial Hospitals?

A: No, the Winnetka Fire Department can only transport patients to hospitals within its district i.e. Evanston, Glenbrook, Highland Park, St. Francis, Rush North Shore, and Lutheran General. In an emergency, dial 911 and let the paramedics decide what is best for your transportation.

Q: Is a DNR the same as a medical power of attorney? Are there standard forms necessary for a valid DNR?

A: A DNR (Do Not Resuscitate Order) is not the same thing as a durable power of attorney for medical decisions. A DNR is a standardized State of Illinois form that is signed by the patient, the patient's doctor and two witnesses, which states that the patient “Does not authorize cardiopulmonary resuscitation” if their breathing or heart stops. A DNR is not part of a normal last will as is a durable power of attorney, and a DNR is only issued by a physician to a patient who has a terminal illness and has no chance for recovery.

911

Q: I wasn’t sure if this was a true emergency; did I do the right thing by calling the Fire Department?

A: Yes, never hesitate to dial 911! We are here to serve and protect. Your fire department is composed of highly trained, professionals who can best determine the safest course of action.

Q: After I call 911, why is there a delay before the phone dials?

A: When dialing 9-1-1, a caller may become confused as to whether the system is working properly due to a 5 to 12 second silence that occurs just prior to the "ringing" signal. This silence is due to a component of the system called "call setup time." Unfortunately, too many callers hang up thinking something is wrong with the connection and they need to redial. This should not be done. By hanging up and redialing you will only increase the time before you can speak to the 9-1-1 Center and this same delay will occur again. Call setup time is part of the 9-1-1 system. The 9-1-1 system is independent of the local telephone networks. This was done to prevent 9-1-1 calls from being blocked when the local network becomes overloaded (that message you sometimes get that "all circuits are busy"). The separate nature of the 9-1-1 system uses special equipment to allow the caller to be routed to the 9-1-1 center that handles the emergency service agencies that provide the caller service. This routing process along with the retrieval of the callers address information makes up the call set up time.

Q: After I call 911, should I hang up?

A:  No.  Once the 911 Telecommunicator gathers the necessary information, wait until they tell you they are done before you hang up. They may need additional information or may direct you with first aid assistance via the telephone while the Fire Department responds.

Q: What is EMD and does Winnetka utilize emergency medical dispatchers?

A: EMD stands for “Emergency Medical Dispatch” and Winnetka Dispatchers are EMD Trained. Emergency Medical Dispatch trained dispatchers are trained to give life saving instructions over the phone to assist you as the caller in caring for the patient until firemedics arrive.

Fire Response

Q: What should I do when I see lights/sirens approaching?

A: We all share the responsibility of knowing and practicing proper driving behaviors. One of the most important "rules of the road" deals with yielding the right of way to emergency vehicles. Remain calm and move your vehicle appropriately, as noted below. Don't panic!

You can't go wrong by pulling to the right and coming to a stop. That's the general rule in all cases. When you are in the right lane, pull onto the right shoulder if there is room and stop or at least slow way down if you are on an open high-speed road.

When you are in the left lane and traffic in the right lane is moving onto the shoulder, move right into their lane.

If you cannot go right because of an obstacle, such as a car in the right lane when you're in the left lane, the next best thing is to stop. The driver of an emergency vehicle can then anticipate where to move his vehicle. If you are continuing to travel, someone else might not see the response vehicle or respond inappropriately. If you are moving, you are at risk of collision.

When you are at an intersection with a stop sign or red light and a response vehicle is coming up behind you, stay where you are if you cannot pull to the right.

If you are on a one-way street, pulling to the right is still best, but sometimes, due to traffic, you may pull to the left curb and yield the middle lane(s). This is one appropriate exception to the "pull right" rule.

Emergency Preparedness

Q: I read so much about homeland security. What should/can I do as a citizen to protect my family in the event of an attack?

A: Please use the this link to the Village of Winnetka Preparedness Guide for important information for every American.

Residential Sprinklers

Q:  What about residential fire sprinklers?

A:  Residential fire sprinklers save lives.  Members of the fire service across the country know that home fire sprinkler save lives. They speak of losses – personal, property and, most of all, peace of mind.

Many have seen fire’s devastation firsthand and know that smoke alarms alone can’t always save a person’s life. There is something that can; and that’s the good news. Home fire sprinklers and smoke alarms together – relative to having neither – can reduce the risk of death in a home fire by 82%.

Advantages include assurance of a safer environment for your family, protection of your investment and irreplaceable family possessions, and lower insurance rates.

Q:   When one residential sprinkler goes off, do all the sprinklers go off?

A:  No – Unlike what you see in the movies, sprinkler heads are independent devices and most fires are controlled with only one sprinkler head activating, holding the fire “in check” until the Fire Department arrives.

Q:  What is the likelihood of a residential sprinkler accidentally going off and thereby causing severe water damage?

A:  Records which have been compiled for over 50 years prove that the likelihood of this occurrence is very remote.

Q:  Will water damage from a residential sprinkler system be more extensive than fire damage?

A:   No - The sprinkler system will severely limit the growth of the fire. Water damage is typically easier to clean up than smoke or fire damage.

Q:  Are home sprinklers expensive?

A:  No – Current estimates suggest “on average” a home fire sprinkler system add only 1% to 1.5% of the total building cost in new construction.

Q: Are residential sprinkler systems ugly?

A: No  –The traditional, commercial-type sprinklers, as well as sprinklers for home use, are being designed to fit in with most any décor.

A:  Insurance costs will vary depending on the type of coverage. The discounts for residential sprinklers now range between 5-15%, with a projected increase in available discounts.

Hazardous Materials | Smoke Detectors | Animal Rescue | Emergency Medical Services | 911 | Fire Response | Emergency Preparedness | Residential Sprinklers