By James V. Horrigan
Staff Writer
There are potential hazards in almost every house but the Scarborough Fire Department’s “Hazard House” makes it a lot easier for members of the community to become aware of the hidden dangers in their home.  
It looks a little like a child’s dollhouse, said Lt. Chad Charland, Scarborough Fire Department fire prevention coordinator. But it’s not for play; it’s a learning tool for both children and adults.
Purchased through a 2004 federal Fire Act grant for approximately $8,500, the approximately three-foot-by-three-foot house, which is formally known as “Sparky’s Hazard House,” folds into a case on wheels, making it easily transportable to schools, businesses and civic groups, Charland said.
“It shows the common household hazards,” Charland said. “It actually smokes, shows electrical arcing and things like that on different hazards in the house. From electrical appliances near water, cooking safety, smoking in the home, different aspects of different hazards that you might see everyday and not realize they are hazards,” he said.
For homeowners, Charland stresses the importance of keeping chimneys clean, especially for those who burn wood for fuel.
“With heating oil and fuel prices going up, we’ll probably see more wood stoves being used, so we figure we’ll probably have a busy season with chimney fires and things like that,” Charland said.
Although he doesn’t have anything coming up in the immediate future, Charland brings the Hazard House to the Scarborough Middle School as part of its annual safety day activities, as well as to senior and civic groups. Last year, in conjunction with Fire Prevention Week, Charland brought the Hazard House to the Scarborough Senior Series. Bill Billings, who was then serving as the group’s president, called Charland’s presentation excellent.
“He starts in the kitchen and shows all kinds of hazards there. And he might have a little miniature grease fire that he starts by pressing a button in the back of the house, so he can show you how to put out a grease fire,” Billings said.
But the kitchen is not the only place where household hazards can be found.
“Every room is a potential hazard. This is a great tool because it shows different things in your house that you can actually repair before the hazards get to be a problem,” Charland said.
In his hour-long presentation, participants learn about a wide variety of hazards in the home, from cluttered stairways, to smoking in bed, playing with matches, overloaded circuits and the dangers of getting electronic appliances wet.
“You go through every room and have them try to find the hazards,” Charland said.
He said the pilot light on gas-powered appliances should always burn blue.
“If it burns orange that shows it’s burning improperly and could be the cause of carbon monoxide within the residence,” Charland said.
He warns against storing propane tanks in a garage or basement and that tossing salt on some types of fires will extinguish them, while putting sugar or flour on the same will only make them worse.
Charland said if a person is awakened by a smoke alarm, it is important to check the door for heat before opening it.
“We want you to crawl over to the door and feel it with the back of your hand. The reason why is because the back of the hand is more sensitive. If you touch something hot with the back of the hand it pulls away, but if you touch something hot with your palm, your hand only clenches. It’s just the way your nerves work,” Charland said.
There’s a component in the presentation for dangers outside the household, too, such as riding a skateboard without protective padding, taking part in horseplay around a swimming pool and mowing the lawn while your child runs alongside in bare feet.
Although Charland did not have to undergo any special training to learn how to use the Hazard House as a teaching tool, he did study a booklet and 45-minute video that came with it.
“It’s a really good program,” Billings said. “He does a great job with it.”
But it’s not just seniors that agree with him. Charland knows that he’s become somewhat of a favorite among middle schoolers.
“I’ll go into the grocery store or something and children will introduce me to their parents. They’ll say, ‘This is Lt. Chad. I met him at my school,’” Charland said.
Firefighter Neal Paulsen, a veteran with 45 years service, said he thinks the Hazard House is a good thing.
“In years past we didn’t educate the youngsters enough. Today the kids are getting a lot more education about this type of thing and it’s saving lives,” Paulsen said.
Anyone wishing to learn more about the identification and elimination of common household hazards through a demonstration of Sparky’s Hazard House, should contact Charland at the Dunstan Fire Station at 883-5931
For more information about minimizing household hazards can visit  www.scarborough.me.us/safety/fire/index.html.