Focus on Fire Safety: Candle Fire Safety

With the holidays fast approaching and the increased usage of seasonal decorations, it is important to focus on candle fire safety and prevention.  Because the majority of candle fires result from human error and negligence, candle fires and their associated casualties are preventable.

•If possible, avoid using lighted candles.

•If you must use candles, ensure that they are placed in sturdy holders.
•Keep candles away from children and pets.
•Be sure to extinguish candles after each use.
•Never leave burning candles unattended.

By following a few candle fire safety tips, everyone can enjoy a safe and happy holiday season.

Causes and Circumstances of Home Candle Fires

•On average, 42 home candle fires are reported every day.

•More than half of all candle fires start when something that could burn, such as furniture, mattresses or bedding, curtains, or decorations is too close to the candle.
•In one-fifth (20%) of candle fires, the candles are unattended or abandoned.
•Over one-third (36%) of home candle fires begin in the bedroom.
•Falling asleep is a factor in 12% of home candle fires and 36% of the associated deaths.
•December is the peak time of year for home candle fires.  In December, 13% of home candle fires begin with decorations compared to 4% the rest of the year.
•One-half of home candle fire deaths occur between Midnight and 6 am.
•Young children and older adults have the highest death risk from candle fires.
•The risk of fatal candle fires appears higher when candles are used for light.

Candle Safety Tips

Put candles in sturdy metal, glass, or ceramic holders.

•Avoid using lighted candles.

•If you do use candles, ensure they are in sturdy metal, glass or ceramic holders and placed where they cannot be easily knocked down.
•Keep candles out of the reach of children and pets.
•Set a good example by using matches, lighters, and fire carefully.
•Children should never be allowed to play with matches, lighters, or candles.
•Never put candles on a Christmas tree.
•Extinguish candles after use and before going to bed.
•And NEVER leave burning candles unattended!

Remember!  Candle fires are PREVENTABLE!

In the event of a fire, remember time is the biggest enemy and every second counts!

Escape first, and then call for help. Develop a home fire escape plan and practice it frequently with your family.  Designate a meeting place outside. Make sure everyone in the family knows two ways to escape from every room.

Never stand up in a fire, always crawl low under the smoke, and try to keep your mouth covered. Never return to a burning building for any reason: it may cost you your life.

Finally, having a working smoke alarm dramatically increases your chances of surviving a fire.

Give the fire department a break and put a freeze on winter fires!

San Juan CBP protects a holiday symbol: the Christmas tree

CBP intercepts the dangerous pine weevil in Puerto Rico

San Juan, Puerto Rico – Insects can find the most inconspicuous places to hide and could have significant effects on the local economy. Even on a traditional holiday symbol: the Christmas tree.

Always vigilant of the potential danger, recently CBP Agriculture Specialists along with U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service/Plant Protection and Quarantine officers and Puerto Rico Health Department officials intercepted two types of insects on a shipment of pine trees from Canada.

The insects found were; a flea beetle, (Longitarsus sp. (Chrysomelidae)), and a white pine weevil (Pissodes Sp. (Curculionidae)).

Flea beetles may take small bites, but they can add up to big problems. Their feeding on the leaves of solanaceous crops like eggplant, peppers, and tomato can delay the establishment of seedlings or even kill them. Flea beetles attack leaves and in their larval stage, they feed on roots.

Weevil attacks cause four types of damage on pine trees in particular, growth reduction, stem deformation, increased susceptibility to wood decay organisms, and tree mortality. They are also known to attack other types of trees.

All infested and contaminated shipments with actionable pests or violations are safeguarded and transferred for appropriate re-export and/or destruction under CBP agriculture specialist custody or treatment by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service/Plant Protection and Quarantine (USDA-APHIS-PPQ).

Invasive species include non-native, alien, or exotic plant pests (such as insects, mollusks, weeds, or pathogens); animal and zoonotic disease pathogens, or other organisms that can cause economic or environmental harm to U.S. agriculture, range, and forest systems if they enter the United States.

While most plant pest introductions occur unintentionally as an end result of increased global travel and trade, acts of biological terrorism which threaten the United States' agricultural and natural resources are a rising concern. Plant pests, weeds, and diseases are all potential agents of bioterrorism.

CBP recommends exporters, importers and producers to be cognizant of the U.S. Phytosanitary measures and packing procedures before shipping/importing their products.

Nonetheless, CBP agriculture specialists safeguard American agriculture by demonstrating careful diligence as they examine imported shipments detecting and preventing entry into the country of plant pests and exotic foreign animal diseases that could harm agricultural resources. They do this with inspection and prevention efforts designed to keep prohibited agricultural items from entering the United States. These items, whether in commercial cargo or as “hitchhikers” with an international airline/vessel passenger or a pedestrian crossing the border, could cause serious damage to America’s crops, livestock, and the environment.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.

Holiday Shopping Tips

FBI Reminds Shoppers to Beware of Cyber Criminals

In time for the holiday season, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center reminds shoppers to beware of cyber criminals and their aggressive and creative ways to steal money and personal information.

Scammers use many techniques to fool potential victims, including fraudulent auction sales, reshipping merchandise purchased with a stolen credit card, sale of fraudulent or stolen gift cards through auction sites at discounted prices, and phishing e-mails advertising brand name merchandise for bargain prices or e-mails promoting the sale of merchandise that ends up being a counterfeit product.

Here are some tips you can use to avoid becoming a victim of cyber fraud:

■Do not respond to unsolicited (spam) e-mail.

■Do not click on links contained within an unsolicited e-mail.
■Be cautious of e-mail claiming to contain pictures in attached files, as the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders. Always run a virus scan on attachment before opening.
■Avoid filling out forms contained in e-mail messages that ask for personal information.
■Always compare the link in the e-mail to the web address link you are directed to and determine if they match.
■Log on directly to the official website for the business identified in the e-mail, instead of “linking” to it from an unsolicited e-mail. If the e-mail appears to be from your bank, credit card issuer, or other company you deal with frequently, your statements or official correspondence from the business will provide the proper contact information.
■Contact the actual business that supposedly sent the e-mail to verify that the e-mail is genuine.
■If you are requested to act quickly or there is an emergency, it may be a scam. Fraudsters create a sense of urgency to get you to act impulsively.

Put a freeze on winter fires: Holiday decorations

Focus on Fire Safety: Holiday Fire Safety

Decorating homes and businesses is a long-standing tradition around the holiday season. Unfortunately, these same decorations may increase your chances of fire. Based on data from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), an estimated 250 home fires involving Christmas trees and another 170 home fires involving holiday lights and other decorative lighting occur each year. Together, these fires resulted in 21 deaths and 43 injuries.

Maintain Your Holiday Lights

Inspect holiday lights each year for frayed wires, bare spots, gaps in the insulation, broken or cracked sockets, and excessive kinking or wear before putting them up. Use only lighting listed by an approved testing laboratory.

Do Not Overload Electrical Outlets

Do not link more than three light strands, unless the directions indicate it is safe. Connect strings of lights to an extension cord before plugging the cord into the outlet. Make sure to periodically check the wires – they should not be warm to the touch.

Do not leave holiday lights on unattended!

Use Only Nonflammable Decorations

All decorations should be nonflammable or flame-retardant and placed away from heat vents. If you are using a metallic or artificial tree, make sure it is flame retardant.

Don't Block Exits

Ensure that trees and other holiday decorations do not block an exit way. In the event of a fire, time is of the essence. A blocked entry/exit way puts you and your family at risk.

Never Put Wrapping Paper in the Fireplace

Wrapping paper in the fireplace can result in a very large fire, throwing off dangerous sparks and embers that may result in a chimney fire.

Give the local fire department a break and put a freeze on winter fires.

FBI Boston Division Reminds Holiday Shoppers to Beware of Fraudulant Cyber Activity

Tips You Can Use to Avoid Being a Victim

BOSTON, MA—With the holiday season approaching, Special Agent in Charge Richard DesLauriers, of the FBI’s Boston Division, wants to remind New England shoppers to beware of cyber criminals and their aggressive and creative ways to steal money and personally identifiable information from you this season.

Black Friday has traditionally been the “biggest shopping day of the year.” The e-commerce industry designated the Monday following Thanksgiving, Cyber Monday, the day for merchants and manufacturers to offer online sales and promotions without interfering with Friday’s traditional retail shopping.

On Cyber Monday and throughout the holiday season, consumers are encouraged to beware of bargain e-mails advertising one day only promotions for recognized brands or websites. Fraudsters often use the hot items of the season to lure bargain hunters into providing credit card information. The old adage “if it seems too good to be true” is an easy indicator to determine if the e-mails are legitimate.

“Especially during the holiday season, consumers should remain vigilant and proceed with caution when conducting an online transaction. Fraudsters prey on consumers to provide their personally identifiable information through bogus web sites,” said Supervisory Special Agent Kevin Swindon.

Here are some tips you can use to avoid becoming a victim of cyber fraud:

■Log on directly to the official website for the business identified in the e-mail, instead of “linking” to it from an unsolicited e-mail. If the e-mail appears to be from your bank, credit card issuer, or other company you deal with frequently, your statements or official correspondence from the business will provide the proper contact information.

■Use anti-virus and anti-spyware software and keep up with the security updates to prevent viruses and malicious programs from infecting your computer.
■Make purchases using websites with secure connections. Look for websites that use Secure Socket Layer (SSL) security which protects your personal information. Check the browser’s status bar for an unbroken “padlock” icon that indicates the sites’ using SSL.
■Use your credit card instead of debit card when making a purchase. Credit cards offer added protection from fraudulent transactions.
■Never use your Social Security Number to make online purchases.
■Use strong passwords. A strong password should include at least five letters and one number.

For more information on how to safely shop online this holiday season, please go to the Internet Crime Complaint Center website at IC3.gov/media/2011/111121.aspx.  For more information on e-scams, please visit FBI.gov E-scams and Warnings webpage at FBI.gov/cyberinvest/escams.htm.