Describe utility hazards
7d.
Tell what utility services exist in your home or meeting place. Describe potential hazards associated with these utilities and tell how to respond in emergency situations.
Most homes run on utilities you rarely think about until one fails or turns dangerous. This requirement asks you to walk your own home or your regular troop meeting place and identify what’s actually there.
Tell What Utility Services Exist
Walk through your home or meeting place and identify which of these are present:
- Electricity, including the main breaker panel.
- Natural gas or propane, including the main shutoff valve.
- Water, including the main shutoff valve.
- Heating and cooling systems (furnace, water heater, air conditioning).
- Landline phone or internet service, if present.
Find and note the location of every shutoff you identify — knowing a gas shutoff exists somewhere in the house isn’t the same as being able to find it in the dark during an emergency.
Describe the Hazards
- Electricity: shock, fire from overloaded circuits or damaged wiring, and electrocution risk from downed lines or water contact.
- Gas: leaks that can lead to fire, explosion, or carbon monoxide poisoning if appliances vent improperly.
- Water: flooding from burst or frozen pipes, and water damage to the home’s structure.
- Heating systems: carbon monoxide buildup from a malfunctioning furnace or water heater, especially in poorly ventilated spaces.
Tell How to Respond
- Gas leak: evacuate first, then shut off the gas at the main valve only if you can do so safely without going back inside, and call for help from a safe distance.
- Electrical fire or shock hazard: cut power at the breaker panel if it’s safe to reach, and never use water on an electrical fire.
- Burst pipe or major leak: shut off the water at the main valve to stop the flooding before it spreads.
- Carbon monoxide alarm: get everyone outside into fresh air immediately and call 911 — carbon monoxide has no smell, so the alarm is often the only warning.