Fire Prevention Week 2012

Yesterday - Monday, October 8, 2012 - marked the beginning of National Fire Prevention Week 2012 in the United States. But, have you ever wondered, how it got started? I did some research and found the answer.

It was established to commemorate the Great Chicago Fire that broke out on the evening of October 8, 1871 and continue to burn throughout the next day. By the time it was finally extinguished, it had resulted in the deaths of more than 250 people, left 100,000 Chicago residents homeless, destroyed in excess of 17,400 structures, and blackened more than 2,000 acres.

The "moo theory"

Turns out Mrs. O'Leary's cow wasn't to blame.

Popular legend has it that the conflagration was caused by a cow belonging to Mrs. Catherine O'Leary that kicked over a lantern setting the barn on fire. Like any good story, there is some truth to it and that truth is that the blaze most definitely did originate in the area of Mrs. O'Leary's barn. From that point, there are differing theories. One of these suggests that the blaze was caused by several neighborhood boys who were near the barn smoking cigarettes while another theory suggest the fire was caused by one of Mrs. O'Leary's neighbors. Perhaps the most far-fetched, at least to this writer, is the theory that the fire was the result of a fiery meteorite that fell to earth that night and started fires simultaneously in Chicago, Michigan, and  Wisconsin. But, like the "moo theory" significant evidence has never been presented to prove or disprove it.

The biggest fire that week

Although it's hard to believe, the Great Chicago fire was NOT the biggest conflagration to occur that week. That infamous honor belongs to the Peshtigo Fire -- officially the most devastating forest fire in American history (See: Peshtigo firestorm). The fire, which also occurred on October 8, 1871, raced through northeast Wisconsin completely destroying sixteen (16) towns, killing an estimated 1,152 people, and blackening 1.2 million acres.

Like the Great Chicago Fire, there are many theories has to how the fire started. The most plausible of these says that railroad workers clearing land to lay track unintentionally started the blaze that was quickly carried by gusty winds. Described by survivors of that horrendous day, the flames were whipping through the area "like a tornado".

Until next time, stay safe!

Firehouses & Fire halls (a Flickr photo group)

As I've sat this morning listening to the 182nd General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I've been working on my Flickr photo sharing account. One of the things I accomplished was to set up a new group entitled "Fire stations and fire halls" and I invite you to check it out. Here is the link to it :Firehouses & fire halls (a Flickr group

Hope to see you soon!

Did they push him too far?

Tonight a Roswell man is dead - apparently of his own hand - and his home is in shambles following an explosion. The victim, age 53, faced eviction from his home. Investigators surmise than rather than face the loss of his home and the daunting task of starting over, he doused the structure with gasoline and then ignited it. Looking back at the circumstances that led up to today's tragic events, I can only wonder if city officials, in their efforts to enforce the law, pushed the man nicknamed "Chicken Man" too far and the only way he knew to push back was to destroy the house and end his life? Consider these facts:

1. The man, who raised chicken on his property, had recently been jailed due to violating what officials called "various property codes". Apparently that following a neighbor's complaint about the chickens.

2. While he was incarcerated, he fell behind on his mortgage payment and had been struggling to bring payments current since his release. In an interview last month with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution he was quoted as saying "I'm still trying to get this resolved, but it doesn't look like it's going to be happy".

Although I'm not an expert in the field, I can imagine that the "Chicken Man" was under considerable stress knowing he was about to lose his home and, this morning, when Fulton County Marshal's arrived at the house shortly before 11 a.m., he couldn't take anymore and decided to end it once and for all. Moments before igniting the house, he talked with a reporter for WSB television and thanked him for all that he had done. He ended the conversation with "I can't tell you what's going to happen . . . it ain't pretty though".

Until next time . . .

Old fire apparatus had class!

By today's standards, this 1973 Mack/Baker Aerialscope looks kind of plain and utilitarian, but I've always like them for just that reason . . .they are work horses! This particular rig - "Yellow 11" - is part of the Atlanta Fire & Rescue Department's fleet and still protects Hartsfield-Jackson Airport. Please don't misunderstand me, I'm a fan of our modern day apparatus, but there was (and still is) something about those "old" apparatus slogging away on the fireground. I don't know how many times I've seen East Point's 1970ish Ford/Pirsch engines (pictured at left) still sitting on a fire scene going strong after an all-night battle with the "Red Devil" (fire). The hood would probably be up to give the big motor some extra fresh, cool air and the lights had probably been shutoff but it was still there doing what it does best! Then, when the job was done, it would rumble back to life and return its crew to their quarters.

Of course the title of workhorse wasn't limited to just the engines and trucks . . .starting back as early as the mid sixities many departments had begun to operate "first aid squads" -- a precursor to today's modern Emergency Medical Service (EMS). Like it's counterpart across the bay in the firehouse, these units weren't afraid of a little hard work. I think one of my favorites was this one from Baltimore, Maryland which, incidentally was in service with that department when I was born in 1963. And, make no mistake, when they started to get some age that didn't mean their fire service career was over. They would be rehabbed - either by the original manufacturer or by the department shops - and begin a second life as an air unit (to refill self-contained breating apparatus (SCBA) on the fire ground) or some other job for a workhorse with a proven track record of service!

To see some of these units in action: Fire & EMS operations (Flicker group)

Until next time . . .

Watch out for emergency vehicles

Engine 30 sustained damage on the drivers side when it collided with a passing vehicle on the Downtown Connector.

(John Spink, jspink@ajc.com)

The incident happened just before 5:30 a.m. on I-75/85 southbound past Langford Parkway. Fire crews responded to a reported car fire, but discovered on arrival that there was a disabled vehicle, but no fire, Atlanta fire Battalion Chief Paul Cuprowski told the AJC.

Cuprowski said the engine remained on the scene to block traffic for the stranded motorist. The driver was sitting in the fire engine when another motorist struck the left front of the engine, Cuprowski said. He said the firefighter sustained a side injury and possibly a head injury, and was transported to Grady Memorial Hospital for treatment. His injuries were not believed to be serious. The motorist that hit the fire engine was not injured. Cuprowski said that incidents where emergency vehicles are struck by other motorists are “unfortunately not uncommon.”

Other drivers sometimes “get tunnel vision and get drawn into the lights,” he said. The chief had advice for motorists when they approach emergency vehicles stopped along the highway. “A lot of this evolves from rubber-necking,” he said. “The best thing you can do is move over as far as you can and keep your eyes on the road, and not on the incident.”

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This incident stresses the need for the driving public to use extreme caution when driving in the vicinity of a medical emergency, fire, or other incident that has occurred either in the roadway or in the emergency lane. Here are some tips that, hopefully, will keep you and the responders out of harm's way:

Be wary of developing tunnel vision. This is especially true at night when driver's are "hypnotized" and get drawn into the lights of an emergency vehicle.If you see lights flashing, go ahead and move over one (1) lane (normally to the left) before you get too close to the scene.

Be alert for emergency personnel and/or other drivers. Although emergency personnel make every effort to "box in" a highway emergencies - meaning they surround it with their vehicles - however emergency personnel might still be in the lane(s) where traffic is still moving.

Stay off your cellphone when driving near a roadside emergency. Cellphone usage is dangerous when driving but becomes potentially deadly when there is a roadside emergency. The combination of personnel - or civilians - in the roadway along with emergency vehicles demands your full attention and you can't devote that if you're talking on the cellphone.

Don't rubber-neck! Battalion Chief Cuprowski summed it up best: "The best thing you can do is move over as far as you can and keep your eyes on the road, and not the incident".

Until next time . . .

Don't they ever go away?

SOUTH FULTON, Tenn. -- Firefighters in this northwest Tennessee city let a mobile home burn to the ground because the owner didn't pay an annual $75 fire protection fee, authorities say.

Jeff Vowell, city manager of South Fulton, said that the city fire department let Gene Cranick's trailer home near the Kentucky border burn last week because he didn't pay the subscription common in many rural areas.

Cranick's doublewide home is outside city limits. But South Fulton offers fire protection to nearby residents for a fee and once the fire threatened to spread, the department did protect a neighboring house that had paid.

Cranick's son, Timothy, was so angry he later went to the fire house and punched the chief, police said. The younger Cranick was charged with aggravated assault and is free on bond, according to authorities.

South Fulton Mayor David Crocker said that if the city allowed people to pay after the fact there would be no incentive to subscribe. As an analogy, he said an insurer won't pay for an auto accident if insurance lapses.

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My wife pointed this story out to me last night on Yahoo. I can remember back in the early 80's - when I first became part of the fire service - reading numerous articles about situations like this . . . but, like an annoying in-law, I guess they never really go away. Although I have to admit something new has been added in this situation with the Mayor publicly commenting on the situation. Usually the elected officials try to steer clear of the furor that the actions of a subscription fire department cause. It will be interesting to follow this story and see what develops.

Until next time . . .

Christmas time fire safety

Inviting scene isn't it? Sadly, however, these beautiful scenes are often marred by a destructive fire caused by the very decorations which are designed to make the season bright and cheerful. The good news is that these fires are easily preventable by following some simple safety tips that I will present here.

Trees

When purchasing a live tree, check for freshness. Be weary of a tree that is already loosing needles -- this is an indication that it is already starting to dry out.

Before bringing the tree into the house, make a fresh cut at the base of the tree. This allows for better water absorption. Check the water level daily and add water as needed.

When placing the tree, avoid putting it near heating vents, wood burning stoves, or other sources of heat.

Use only lights that carry the Underwriter's Laboratory (UL) label. Prior to placing them on the tree, check for frayed wires, loose plugs, or broken bulbs.

Make sure others decorations - especially garland or tinsel - are flame resistant.

Do not overload outlets or run cords under rugs or across high-traffic areas.

Make sure to turn off lights when leaving the house or going to bed for the night.

Holiday decorating

Use only decorative lights that have been tested for safety by a recognized testing laboratory. Choose decorative lights which have fused plugs.

Before using light sets - even new ones - examine them for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections. Discard damaged sets.

Use no more than three (3) standard-size sets of lights per single extension cord.

Fasten outdoor lights securely to trees, house walls, or other firm supports to protect them from wind damage. Use only insulated staples to hold light strings in place -- never use nails or tacks.

Until next time . . .