Holiday Safety Fort Belvoir Installation Safety Office Fire Safety.
Saco Fire Department-Saco, Maine · Test your Fire and Safety Knowledge about...
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1 November 2014 Volume 2 Issue 2 Central Fire Station 271 North Street Phone: 207-282-3244 Fax: 207-282-8203 Web: www.sacomaine.org Fire Chief Chief John L. Duross [email protected] Deputy Fire Chiefs Deputy Chief Robert A. Martin [email protected] Deputy Chief David O Pendleton [email protected] Call Division Chief Raynald Legendre [email protected] Public Education Coordinator Karl Finley [email protected] EMS Coordinator Brad Chicoine [email protected] Fire Training Coordinator Lieutenant David Hamel [email protected] FROM THE CHIEF……. First and foremost, I would like to take this opportunity to publically thank the members of D-Shift who, at approximately 4 AM on September 18, 2014, while working at a build- ing fire, rescued a family of three from their second floor apartment using a ground lad- der. The fire conditions were intense, blocking normal means of exiting the apartment for this family to use; the second floor window was their only option. Under the direction of Captain Bill Madore, Firefighters Scott Walker, Steve Kerner, and Pat Sarto raised the ground ladder and assisted all three family members to safety. Once on the ground, the family members were treated for smoke inhalation and cuts & bruises by Firefighter Paramedic Kait McKechnie. Thank you all for a job well done. During the month of October, the Saco Fire Department conducted month-long fire prevention activities to coincide with the National Fire Protection Association’s Fire Prevention Week. Again this year, students at the Young School and at the Fairfield School were given an opportunity to participate in our Fire Safety House where lessons about the value of smoke detection in the home, crawling low under smoke, and con- ducting Exit Drills in the home were taught by the members of the Saco Fire Depart- ment. A number of other Fire Prevention and Public Education activities were also con- ducted by our members including several tours of Central Fire Station by pre-school children as well as site visits by Fire Department members at Day Care Centers and some of our elderly assisted living facilities. A strong emphasis was placed on fire pre- vention in the home and this year’s theme of Preventing Kitchen Fires. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the members of the Saco Fire Department for their hard work and efforts in getting the Fire Safety message out to our community. Cooking fires top the list of Consumer Reports safety concerns during the holi- days. A report on ConsumerReports.org highlights their seven scariest kitchen acci- dents and reminds people that taking extra precautions while cooking during the holi- days can mean a world of difference in terms of your safety and the safety of your fami- ly. Leading the Consumer Reports list of accidents is cooking fires, followed by injuries from knives, cookware, food processors, microwaves and blenders. It's also important to note that during this time of year, injuries occur when people attempt to use turkey fryers, a practice the National Fire Protection Association greatly discourages, please be careful. In closing, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a safe and healthy holiday season. John L. Duross, Fire Chief Saco Fire Department-Saco, Maine Hear Ye ! Hear Ye ! Hear Ye ! Come One! Come All! Families, Friends and Everyone are invited! To the Annual Lighting of our Holiday Lights and our own special visit by Santa at the Central Fire Station, 271 North Street in Saco. The Lighting Ceremony begins at 7:00 PM this Thanksgiving Day night and Santa will be arriving to meet with kids of every age.
Transcript of Saco Fire Department-Saco, Maine · Test your Fire and Safety Knowledge about...
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November 2014
Volume 2 Issue 2
Central Fire Station
271 North Street
Phone: 207-282-3244
Fax: 207-282-8203
Web: www.sacomaine.org
Fire Chief
Chief John L. Duross
Deputy Fire Chiefs
Deputy Chief Robert A. Martin
Deputy Chief David O Pendleton
Call Division Chief
Raynald Legendre
Public Education Coordinator
Karl Finley
EMS Coordinator
Brad Chicoine
Fire Training Coordinator
Lieutenant David Hamel
FROM THE CHIEF…….
First and foremost, I would like to take this opportunity to publically thank the members of D-Shift who, at approximately 4 AM on September 18, 2014, while working at a build-ing fire, rescued a family of three from their second floor apartment using a ground lad-der. The fire conditions were intense, blocking normal means of exiting the apartment for this family to use; the second floor window was their only option. Under the direction of Captain Bill Madore, Firefighters Scott Walker, Steve Kerner, and Pat Sarto raised the ground ladder and assisted all three family members to safety. Once on the ground, the family members were treated for smoke inhalation and cuts & bruises by Firefighter Paramedic Kait McKechnie. Thank you all for a job well done.
During the month of October, the Saco Fire Department conducted month-long fire prevention activities to coincide with the National Fire Protection Association’s Fire Prevention Week. Again this year, students at the Young School and at the Fairfield School were given an opportunity to participate in our Fire Safety House where lessons about the value of smoke detection in the home, crawling low under smoke, and con-ducting Exit Drills in the home were taught by the members of the Saco Fire Depart-ment. A number of other Fire Prevention and Public Education activities were also con-ducted by our members including several tours of Central Fire Station by pre-school children as well as site visits by Fire Department members at Day Care Centers and some of our elderly assisted living facilities. A strong emphasis was placed on fire pre-vention in the home and this year’s theme of Preventing Kitchen Fires. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the members of the Saco Fire Department for their hard work and efforts in getting the Fire Safety message out to our community.
Cooking fires top the list of Consumer Reports safety concerns during the holi-days. A report on ConsumerReports.org highlights their seven scariest kitchen acci-dents and reminds people that taking extra precautions while cooking during the holi-days can mean a world of difference in terms of your safety and the safety of your fami-ly. Leading the Consumer Reports list of accidents is cooking fires, followed by injuries from knives, cookware, food processors, microwaves and blenders. It's also important to note that during this time of year, injuries occur when people attempt to use turkey fryers, a practice the National Fire Protection Association greatly discourages, please be careful. In closing, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a safe and healthy holiday
season.
John L. Duross, Fire Chief
Saco Fire Department-Saco, Maine
Hear Ye ! Hear Ye ! Hear Ye !
Come One! Come All! Families, Friends and Everyone are invited!
To the Annual Lighting of our Holiday Lights and our own special
visit by Santa at the Central Fire Station, 271 North Street in Saco.
The Lighting Ceremony begins at 7:00 PM this Thanksgiving Day
night and Santa will be arriving to meet with kids of every age.
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Test your Fire and Safety Knowledge about ———————Holiday and Christmas Tree Fires
As we approach the holiday season, many individuals, businesses and families purchase Holiday and Christmas trees and place them into their homes or business premises. Most trees are decorated with lights and various ornaments which add a happy note to the holiday season. But there are some dangers….
1) What one factor causes most of all home Christmas tree structure fires? Answer: If you answered electrical, you would be
correct. The NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) states that one third of all Christmas tree fires stem from an electrical problem.
2) Two of every five Christmas tree home fires begin in what room or rooms? Answer: If you said the living room, you are
only partially correct. The NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) states that 39% of such fires are in the living room, family room or den.
3) What is the average yearly number of home fires that start with a Christmas tree? Answer: If you said 230, you are correct.
According to the NFPA (National Fire Protection Association), from 2007 to 2011, fire departments on a yearly average responded to some 230 home fires caused by Xmas trees.
4) Does the use of candles cause any Christmas tree fires? Answer: If you said No, you are not correct. According to the NFPA (National Fire Protection Association), candles caused some 7% of all yearly Christmas tree home structure fires.
Turning Back Your Clock
= Changing the Batteries
in your smoke & Fire De-
tectors Working Alarms
S a v e s L i v e s ! ! !
Saco Fire Department-Saco, Maine
Apparatus Spotlight
Engine 1-1993 Freightliner Fire Engine
Seats 5 Occupants, holds a 2500 Gallon
Tank that supplies a 1250 GPM Pump
and carries 2000 feet of Large Diameter
Hose
Say...can you rearrange these letters to spell something associated with our department and public safety?
The answer is on page 4
N E Y MR CE G
In September and October, Depart-
ment personnel answered the many
needs of our citizens, businesses
and surrounding communities. The
total of responses was 265 for this
September as compared to 301 last
year. Of the 265 calls, 209, or 79%,
were medical emergencies as com-
pared to 80% last year. In October
of 2013, the department responded
to 261 emergency calls. In 2014,
October responses were 281. Of
these, 228 or 81%, were Medical
Emergencies; last year’s calls were
213, 82% of the total.
The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation was created by an Act of Congress
to provide support services to America’s fire service survivors. The Saco Fire De-
partment was recently recognized by the Board of Directors of the Foundation for
the department’s 2013 support of the Foundation and its assistive programs.
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As a part of our ongoing practices, the Department considers general
and specialized training to be of paramount importance for the
preparedness and professionalism of all staff. Training encompasses
both fire fighting and public safety techniques, preparedness of the
individual, coordination of the various teams and proper planning for
anticipated, as well as extraordinary tasks and challenges. All members of
the Career and Call Departments (including all Firefighters, Officers,
Deputy Chiefs and the Fire Chief) participate in our training sessions
and are required to participate in a minimum of scheduled training
subjects.
A recent training exercise was
conducted as a joint exercise with
the Saco Fire department and the
Biddeford Fire Departments. The
purpose of this training is to
reinforce our joint fireground policy.
The fireground is considered to be
that area in and upon and about
which fire fighting operations are
being conducted.
This training session is held annually
between the two Departments and is
centered upon joint coordinated fire
attack training. The training focused
on fire attack, ventilation, search and
rescue, and incident command
procedures. The training session was
held on Sullivan Street in Biddeford.
All full-time firefighters and
firefighting administrative personnel
from each department participated.
Saco Fire Department-Saco, Maine
Cold Weather Heating with wood and pellet stoves
During the winter months, faulty heating equipment is the one of the
leading causes of home fires and carbon monoxide deaths. Many home-
owners fire up their wood and pellet stoves to heat their homes and while
generally quite safe, we provide a few common sense reminders to insure
your safety...
Have a qualified contractor install your wood stove or pellet stove
and its chimney connections and any chimney
Your stove should have the label of a qualified independent testing
laboratory
You should only burn dry seasoned wood or dry wood pellets
Have your stove and chimney inspected each heating season by a
qualified contractor or chimney sweep
Clean the inside of your stove by following the manufacturers in-
structions
Stoves need space so make certain to keep any combustible materials
at least three feet from a hot stove
Keep children at least three feet away from any hot stove
Allow stoves ashes to cool before disposal and place cooled ashes in
a metal container for safety
Install and maintain a carbon monoxide detector on every level of
your home and outside of all sleeping areas
From all of us in your Saco Fire Department, we wish you
and your family
A Happy Thanksgiving
A Very Merry Christmas and Holiday Season
And
A Happy, Peaceful and Healthy New Year in
2015
Do you heat your home with oil, gas or wood ?? Or use a
portable generator??
If yes, we strongly recom-mend that you install carbon monoxide detectors in your home. Follow the manufac-turer’s instructions or contact a qualified installer.
Wood and Pellet Stove Safety
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News from our Crews
The Saco Fire Department along with members of the Saco Police Department and the po-
lice department Explorer Post participated in a benefit car wash to help support Caring Un-
limited which is an advocacy support organization for women who
have been the victims of domestic violence. The event helped to raise
$850 which was donated to Caring Unlimited.
Katie (Kathleen) Lord, one of our Firefighters and a member of the department since 2013, recently
announced her departing the Fire Department to fulfill her enlistment and career aspirations n the US
Coast Guard. Katie is taking her basic training at the USCG Training Center in Cape May, NJ where
she was appointed a Squad Leader and is focusing on Health Services and Avionics. A good-bye-for-
now reception was held at the department to honor her volunteering to serve in our Armed Forces.
Our Best Wishes, Katie!
Sam’s Club Hometown Hero Program Breakfast…….Recently the Sam’s Club Hometown Heroes Program came to Saco in
the form of preparing a breakfast for our public safety personnel. The breakfast banquet was held at the Central Fire Sta-
tion and was attended by members of the Fire Department and Police Department. The generous assortment of breakfast
foods were donated by Sam’s Club and were prepared by Sam’s Club employees (who also served the breakfast). We extend
our heartfelt thanks to Sam’s Club and to its employees for their meaningful recognition of our public safety staff.
The Saco Fire Department publish-
es its online newsletter bimonthly.
To receive an email notifying you
when it is published, please visit
our newsletter page and complete
the email sign up information. Just
click below to sign up:
For the latest on what’s happening
at Saco City Hall, see the newest
edition of the City Hall newsletter
at:
Saco Fire Department-Saco, Maine
THE PEPPERELL POST
Fire Department Newsletters
Our Annual Report with detailed
information on Department activ-
ities, responses, equipment, facili-
ties, personnel and operations is
now available on our website. To
view or download, click:
ANNUAL REPORTS
Page 2 word solution: EMERGENCY
Promotions and Appointments
Fire Chief John Duross announced the appointment of the following new Call
Division Firefighters:
Aaron Flynn of Saco, Firefighter, assigned to North Saco Engine 8 Compa-
ny
Melanie Jutras of Saco, Firefighter, assigned to Engine 7 Company
Heather Mitchell of Saco, Firefighter, assigned to Ladder 1 Company
Marc Duquette of Saco, Jr. Firefighter, assigned to Ladder 1 Company
Jared King of Saco, Jr. Firefighter, assigned to Camp Ellis Engine 4 Com-
pany
Samantha Sousa of Saco, Jr. Firefighter, assigned to Engine 7 Company
Jack Tobin of Saco, Jr. Firefighter, assigned to Engine 3 Company
Michael S. Crowley of Saco passed away in
September. Michael was a member of our Call
Division and an EMT. Michael is sadly missed
and fondly remembered.
In Memoriam
Pictured is Katie Lord
