Bio on The Lockport Fire Department

The Department was founded in 1829 and was legislated to a full paid department in 1914. The department protects 7.2 square miles of the city with a population of 22,500.
http://www.elockport.com/city_fire_dept.html.
The services the Lockport Fire Department provides are:
·Fire Suppression
·Hazardous Material Operations
·Hazardous Condition Operations
·Rescue Operations
·Emergency Medical Services
·Communications & Information Systems
·Administration
·Public Safety Announcements
·Training & Safety
·Ambulance Revenue Recovery
·Fire Safety Inspections
·Fire Safety Education
·Fire Department Tours

The Department in 2004 had 2961 calls with an average response time of 2.7 minutes.  2100 calls have been answered so far for 2005 with an average response time of 2.4 minutes.

Fire Prevention

The Fire Prevention theme for this year is “Use Candles with Care” http://www.nfpa.org/categoryList.asp?categoryID=200&URL=Learning/Public%20Education/Fire%20Prevention%20Week&cookie%5Ftest=1
 Nationally candles have caused for 2002 18,000 house fires and 130 civilian deaths.
The National Fire Protection Association reported that forty-one percent of U.S.homes candle fires begun in the bedroom, causing 24% of the deaths.

Exit Drills In The Home

In 1995 there were 3640 deaths due to fire, http://firesafety.buffnet.net/edith.htm. Get the children involved by developing an escape plan and practicing it twice a year. Install smoke detectors and have the children check them once a month. Have a designated meeting place outside the home so the whole family can be accounted for with the arrival of the fire department. If your escape route is blocked close the door and get to a window. Break the window and call for help. If you need to crawl through the smoke stay low.  There is breathable air 12 to 24 inches from the ground. Once everybody is out of the house never re-enter the house. The majority of the people who re-enter die within a few feet of entering the house.

Smoke Detectors

There are two types of smoke detectors photoelectric and ionization. http://www.howstuffworks.com/smoke.htm. Smoke detectors should be placed one on every floor, outside sleeping areas, and at the top of stairs. Check them every month and change the batteries twice a year. An example would be at daylight savings time in the fall and spring.
Home Inspections

Everyone needs to conduct home fire safety inspections. http://www.nfpa.org/sparky/PDF/SparkyChecklist.pdf . 
Some points are:
Check fireplaces and woodstoves.
1.Carefully look up the chimney to check the flue lining that it is not cracked or have a build up of cresol. Check to make sure every component of the woodstove and fireplace are operational and not rusted through. Make sure there are no combustible materials stored within 36 inches of the fireplace, woodstove, or furnace.
2.Check the windows of the house. There are many different types of windows in houses. Make sure they operate and are large enough to escape from in case of fire. Make sure they are not painted shut.
3.Check the electrical service panel in the house. The fuses or electrical breakers are usually 15 or 20 amps. If the fuses or breakers are rated higher than 20 amps there might be a problem with that electrical line.

Back Page