First, I would like
to thank the following companies for making a
monetary donation during Fire Prevention Week 2007;
Globe Fire Suits, The Kentek Corporation, Northeast
Earth Mechanics INC, Maxfield Ace Hardware, Target,
Sam’s Club
and
Wal-Mart. Your support, as always, is greatly
appreciated. Without support these programs could
not happen. Thank you again! I would also like to
thank the Pittsfield Elementary School staff and
students, and Blueberry Express for their support
during the week.
As we move forward to
a new year, we look into our crystal ball and try to
plan and educate accordingly for things to come. A
hot topic lately is heating. Almost half of
Pittsfield building fires are heating related! Most
are chimney fires. This is alarming to us because
wood is making a big comeback. Chimneys that have
heavy use, or are using green wood are more
susceptible to fire from buildup of creosote on the
walls of the chimney. In older chimneys, or chimneys
that do not have liners, fire is more likely to
extend from the wall of the chimney into the
partitions of a house. Most of the time, cleaning
your chimney is not on your “things-to-do” list
during the summer, when you are planning a vacation
or a long weekend. Most homeowners have their
chimney cleaned right before the cold season, when
chimney sweeps are at their busiest. A simple way to
remember to have your chimney cleaned is to mark it
on your calendar and call for an appointment the day
after July 4. Make it a priority on your
“thing-to-do” list!
I always talk about
fire prevention; however this year we will be
conducting a few programs to promote EMS safety.
Health safety is also important, such as blood
pressure screening. Screening can, over a few
months, show a trend in your blood pressure. This
will make talking to your doctor about it easier.
We will also be conducting a pilot program for
Community First Aid and CPR. Keep a look out for
information this spring!
Lastly, our “We Can’t
Help You if We Can’t Find You” campaign is still
ongoing. Please take a few minutes to make sure your
home is numbered, and the number is visible from the
road. If your house sits off the road, a mail box or
stake in the ground might suffice. The larger the
numbers, the easier it is for us to find you.
However, they must be contrasting with the
background color; all the same color at night is
just that, the same and it all blends together.
Pittsfield has a very comprehensive, cut and dry
ordinance on the proper way to number
your house.
Again, I would like
to thank everyone who helped during the year on the
various public education events the Pittsfield Fire
Department has hosted, and attended. Without the
support from the community and local businesses
these events wouldn’t have happened.
The Pittsfield Fire
and Rescue Service and I are grateful for all of the
support and help you have provided. Community
support for these events is critical. Without the
citizen and business support you provided we could
not have provided the fire safety programs to the
community.
Yours in Fire Safety
Lt Nicholas Abell
Pittsfield Fire Department
Fire Prevention Bureau
