Fire Department News
By
Some people
ask us how the emergency vehicles stay so shiny. The answer is easy. We regularly wash and wax them. Washing them is sort of like washing an
elephant. They are big! So big, and stocked with so much equipment
that a member of the department is permanently assigned to take care of each
vehicle. This person is known as the
vehicle’s engineer. The engineer also performs
regular checks of all operational aspects of the apparatus including the
standard “under-the-hood” stuff right down to making sure the air bottles (the
air we breathe in a smoke filled or otherwise hazardous environment) are
full. A full vehicle check takes 2-3
hours. Currently, the engineers are
Currently furthering
their emergency medical education are
In the August/September issue of Community News we described where your 911 call is answered (the Tolland County Mutual Aid Fire Service dispatch center located in Tolland) and how they contact us to respond to your emergency. You will find that the telecommunicator at the dispatch center will ask you several questions. These questions are actually part of a State mandated system called Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD). These important questions help to determine the medical situation, if immediate intervention is needed (don’t touch the downed wire), what resources need to be dispatched, should resources respond with lights and siren or with the normal flow of traffic, and if pre-arrival instructions need to be given to the caller (CPR, control bleeding, childbirth). Since the EMD system is based on signs and symptoms rather than a diagnosis, you will be asked questions like your address, a call back number, a description of the problem and exactly what happened, the patient’s age and sex and if they are conscious and breathing. Depending on your answers you may be asked additional questions. All these questions might seem frustrating because you are trying desperately to get help for the patient as quickly as you can. Please keep in mind that the telecommunicator is entering the information into the 911 system as you speak. In many incidents a second telecommunicator dispatches help based on the information entered into the system while you are still talking.
Answering these questions also allows us to wear the proper protective gear and to mentally prepare while we are traveling to your emergency. By doing so, the second we arrive we will know exactly what equipment to bring to the patient’s side and what procedures will be needed to help them as quickly as possible.
Tip of the Month
This time of year furnace and carbon monoxide incidents greatly increase. The best way to minimize furnace problems is to have it regularly serviced. No home should be without carbon monoxide (CO) detectors. It is an insidious poison that in 2000 killed 400 people. It makes hundreds more sick and leaves many with permanent injury. Call 911 immediately if you suspect a CO problem.
Often called the silent killer, carbon monoxide is an invisible, odorless, colorless gas created when fuels (such as gasoline, wood, coal, natural gas, propane, oil and methane) burn incompletely. In the home, heating and cooking equipment that burn fuel are potential sources of CO. Vehicles and generators running in or immediately adjacent to an attached garage can also produce dangerous levels of CO. Symptoms of CO poisoning include severe headache, dizziness, mental confusion, nausea or faintness. Many symptoms are similar to the flu. Here are a few safety tips to avoid this killer;
- Install CO alarms in your home to provide early warning of accumulating CO.
- CO alarms should be installed in a central location outside each sleeping area or potential sleeping area (where guests might sleep).
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- If you need to warm your vehicle remove it from the garage after starting it then shut the garage door. Do not run a vehicle, generator, or other fueled engine or motor indoors, even if the garage doors are open. Make sure the exhaust pipe is not blocked by snow.
- Only use barbecue grills outside. Never use them in your home or garage.
- Have fuel burning household heating equipment (fireplaces, furnaces, water heaters, wood and coal stoves, space and portable heaters) and chimneys inspected by a professional every year before the cold sets in.
- Never use your oven to heat your home.
If your CO alarm sounds;
- Check the battery if it is a battery-powered intermittent alarm.
- If it is a steady alarm, or you are unable to determine what kind of alarm it is, evacuate the dwelling. Report the alarm warning by calling 911. Do not re-enter until the responding agency says it is OK to do so.
- Call a qualified technician to inspect all equipment.
Thank you for reading and please remember. We are here to serve you and we do so with honor and pride.