Know your way out!

How much time do you have to get out of a fire?
Not as much as you think. Real fires are hot, smokey and dark. You may have only a very few minutes to safely escape from fire. If you're ever in a fire, don't spend time getting dressed or trying to gather valuables. Just get out and stay out. Then call the fire department from a neighbor's telephone.
If you have a fire tonight, will you get out safely?You'll have a better chance of getting out safely if you've planned ahead. Develop a fire escape plan and practice it with the whole family. Everyone should know two ways out of each room and know where to meet outside. Make sure everyone understands that getting out is the first priority. And remember, once you're outside, stay out.
"Get Out, Stay Out" - Your fire safe responseWhat would you do if your home caught on fire? Would you know where to go if smoke or flames blocked your escape? There is no time to think about these questions in a real fire. It's hot, smokey, and so dark you may not be able to see your own hands. Know ahead of time what to do if there's a fire. Develop an escape plan with two ways out of every room. You'll need a second way in case your primary exit is blocked by smoke or flames. And make sure every exit is accessible, including windows. Getting out is your first priority in a fire. And once out, stay out!

Paramedic Staff Expands

Newly Promoted Paramedics Zak Yanska, Steve Lienard, Jay Morse, and Bryan Ferguson

Chief Of Department John A. Dodson announced today that four (4) Department members have successfully completed a special, eighteen-month, training program offered by the Department. The new paramedics began an extensive internship, under the direction of the Department’s senior paramedics. The program consisted of classroom instruction, self study and many hours of “ride along” experience under the watchful eyes of veteran instructors and included a one hundred question written examination and multiple station practical skills examination.

The four newly promoted paramedics, Bryan Ferguson, Steve Lienard, Jay Morse and Zak Yanska will officially begin functioning as primary paramedics April 1, 2014, staffing the Department’s two ambulances located in the Glen Arbor and Empire stations.

Prior to qualifying for the Department’s training and certification, the candidates all received training and certification as paramedics by the State Of Michigan and the National Registry. During this period, the aspiring paramedics, beginning as EMT-Basics, attended one thousand (1,000) classroom hours and participated in over five hundred (500) hours of hands-on “practicals” which included many hours participating in actual, medical emergency calls.

The Department’s philosophy regarding the extensive additional training, according to Chief Dodson, is based on the Department’s large coverage area and the distance to Munson Hospital. 

Home Safety Tips and Fire Escape Planning

About 3,500 Americans die each year in fires and about 18,300 are injured. You can stop the fire before it starts. Use this fact sheet to learn how to prevent a fire in your home and know what to do if you have a fire.

Be prepared for a fire:

• One of the best ways to protect yourself and your family is to have a working smoke alarm that can sound fast for both a fire that has flames, and a smoky fire that has fumes without flames. It is called a "Dual Sensor Smoke Alarm." A smoke alarm greatly reduces your chances of dying in a fire.
• Know your local emergency numbers. In most areas the number is 911.
• Practice finding your way out of the house with your eyes closed, crawling or staying low to the ground, and feeling your way out of the house.
• Never open doors that are hot.
• Teach your family to stop, drop to the ground, and roll if their clothes catch fire.
• Decide on a meeting place outside your home and check to see if anyone is missing. Everyone must get out and stay out of the house or apartment.
• Remember to escape first, and then call the fire department.
• Make sure everyone in your family knows at least two ways to escape from each room in the house or apartment.
• Help children and senior citizens to escape from a fire.
• NEVER go back into a fire once you have escaped.

To learn more on how you can prevent fires and fire deaths, please contact us anytime at our station by stopping in, calling 231-334-3278 (not 911) or visit www.usfa.fema.gov

As always, feel free to comment on the this article or any others, we welcome your feedback and questions.