Fire Update

Royal Oak Fire Department- Acting Assistant Chief, Rick Wiegand

248-246-3800

For the week:  NOVEMBER 13, 2011 – NOVEMBER 19, 2011

5,099 total runs in 2011

5,470 total runs in 2010

TIP OF THE MONTH:  PLAN A FIRE DRILL AND ESCAPE ROUTES

E.D.I.T.H = EXIT DRILLS IN THE HOME

Prepare for a fire emergency by sitting down with your family and agreeing on an escape plan. A well prepared escape plan helps to avoid panic and may save your lives.

· Review and determine at least two unobstructed exits from every room in your house. Doors should be your primary exit and windows your next choice.

· Have each person practice opening doors and windows. Show children how to open door and window locks.

· Decide on a meeting place outside where everyone will meet, such as a neighbor's porch, tree or lamppost.

Practice Makes Perfect

Practice your fire drill and escape routes

· Have everyone lie in bed and wait for the drill.

· Begin the drill by pressing the smoke detector test button. For more realism, continue to sound the alarm until everyone is outside.

· Practice yelling "Fire!" to help alert others in the home.

· Roll out of bed and stay low to the floor.

· Each person should crawl to your primary exit of that room. If it is blocked by smoke or fire, use your other designated exit.

· Feel any closed door with the back of your hand before opening it. If it is hot, do not open it, use your other exit.

· Make sure everyone goes to the meeting place.

· Assign someone at the meeting place to be the one to go to a neighbor's home to call 911.

· Never go back into a burning building! Get out, Stay out, and Stay alive!

*** If you didn’t CHANGE YOUR DETECTOR BATTERIES on Daylight Savings Time weekend, it’s never too late – A $2:00 battery can be the difference between LIFE AND DEATH !!!

Fires: This week: 2    Total for the year:  90

We were dispatched to a car fire. Our arrival found a car sitting on a pile of leaves. There was severe damage to the vehicle.

We also were dispatched to an apartment filled with smoke. Our investigation found the wall surrounding a wall heater with heavy charring. We were able to extinguish the fire quickly before substantial damage was done to the building.

Fall & Winter Fire Hazards

- Never  park on a pile of leaves

- Allow 3 ft. of space around furnaces and hot water heaters

- Get your chimney cleaned and inspected regularly

- Don’t overload electrical outlets

- Never let your Christmas Tree get thirsty

- Be very carful using supplemental heating devices

- Never leave a Turkey fryer unattended

- Never use an oven or range to heat your home

- Never use an extension cord with a portable electric heater

- Never leave your home with the clothes dryer running

EMS Runs: This week: 72    Total for the year:  3,418

Car Fires: This week:  1

Hazardous Conditions: This week:  5      Total for the Year:  337

Other Runs: This week:  40            Total for the year:  1,252

Mutual Aid Responses:

Birmingham

Mutual Aid Received   This week:  0               This year:  22

Mutual Aid Given        This week:  0               This year:  3

Ferndale

Mutual Aid Received   This week:  0               This Year:  17

Mutual Aid Given        This week:  1               This Year:  39

Madison Hts.

Mutual Aid Received   This week:  1               This Year:  22

Mutual Aid Given        This week:  0               This Year:  23

Automatic Aid Given   This week:  0               This Year:  1

Southfield

Mutual Aid Received   This week:  0               This Year:  0

Mutual Aid Given        This week:  0               This Year:  1

West Bloomfield

Mutual Aid Received   This week: 0                This Year:  0

Mutual Aid Given        This week: 0                This Year:  1

Hazel Park

Mutual Given              This week: 0                This year:  1