Arson Awareness Week May 2-8, 2010

"Community Arson Prevention"

The United States Fire Administration (USFA) announces this year’s Arson Awareness Week theme – Community Arson Prevention. The USFA will partner with the International Association of Arson Investigators, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), USAonWatch, National Association of State Fire Marshals, National Volunteer Fire Council, and the Insurance Committee for Arson Control.

The goal for this year’s Arson Awareness Week, which takes place May 2 – 8, 2010, is to focus attention on the horrific crime of arson and provide communities with tools and strategies to combat arson in their neighborhoods, businesses, schools, and places of worship.

According to the USFA's National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) data and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), an estimated average of 316,600 intentional fires are reported to fire departments in the United States each year causing injuries to 7,825 firefighters and civilians. In 2006, ten firefighters died as a result of arson. In addition to needless injury and death, an estimated $1.1 billion in direct property loss occurs annually.

Arson robs communities of its valuable assets – lives and property. Arson destroys more than buildings: it can devastate a community resulting in the decline of the neighborhood through increased insurance premiums, loss of business revenue, and a decrease in property values.

Communities can develop a Watch Program, partnering with their local fire department, law enforcement, insurance providers, business leaders, churches, and local community groups. Neighborhoods can reduce the likelihood of arson occurring by promoting neighborhood watches and educate people about recognizing and reporting unusual activities along with implementing improved internal and external security for homes and businesses.

A community Arson Watch Program can put the neigh­bor back into neighborhood by creating a sense of coop­eration. It brings the fire service, law enforcement, and citizens together to reduce the crime of arson.

"Reproduced from USFA's Web site, © USFA (2010)."

(The usual disclaimers: I am not a journalist; this is a blog that expresses an outlook and is not conclusive in any shape or manner.)

NFPA urges grilling fire safety

As grilling season approaches, remember recipes for fire safety:

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is reminding outdoor cooks not to forget about grill fire safety as the peak months for grill fires arrive. People with gas grills should take extra precautions. In 2003-2006, gas-fueled grills were involved in 81 percent of reported home grill fires and were involved in 6,400 home fires, including structure and outside fires. The leading cause of gas grill fires was a leak or break in hoses.

“Nobody wants to see their backyard barbeque go up in flames,” said Lorraine Carli, vice president of communications for NFPA. “There are simple measures that can be taken to avoid charring dinner and setting anything on fire.”

Although gas grills are used approximately one-and-a-half times more often than charcoal grills, they were involved in five times as many fires. Charcoal or other solid-fueled grills were involved in 1,300, or 16 percent, of home grill fires. The leading cause of these fires was something that could burn being located too close to the grill.

In 2007, approximately 9,600 people went to hospital emergency rooms because of thermal burns caused by grills. About one-third of the burns from gas grills happened while lighting the grill. Gasoline or lighter fluid was involved in roughly one-quarter of charcoal or wood grill burns. Children under five accounted for roughly one-quarter of thermal grill burns. Most of these burns occurred when the child bumped or touched the grill.

NFPA offers the following grill safety tips:

* Use propane and charcoal grills in outdoor areas only.
* Make sure the grill is located well away from the home, deck railings and out from under eaves and overhanging branches.
* Keep children and pets away from the grill area: declare a three foot “kid-free zone” around the grill.

* Use long-handled grilling tools to give plenty of clearance from heat and flames.
* Remove grease or fat build up from the grills and in trays below the grill so it cannot ignite.
* Never leave the grill unattended.

Gas grills:

* Check the gas tank hose for leaks before using it for the first time each year by applying a light soap and water solution to the hose. If there is a propane leak, it will release bubbles. If you do find a leak and there is no flame, do the following:
- Turn off the gas tank and grill.
- If the leak stops, have the grill serviced by a professional before using it again.
- If it does not stop, call the fire department.
* If you smell gas at any point while cooking, get away from the grill immediately and call the fire department.
* Use only equipment with the label of a recognized testing laboratory. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions on how to set up the grill and maintain it.
* Never store propane gas tanks in buildings or garages. If you store a gas grill inside during the winter, disconnect the cylinder and leave it outside.

Charcoal grills:

* If you use a “charcoal chimney” to start charcoal for cooking, use a long match to avoid burning your fingers when lighting the paper.
* If you use starter fluid, only use charcoal starter fluid and never add charcoal fluid when coals or kindling have already been ignited.
* Never use gasoline or any other flammable liquid to get the fire going.
* Keep charcoal fluid away from children and heat sources.
* When you are finished grilling, let the coals cool completely before disposing of them in a metal container.

For more safety tips, videos, facts and figures, and audio clips, please visit www.nfpa.org/grilling.

NFPA has been a worldwide leader in providing fire, electrical, building, and life safety to the public since 1896. The mission of the international nonprofit organization is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating consensus codes and standards, research, training, and education.

"Reproduced from NFPA's Web site, © NFPA (2010)."

(The usual disclaimers: I am not a journalist; this is a blog that expresses an outlook and is not conclusive in any shape or manner.)

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-04-25

· Foster Father Killed In House Fire http://bit.ly/9dttcX @NFPA #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire April 25

· Teen dies in Chatham home fire http://bit.ly/blffeG @usfire @NFPA #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire April 25

· Young Sisters Killed In Blairsville House Fire http://bit.ly/9bLc4g @usfire @NFPA #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire April 25

· Huge fire in Walnut Beach displaces 11 http://bit.ly/cYkhIX #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire April 25

· Tioga Fire Protection and Fire Prevention Blog has a Facebook Fan Page now. http://bit.ly/cWXHu6 April 25

· Fire Engine Accident At Event For Kids http://bit.ly/ckJ3wg @usfire @NFPA #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire April 25

· Rolling fire engine with 8 kids onboard hits tree http://bit.ly/c4J55r @usfire @NFPA #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire April 25

· Fire truck crashes with kids onboard http://bit.ly/aZBkhk #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire April 25
· Thousands of people lose homes in Manila slum fire http://bit.ly/cVOLSU #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire April 25

· Thousands of people lose homes in Manila slum fire http://bit.ly/cVOLSU #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire April 25

· TFPFP Blog Post: Lawn Mower Safety http://tiogafireprotectionandfireprevention.blogspot.com/ April 25

· RT @bjs1022: morning @FiremanRich hope the rain holds off .... [The rain was light & held off that we got the walk in. Max was very happy.] April 25

· Smoke alarm reminder from fire service http://bit.ly/9E1euY @usfire @NFPA #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire April 25

· 4 escape South Toledo house fire uninjured http://bit.ly/bHTHSY #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire April 25

· Fire destroys Pokesdown flat after smoke alarms removed http://bit.ly/9beA7i @usfire @NFPA #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire April 25

· Fire Wrecks Downtown Buildings http://bit.ly/9sZvwc #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire aApril 25

· Apartment Fire Leaves 30 Homeless in Canal Fulton http://bit.ly/cZSLGL @usfire @NFPA #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire April 25

· Good morning all in Tweetland, Tioga County, Owego NY! Have a Tweet of a day. Tweet on Tweeter & Have Fun! April 25

· ARFF: Fourth person in helicopter crash dies http://bit.ly/9Kqw3p April 24

· Youth arrested after children die in fire http://bit.ly/c8ZqeY #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire April 24

· RT@HipsForHire I just found corn on @chrispirillo's iPad (worse than porn) (Broadcasting live at http://ustre.am/cgGG) Apr 24 Retweeted by you

· Tractor-Trailer Crash, Fire Wreaks Havoc On I-84 http://bit.ly/cx5rA2 #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 24th

· RT @Tiger15032: Thanks @FiremanRich for calling in to @FFNetcast. Take care Brother. http://bit.ly/cuhU3F [Thank-you Tiger & the same back] Apr 24th

· Monroe County Business Goes Up in Flames http://bit.ly/9V4wt3 #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 24th

· Electrical Problem Blamed for House Fire http://bit.ly/c8pmxJ #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 24th

· RT @doctoranonymous: RT @FFNetcast live right now in Indianapolis http://bit.ly/b1VQXP With @Tiger15032 @FireCritic @FireDaily & Tom Merrill Apr 24th

· Man and pets survive house fire http://bit.ly/9eFqGM #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 24th

· @bjs1022 Morning. Just got back from a morning walk with the Missus & Max. It GORGEOUS out! Have a good enjoyable day. : ) Apr 24th in reply to bjs1022

· @Firehound55 have a good one today also. Looks like we got a good day weather wise today before the incoming storms. : ) Apr 24th via in reply to Firehound55

· RT @pensbury: Air Force officials launch Atlas V carrying X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle http://bit.ly/atVNXl Apr 24th

· Good morning all in Tweetland, Tioga County, Owego NY! Have a Tweet of a day. Tweet on Tweeter & Have Fun! Apr 24th

· BOSTON CELTICS WIN !!!!! YES !!!! Apr 23rd

· Hero Dog Leads Police to Fire http://bit.ly/a4plrA #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 23rd

· Man arrested on suspicion of stealing fire hydrants http://bit.ly/aW1Z9N #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 23rd

· Game #3 Boston and Miami & game end of 3rd Qt. and Boston with the lead! GO CELTICS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Apr 23rd

· Game #3 Bostone and Miami & game tied at 66 to 66 in the 3rd Qt. GO CELTICS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 8:55 PM Apr 23rd

· @FireCritic @FireDaily Never mind found @FFNetcast tweet on "technical difficulties " Have a good time tonight @ gathering & ALL be safe. Apr 23rd

· @FireCritic @FireDaily something wrong w/ FirefighterNetCast Live From FDIC-Friday file on blogtalkradio? I can't access it. Tried & no go! Apr 23rd

· Cops: Wife's Death, House Fire Started With Penguins Argument http://bit.ly/be9ZHa @usfire @NFPA #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 23rd

· #FollowFriday @FiremanDaveHitt @Tiger15032 @TheFireTracker2 @Old_Firefighter @AskJamesHolmes @AureliusTjin @bjs1022 @TinaFightsFire Apr 23rd

· #FollowFriday @shell1972 @cfdwife @FireCritic @FireDaily @eneitzel @ESPFire @usfire @joelcomm @HipsForHire @ChrisPirillo @GuyKawasaki Apr 23rd

· Done with some OT at work doing the ARFF stand-by. @joelcomm OT always ='s hitting the "KACHING" Button. $$$ KACHING $$$ : ) 3:42 PM Apr 23rd

· @KathrinOutLoud from Hudson Falls, I'm over here outside Binghamton. Looks like we're both in the NortEast neck of the woods. : ) Apr 23rd in reply to KathrinOutLoud

· RT @FireCritic New Oshkosh Striker Rescue and Fire Fighting Vehicle http://bit.ly/bRHjb2 [COOL ARFF truck] #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 23rd

· Husband-and-wife bankers save kids from UES house fire http://bit.ly/d7LBE6 #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 23rd

· Man dies in house fire http://bit.ly/cIYKIE @usfire @NFPA #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 23rd

· 2 men injured in Northeast Portland house fire http://bit.ly/bvCYta #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 23rd

· Fire Chief Russell Rees resigns from CFA . . . http://bit.ly/cKuQMY #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 23rd

· 61-Year-Old Woman Killed In Blaze On East Greene Street http://bit.ly/c3CS0y @usfire @NFPA #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 23rd

· Good morning all in Tweetland, Tioga County, Owego NY! Have a Tweet of a day. Tweet on Tweeter & Have Fun! Apr 23rd

· Brownsburg apartment fire ruled accidental http://bit.ly/au4GSV #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 22nd

· Jamestown apartment fire victim named http://bit.ly/9quwSX @usfire @NFPA #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 22nd

· Woman, 70, dies in senior center fire http://bit.ly/bw9gRb @usfire @NFPA #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 22nd

· Operation Save A Life: Smoke Dangers http://bit.ly/9mJSDP @usfire @NFPA #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 22nd

· Did the Monthly Test of all Smoke Detectors/Alarms in the house & they all work. Do yours work? #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Owego Tioga Apr 22nd

· Video: Survivors of La. Oil Rig Explosion Back on Land http://bit.ly/bMIzNI @usfire @NFPA #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 22nd

· RT @FireCritic: I'll be listening to the Live from FDIC Thur 4pm w/B show by FirefighterNetCast on #BlogTalkRadio http://tobtr.com/s/995542 Apr 22nd

· RT @firenation: Join Chief Billy Goldfeder live on FF Netcast Radio today @ 4p from Booth 3755 #fdic2010 @ffnetcast Apr 22nd

· Fire damages Cato home http://bit.ly/cvYa6a #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 22nd

· RT @NFPA: Latest audio Electric Vehicle Safety Part 1: Why do electric vehicles pose a hazard to first responders? ... http://bit.ly/d8Nzs8 Apr 22nd

· Great online coverage of #FDIC2010 from @fireengineering web site at http://bit.ly/cw2Dmd #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 22nd

· Fire Engulfs Landmarked Building On Upper East Side http://bit.ly/cIqzAD #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 22nd

· Owego volunteer firefighters reinstated http://bit.ly/clsdh1 #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Tioga Apr 22nd

· 3 Escape Flames In Fayette County House Fire http://bit.ly/df1liN #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 22nd

· Oil Rig Explosion: Search on for 11 Missing Off Louisiana Coast http://bit.ly/bshCEM @usfire @NFPA #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 22nd

· RT @micah: Bye NYC. Hello LA. (and sweet 1st class upgrade on Virgin. Woo hoo!!) (@ J. F. K. Airport (JFK) w/ 4 others) [Safe flight Micah] Apr 22nd

· Happy Earth Day Everyone! Plant a Tree or something today. Enjoy the day and this Blue Marble we live on. : ) Apr 22nd

· Garrard man dies in house fire http://bit.ly/crbnHB @usfire @NFPA #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 22nd

· Man injured in house fire blamed on faulty wiring http://bit.ly/bInkE5 #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 22nd

· Woman dies in Kallangur house fire after series of attacks http://bit.ly/bgtALu #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 22nd

· Raw Video: Oil Rig Fire Rages On http://bit.ly/azyxgV @usfire @NFPA #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 22nd

· Good morning all in Tweetland, Tioga County, Owego NY! Have a Tweet of a day. Tweet on Tweeter & Have Fun! Apr 22nd

· Wednesday: April 21, 2010 FIREFIGHTER netcast (Broadcasting live at http://ustre.am/6x6X) Apr 21st

· 1st @FFNetCast show live @ #FDIC2010 9:00 PM EST w/ @FireCritic & @FireDaily http://firefighternetcast.com/ #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 21st

· Kids learn fire safety http://bit.ly/dsZtMq @usfire @NFPA #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 21st

· Fire Truck Crash Leads To New Recommendations http://bit.ly/c3T265 @usfire @NFPA #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 21st

· 90-year-old educator dies in house fire http://bit.ly/974qV3 @usfire @NFPA #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 21st

· Emergency responders switch to new, digital radios http://bit.ly/de5M9C #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 21st

· Firefighters at fatal Jamestown fire http://bit.ly/bf4taR @usfire @NFPA #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 21st

· Tioga Fire Protection and Fire Prevention Blog has a Facebook Fan Page now. http://bit.ly/cWXHu6 Apr 21st

· Good morning all in Tweetland, Tioga County, Owego NY! Have a Tweet of a day. Tweet on Tweeter & Have Fun! Apr 21st

· Started the day today with a "Lets see who goes & who stays. (?)" Looks like I get to stay. A few good guys didn't & I wish them the best. Apr 20th

· Following #FDIC on Facebook at http://bit.ly/c2TJnR Also following via Twitter at http://bit.ly/9lp4uC Can't be there but I can virtually. Apr 20th

· Many MSU Students Homeless after Fire http://bit.ly/dtJF1M #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire #tellastudent Apr 20th

· Fire damages home in Erie Village subdivision http://bit.ly/diCaov #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 20th

· Family escapes New Haven house fire http://bit.ly/9hv5fQ #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 20th

· Parents urged to help students find off-campus college housing after fatal fire http://bit.ly/9SoQek #tellastudent Apr 20th Retweeted by you and 2 others

· What is FDIC? This is FDIC 2010 and it's happening this week. http://bit.ly/aXE12q #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire #EMS Apr 20th

· [This is really neat! Possible in the next 20-40 years.] Nokia Morph Concept (long) http://bit.ly/ZxDaQ Apr 20th

· Infant dropped off at southwest Houston fire station http://bit.ly/99gToN #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire #EMS Apr 20th

· Flash fire at West Haven factory http://bit.ly/dkOpvq #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire #EMS Apr 20th

· Firefighters sustain injuries in blaze http://bit.ly/cNG6xn #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire @usfire @NFPA Apr 20th

· One Dog Sparks Fire, Another Alerts Family http://bit.ly/cAUyEh #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 20th

· Following the events at #FDIC on Twitter http//bit.ly/cb6QzO & Facebook http//bit.ly/d5wG7b I can't be there but I have an idea now. Apr 20th

· Smoke from huge apartment fire in Phoenix visible for miles http://bit.ly/aRnNsX #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 20th

· East Leroy Elementary School Student to be honored for saving family from fire http://bit.ly/bCRtLi #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 20th

· Fire Brigade issues smoke alarm warning http://bit.ly/aFFuQ9 #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 20th

· Fire destroys Tomahawk store http://bit.ly/9idljH #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 20th

· Quincy firefighters quickly put out house fire http://bit.ly/cwPHCm #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 20th

· Suspicious Fire On E. 87th Focus Of Investigation http://bit.ly/aJf50b #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 20th

· Son Accidentally Kills Firefighter Dad http://bit.ly/crBYYB @usfire @NFPA #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 20th

· Good morning all in Tweetland, Tioga County, Owego NY! Going to be an Interesting Tuesday. Lets see who goes & who stays. (?) Apr 20th

· 9-Year -Old Girl saves family from fire http://bit.ly/aENgCU #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 19th

· Fire destroys home in Horseheads http://bit.ly/dqUv8H #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 19th

· Fire Destroys Scottsburg Apartment Building http://bit.ly/c7JLem #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 19th

· ARFF: Elderly Pilot Killed In Small Plane Crash http://bit.ly/9CigbJ Apr 19th

· Four Year-Old Boy Killed In House Fire http://bit.ly/darqrV @usfire @NFPA #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 19th

· Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-04-18 http://bit.ly/ci282d Apr 19th

· RT @FireCritic: The Fire Critic at FDIC… http://bit.ly/b19rKm #Fire #Firefighting #Firefighting Apr 19th

· Hopedale Country Club building goes up in flames http://bit.ly/9CGJqB #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 19th

· Loveland retiree, son die of smoke inhalation in home without detectors http://bit.ly/az9CcQ @usfire @NFPA #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 19th

· 2 Men Killed In Loveland House Fire http://bit.ly/chUqo0 @usfire @NFPA #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 19th

· Man dies in corn field fire http://bit.ly/b07O7C @usfire @NFPA #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 19th

· Scores flee NJ inferno http://bit.ly/9uiIQY #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 19th via TweetDeck

· NJ 4-Alarm Fire Leaves 50 Homeless http://bit.ly/bc1F1q #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 19th

· Good morning all in Tweetland, Tioga County, Owego NY! Have a Tweet of a day. Tweet on Tweeter & Have Fun! Apr 19th

(The usual disclaimers: I am not a journalist; this is a blog that expresses an outlook and is not conclusive in any shape or manner.)

Lawn Mower Safety

The mowing season is in full swing and keeping the grass cut is a chore. Everyone is doing quite a bit of mowing this summer. I’m sure all those home owners with lawns are looking forward to the weekly grass cutting? Yeah Right! lol

The result of a freshly mowed lawn is always a present sight but, using lawn mowers can be dangerous when they’re used incorrectly.

Each year 75,000 people are injured annually in lawn mowing accidents and 16,000 of those are children. Many of these injuries are burns caused by careless use of mowers before using or cleaning your mower. Before using or cleaning follow these safety tips:

1. Do not smoke while fueling lawn mowers. As we all know, gasoline is flammable and is explosive too.

2. Wait for machines to cool before refueling. Wipe up spilled fuel immediately. Never fuel a running mower.

3. Store and pour gasoline carefully and keep it in an approved container with a tight-fitting lid.

4. Check electrical mower cords for frayed or damage spots. Frayed insulation added to a metal mower, damp or wet grass, can cause lethal shocks or severe electrical burns.

5. Leave blade sharpening and electrical repairs to professionals

6. If you do your own cleaning and tune up, disconnect the spark plug or remove it before beginning. If your mowers clogs up with grass it’s safe to make sure they are shut off first. If a blade is turned by hand, the mower can start if the spark plug is still intact.

7. Never leave the mower without turning it off. It takes only a few seconds to run inside and only a few seconds for the mower to run over someone and caused serious injury.

Here's a very funny but good to the point on Lawn Mower Safety YouTube video that shows how important Lawn Mower Safety is …

When you're mowing your lawn, be mindful of children. “Awareness,” it's everything. Always be conscious of your surrounding and know what's around you while mowing.

Have a safe enjoyable lawn mowing season.

Learn Not To Burn! Be Fire Safe

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-04-18

With my second year of blogging started, I figure it wouldn’t hurt to place the tweets I made over on Twitter for the week as a weekly blog post here on TFPFP. There’s other bloggers that do it from what I see and it gives one another reference spot to check out those tweets of interest. CONTENT, CONTENT! That’s what blogging is all about. CONTENT is KING!

So here we go. . .

@HipsForHire Congrats on your 500th follower! Back to the "Desk Watch" for the last hour of my shift. : ) Apr 18th

· Watching for @HipsForHire get that 500th twitter follower. Come on tweeters, MAKE IT SO! : ) Apr 18th

· ARFF: Plane Makes Emergency Landing On Gary Indiana Beach http://bit.ly/aHzy9c #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 18th

· Battalion 7 Finds A Fully Involved House Fire in Gary Indiana http://bit.ly/bfWDeO #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 18th

· House fire 4-17-10 http://bit.ly/bSH4q2 #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 18th

· Fire causes four-story building to collapse http://bit.ly/bhARdh #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 18th

· ARFF: Two men killed in aircraft crash: Police investigate whether volcanic ash was to blame http://bit.ly/as2I6P Apr 18th

· Good morning all in Tweetland, Tioga County, Owego NY! Have a Tweet of a day. Tweet on Tweeter & Have Fun! Apr 18th

· Tioga Fire Protection & Fire Prevention Blog is One Yr. Old! Happy Birthday TFPFP! http://tiogafireprotectionandfireprevention.blogspot.com/ Apr 17th

· Lady's life-saver something we all need http://bit.ly/9dzeUj #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 17th

· East Lansing house fire displaces 11 residents http://bit.ly/9iG6XI #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 17th

· ARFF: Four dead in Spanish helicopter crash in Haiti: UN http://bit.ly/9wW9UP Apr 17th

· ARFF: Pilot suffered serious injuries in plane crash in Baraboo http://bit.ly/brv26V Apr 17th

· Fall River fire kills 4-year-old, injures 5 http://bit.ly/d4wW7Z @usfire @NFPA #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 17th

· @Lheyn_07 thank you for the #FollowFriday have a enjoyable weekend. : ) Apr 17th in reply to LaLheyn

· @firojbd thank you for the #FollowFriday have a good weekend. : ) Apr 17th in reply to FirojBD

· FIREFIGHTER netcast is a great location for "live radio and podcastsfor firefighters" http://www.firefighternetcast.com/ Apr 17th

· Some late #FollowFriday entries @CFDFF220 @MWConsultingLLC @ESPFire @NFPA Thank you to for the SHOUT OUT. Have a great weekend. : ) Apr 17th

· Good morning all in Tweetland, Tioga County, Owego NY! Have a Tweet of a day. Tweet on Tweeter & Have Fun! Apr 17th

· How Tweet It Is!: Library Acpuires Entire Twitter Archive http://bit.ly/9xJcT #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire @usfire @NFPA Apr 16th via txt

· #FollowFriday @FireCritic @FireDaily @ESPFire @usfire @eneitzel @joelcomm @GuyKawasaki @HipsForHire @ChrisPirillo @shell1972 Apr 16th

· Smoke detectors save lives http://bit.ly/9zdRZc #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 16th via TweetDeck

· Duane Pearsall, inventor of smoke detector, dies in Denver http://bit.ly/9HiNlj @usfire @NFPA #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 16th via TweetDeck

· Albany High students fight fires http://bit.ly/bQK3BH #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 16th via TweetDeck

· Firefighter-EMT dies in Madison I-95 crash http://bit.ly/b4f7q2 #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire #EMS Apr 16th via TweetDeck

· RT @usfire: RT @SmokeAlarm: Please test all Smoke Alarms in your home today. A reminder from your friends at the Los Angeles FD @LAFD Apr 16th

· Good morning all in Tweetland, Tioga County, Owego NY! Have a Tweet of a day. Tweet on Tweeter & Have Fun! Apr 16th

· Firefighters rescue woman in house fire http://bit.ly/cgrjwx #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 15th

· Brush fire burns around Fort Drum http://bit.ly/cL9XJZ #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 15th

· 2 critically hurt in NY Chinatown apartment fire http://bit.ly/bYkTs0 #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire Apr 15th

· Good morning all in Tweetland, Tioga County, Owego NY! Have a Tweet of a day. Tweet on Tweeter & Have Fun! Apr 15th

· @joelcomm have a good meal Joel. : ) Apr 14th in reply to joelcomm

· Tioga Fire Protection and Fire Prevention blog has a Facebook Fan Page now. http://bit.ly/cWXHu6 Apr 14th

· Sprinkler System Helps Firefighters With Kitchen Fire http://bit.ly/d1sM8 #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire @usfire @NFPA Apr 14th

· ARFF: Cargo aircraft crashes in northern Mexico; 5 dead California http://bit.ly/9KSxI7 #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire @usfire @NFPA Apr 14th

· Two Children Perish in Norfolk House Fire http://bit.ly/duoBku #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire @usfire @NFPA Apr 14th

· Hempfield house fire kills one http://bit.ly/cYSugL #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire @usfire @NFPA Apr 14th

· Good morning all in Tweetland, Tioga County, Owego NY! Have a Tweet of a day. Tweet on Tweeter & Have Fun! Apr 14th

· RT @joelcomm: Twitter Power 2.0 is now available in paperback! --> http://twitpwr.com/tpower2 - RT for chance to win a signed copy! Apr 13th

· Police Arrest Volunteer Firefighter in Restaurant Arson http://bit.ly/boacsC #Firefighter #Firefighting #fire @usfire @NFPA Apr 13th

· RT @usfire: Coffee Break Training: Inspection Techniques - #Electrical Conductors in Junction Boxes http://go.usa.gov/iBy (PDF) #fire Apr 13th

· Good morning all in Tweetland, Tioga County, Owego NY! Have a Tweet of a day. Tweet on Tweeter & Have Fun! Early start today w/ lots to do. Apr 13th

· Why are Mondays always long days? Well, ended the day by helping out the Missis by mowing a Church's lawn after work. Now I feel good. : ) Apr 12th

· Good morning all in Tweetland, Tioga County, Owego NY! Have a Tweet of a day. Tweet on Tweeter & Have Fun! It's a Monday, Lets Get It Going! Apr 12th


(The usual disclaimers: I am not a journalist; this is a blog that expresses an outlook and is not conclusive in any shape or manner.)

Happy Birthday TFPFP!

WOW! I've been having a lot of fun this past year doing the "blog thing." I've also been haven fun with the Social Media of Twitter and Facebook .

Oh, did I tell you that you can follow me on Twitter @FiremanRich.

Here it is a year later after starting Tioga Fire Protection & Fire Prevention (TFPFP) and today, yes today is the blog site's 1st birthday.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Tioga Fire Protection & Fire Prevention!

This birthday blog post makes my 95th blog post for me. Lots of articles and lots of views over the last year. Maybe not as much as a Joel Comm, (@JoelComm), Chris Pirillo, (@ChrisPirillo) or even as much as The Fire Critic (@FireCritic), all of who are big time online celebrities, if I do say so myself. The blog posts I've made over the past year are a significant amount to where they are a big deal to me. They express a view and outlook of Fire Protection/Safety that is very important to me and allows me to be able to pass on this knowledge to each and everyone.

I really wasn't sure where this was all going to take me. When I first started I figure let me give it a try and see where it'll takes me. What would result is knowing that if I can blog then anyone can blog by just giving it a go. It has sparked an interest to learn a process and to pass on that knowledge as well as to encourage others who would not otherwise try doing a blog or create a twitter account.

Blogging isn't for everyone but if you have something to say or knowledge to pass on it's a great format to do so. Blogger by Goggle has worked out very well as a blog host for me. Couldn't beat that price of using it either, which is FREE!

The blog platform to work from has been and will continue to be a good place for me to share Fire Protection & Fire Prevention practices, thoughts, ideas, or just some general discussion. Doing so I found it keeps me engaged on the subjects and keeps its exciting. It's a work in progress for me, that’s fun. With all the other Fire Service Blogs that are out there now, reading them helps me become a better informed fire fighter with each blog post.

Now there’s that FIREFIGHTER netcast out there for us to listen to. Check it out you won’t be sorry, I know I wasn’t. . .

I’ve been in the process of listening to all the podcast since the start of them this past January. Their online and their on iTunes too! Lots of GREAT information that’s current for todays Fire Service. I’m hook and I’m a fan. Plus there’s some exciting things coming up so take the time to visit FIREFIGHTER netcast .

Well, time to have some cake & ice cream. The cake is a cupcake with one candle on it.

Part of starting a 2nd year of blogging, Tioga Fire Protection and Fire Prevention has a Facebook Fan Page now. . .

Isn’t this World Wide Web and Social Media Great! : )

Thanks again for all the visits to TFPFP and I look forward to future visits when I’m a doing the “blog thing.”

Be Safe Out There and God Bless.

(The usual disclaimers: I am not a journalist; this is a blog that expresses an outlook and is not conclusive in any shape or manner.)

A Fire Department’s Internet Footprint

The first web page or site I build was on GeoCities in 1995 or 1996 and it was my very first Home Page. Thought it was pretty neat to do and it was a FREE service.

Soon after Yahoo bought GeosCities to become Yahoo GeoCities.

It was 1997, after transitioning out of the USAF Fire Protection , I settled down in a nice rural area of Up-State New York and after joining the local volunteer fire department I built my second web site/page for that would be my volunteer fire department’s internet footprint on the web using the Yahoo GeoCitie platform.

It really wasn't hard because Yahoo GeoCities provided you the online tools to give you the results of a simple web page. Keeping it simple is best and it gives you a pretty good product to say, HEY EVERYONE LOOK AT US!”

: )

Just like most people and actually everyone else does now a days, I do like to surf the internet for information. Especially for fire protection & fire prevention information that will make be a better fire fighter for my community.

I normally look at news sites and fire protection & fire prevention web sites mostly combing them online for fire news and/or fire related incident to tweet about on Twitter.

Oh by the way that I tell you. . . that you can follow me on Twitter @FiremanRich .

Some of the local web sites I look at on a weekly bases are linked on the sidebar of Tioga Fire Protection & Fire Prevention. It's amazing to see now that just about all the volunteer fire departments in my county have what I call an "Internet Foot Print."

Several years ago this wasn't the case. Why? Most likely either there was no knowledge to build one, to expensive to build one, or it wasn't worth the time & effort.

Well times are a changing as I talk about the “Internet Footprint” of fire departments in this YouTube video. . . which is another “Internet Footprint” you could say. . .

With new and different ways a fire department is only limited to their imagination on what type of web page/site is best for their department. With the emergence of fire protection blogs, which are on the rise, the “Internet Footprint” just gets better and better. Actually seems everyone is blogging these day. Guess there’s a lot to say out there and there’s a wealth of information.

As I said, one of my favorite fire blogs is The Fire Critic and it sets a good standard of how & what a fire blog should be about. I just think it’s a good example to follow as well as the other fire blogs that are listed in it’s links section.

Now there’s the pod casts from FirefighterNetCast that’s out there on blogtalkradio. “HOLY COW BATMAN! WE CAN HAVE OUR CAKE AND EAT IT TOO!” lol

I just think it’s great and a big thanks go out to the fire fighters that are providing us with addition knowledge in these pod casts that we probably won’t be able to get anywhere else. The knowledge one gains allows us to do it better in the fire station and on the fire ground.

As a fire fighter, I’m one that always says and will always believe you have to be brilliant in the basics to get the job done. The basic information that’s in these fire web site, blogs and pod casts can only help sharpen our basic fire fight skills of being more aware as well as efficient as a fire fighters.

Be safe and God Bless.

: )

(The usual disclaimers: I am not a journalist; this is a blog that expresses an outlook and is not conclusive in any shape or manner.)

Fire Fighter Training: Ladder BailOut

In my last blog article on "Exit Drills In The Home (E.D.I.T.H)” we went over emergency exit/egress from the home in the early stages of a fire situation. It’s basic simple information that every family and everyone should be aware of, know, and practice. Always be prepared and always have two exits out of any room you may be in.

For the fire fighter there is also survival tactics that deals with the immediately exiting/egress from a facility or home that may have to be used on a fire ground while a fire fighting operations are on going. Hopefully this situation may never happen, but if it does the fire fighter has to think clearly and quickly to immediately to execute as well as having a ladder in place to BAILOUT.

In rapidly deteriorating conditions, a properly performed head-first ladder bailout can be life saver. Here are some important fundamentals to prevent injuries during the procedure:

* Place the ladder at an angle less than 75 degrees to allow for greater control and prevent slipping

* Place the tip of the ladder just below the window sill so the exit area is kept open and the firefighter can keep low

* Exterior teams should position ladders on upper floor windows to provide alternate exit for interior companies in the event of an emergency

* Have a crew or member available to heel ladders or reposition ladders in the event the firefighter is in a window over from the ladder

* Communicate and listen; know where crews are operating and adjust accordingly

* Be proactive

* When training, make sure you use rated safety line and a rated safety harness assembly on the firefighter and inspect all ropes and harnesses in use prior to training

Here is a very good YouTube video from "Bellingham Fire: The FireFighter Basics Series" that shows how to perform a headfirst ground ladder bailout…

Another piece of equipment a firefighter for quick emergency egress bailout that can be use is the Personal Escape Device (PED) which is a rope bailout bag type system.

One such system is called the “RRG RIT NFPA Personal Escape System 60 Bail Out Bag.” This bail out bag system is designed to be a simple, quick and effective way to get out in a hurry. Fully pre-rigged and self contained, it fits on your SCBA belt with secure double fold belt loops. A mesh window allows air circulation and fast inspection of the 60 feet of 7.5mm High Heat Resistance/High Strength Personal Escape Rope (Certified to NFPA 1983, 2006 Edition by UL).

Another fire fighter PED that can be used that is fast, reliable means of egress from a burning multi-story structure is the “Petzl Personal Escape System”. A firefighter equipped with this system can quickly anchor the fire resistant rope with the hook or other anchoring device and move rapidly towards the point of exit.

Here is a YouTube video showing how a Personal Escape Device (PED) works…

For every response a fire fighter is on, you should have a general initial self size-up of the fire ground of what your able to do from your training. A fire fighter always must maintaining SCENE-SAFETY which is of the up most importance to accomplish the job that needs to be done on the fire ground. Knowing how to retreat and get the hell out if need be to fight another day is always a good option and the best when faced with it. The Ladder BailOut and use of the Personal Escape Device (PED) gives you that option.

Be Safe! : )

(The usual disclaimers: I am not a journalist; this is a blog that expresses an outlook and is not conclusive in any shape or manner.)