Keeping safe during the winter months

    The Presque Isle Fire Department strives to educate the public through out the year about fire prevention and general safety. It is our number one priority to keep our citizens safe. We would like to stress safety concerns that affect everyone in the winter months. With the cold weather upon us and Christmas right around the corner, everyone should keep these safety tips in mind.     Always keep walk paths and steps shoveled and salted. Fifty-five percent of all winter injuries are slip and fall related.
    Keep an emergency car kit in all your vehicles. These kits can be purchased or homemade. They should include extra blankets, jumper cables, flares, flash light with extra batteries, chocolate bars and granola bars and extra medication for all family members.
    Keep an emergency kit for home. These should include candles, flash lights, extra batteries, dry blankets, first aid kit, non perishable food and a gallon of water for each member of your family for each day you plan to be prepared for. Example: Family of three, to be prepared for two days should have six gallons of fresh water in they’re kit.
    As always, check your smoke detectors monthly and change your batteries every six months.
    Be sure to have carbon monoxide detectors on all levels of your home. Carbon monoxide is an odorless, tasteless and invisible gas that is responsible for 2,000 deaths every year in the United States. It is labeled the (Invisible Killer). It is caused by insufficient burning of carbon which is in all fuels. It is heavier then air. Be sure that your detectors are close to the floor. Rule of thumb is the height of your outlets. Using propane auxiliary heaters indoors increases the chances of emitting these vapors.
    Be special careful decorating with Christmas lights. Always read the product labels to see recommendations on installation requirements. You will find the new LED lights are much safer and require much less wattage resulting in investment savings. If you decide to have a fresh tree in your home, be sure that it is watered daily. Again be sure not to over install too many lights. This will dry out your tree faster depending on the type of lights you install. There are fire retardant spray materials on the market that you can treat your tree with for added safety.
    Candles are used more often around the holidays. Be sure to place them out of reach of children. This is usually forgotten during holiday parties when guests might bring children. When decorating around candles, be sure all products are fire retardant.
    November proved to be another busy month for both our Paid Call department as well as our Fulltime department. The Paid Call members finished up they’re yearly training in November. They hung all the Christmas lights on Main St. for the Chamber of Commerce and also participated on December 6th in the Light Parade by transporting Santa down Main St.
    Our fulltime department responded to 25 emergencies including several motor vehicle accidents, mutual aid to other communities, a chimney fire and one structure fire. The Presque Isle Fire Department would like to thank all they’re mutual aid departments for they’re support in 2007. The Fulltime staff also completed thirty three business inspections in November and also installed three car safety seats.
    The first annual Junior Fire Attack School was hosted by the Presque Isle Fire department this year. Nineteen students from Mars Hill, Ashland, Portage, Limestone, Easton and Presque Isle graduated November Ninth at the Presque Isle Fire Station. The graduation was a huge success. There was over 200 people in attendance. Attendees were treated with a slide show presentation and a meal. All the students received they’re certificates and t-shirts. All costs were paid for by the programs fund raisers and incurred no cost to any towns or the City of Presque Isle. Bryce Bridges from Mars Hill graduated with honors from the program. Matt Lajoie from Presque Isle received a sponsorship for a $5,000 scholarship through the National Volunteer Fire Council. Now that graduation is over, we now have three new young faces added to our Paid Call staff as juniors.
    If interested in being a Firefighter you can pick up an application on the third floor of City Hall. Any questions about next springs Junior Firefighter Program or if you would like more safety tips. Contact us at 769-0881 or email us at pifire@maine.rr.com. Or you can visit our Web site at pifd.org.
    Grant Spinney is Fire Prevention Officer for the Presque Isle Fire Department.