October is Fire Prevention Month

 

Welcome to October. The days are shorter, and hopefully crisper as the seasons change. Halloween and other holidays are on the way. A perhaps more important annual observance tends to get lost in the shuffle.

October is fire prevention month. Fire prevention week—this year from the 6^th to the 12^th— always includes October 8, the day on which the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 that killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 people homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures and burned more than 2,000 acres, began.

Firefighters contend that the best fire is one that never starts. Fire is a source of warmth, light, and energy, but can destroy everything in its path, as Chicago learned those many years ago.

Goochland Fire-Rescue Chief D. E. “Eddie” Ferguson, Jr. said that this year’s Fire Prevention theme is “Smoke alarms, make them work for you!” He made the following recommendations:

Centerville Company 3 firefighter checks smoke alarm

Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area (like a hallway), and on each level (including the basement) of the home.

Test smoke alarms at least once a month by pushing the test button.

Replace all smoke alarms when they are 10 years old or stop responding when tested. Make sure smoke alarms meet the needs of all family members, including those with sensory or physical disabilities.  (see https://www.nfpa.org/en/Downloadable-resources/Safety-tip-sheets/Smoke-and-CO-Alarms-for-People-Who-are-Deaf-or-Hard-of-Hearing for details.)

During October, Goochland Fire-Rescue will provide fire safety education programs for all county elementary schools.

If your home does not have a working smoke alarm, call the Fire-Rescue Office at 804-556-5304 and request one. There is no charge for this service.

As we send prayers for those devasted by Hurricane Helene, Goochland Fire-Rescue sent five fire-rescue members to the town of Damascus in Washington County in southwest Virginia to lend a hand. These fine people are Lt. PM Jordan Fisher, FF/EMT Ed Brown, FF/EMT Scott Nuessle, FF/EMT Jake Branch, and FF/PM Rob Henkel. They have been responding to 911 calls to relieve members of the Damascus Volunteer Fire Department who had been answering calls nonstop since Helene devasted their community. They also worked to restore the Damascus fire station and its apparatus to operational readiness. Our responders will be relieved by those from Botetourt County Fire&EMS and are expected back in Goochland today.

From a Facebook post:

“This week has been an absolutely unthinkable time for our community due to the Hurricane, with first responders, contractors, and volunteers working tirelessly.

Our members here at Damascus, Virginia Fire Department Station 1400 wanted to give a huge appreciation and thank you to Goochland County Fire-Rescue and their members for coming down to give us some relief from the Hurricane. Our Chief, Assistant Chief, Captain, Chaplin, Lieutenants and a few other members had worked continuously before the hurricane, during the devastation, and after with structure fires and other calls of service. For nearly three days, our members and other agencies worked rescue operations without stopping.

Our brothers from Goochland took time away from their family and community to come down the last couple of days to run calls for our members, so that we may finally eat a hot meal, sleep, and shower. We can not express enough how thankful we are for your Department and its members for this. You all have been extraordinary.

Thank you.

As time continues on, we are still out rebuilding our community and working hard to get the Town of Damascus back to normal. Thank you to every department, agency, volunteer, and contractors that have been by our side the whole way. There have been so many of you to come offer support it would be impossible to thank you all, we do plan on acknowledging you all as things turn back to normal.”

 

On Wednesday, Robin Hillman, Goochland Emergency Management Coordinator, was deployed to the Town of Dublin in Pulaski County as part of the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VADEM) statewide mutual aid request to assist with recovery duties and volunteer donation management.

Also on Wednesday, Emergency Management Volunteer RN Linda Taylor was Federally activated with the National Disaster Medical System Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team- Victim Information Center Team. She is heading to North Carolina for at least 2 weeks.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to all in the devastated areas.  We humbled and privileged to be able to help in these ways and are very proud of all the skilled and talented Goochland County Fire-Rescue personnel who are on deployment helping,” said Ferguson.

Happier notes:

Courthouse Company 5 is hosting an open house event on Saturday, October 5 from 11 to 2 with a ribbon cutting to dedicate the extensive station renovations at noon.

2024 Fire-Rescue Show on October 12 from 5-9 p.m. in the back parking lot of Goochland High school, 3250 River Road West.  This free family friendly event includes captivating demonstrations of the skills and apparatus that our first responders use to save lives and protect property in Goochland. There will be food trucks, door prizes, and a fireworks display. Come meet our local fire and EMS providers and learn about volunteer opportunities.

 

 

(Goochland Fire-Rescue image)