Every second counts, plan ahead

Fire fighters Shaun Pek, Joseph Krogol, Adrian Garduno and Kevin Kimmel take a break in their new convertible after demonstrating the jaws of life at Mark Chevrolet last month. Photo by John P. Rhaesa

By Carolyn Marnon – “Every Second Counts: Plan 2 Ways Out!” is the 2017, theme for National Fire Prevention Week being held October 8-14. Steps to prevent fires should be taken every day as we go about our lives, not just during the month of October which just happens to be Fire Prevention Month.
Join your local heroes at their 20th Annual Pancake Breakfast being held Saturday, October 7, at the fire station. In the 20 years of the event, the price has never changed: $5 for adults, $3 for kids (10 and under). The breakfast is held in the fire station bay where the trucks park. There will be tours of the station, gear races, use of fire extinguishers training and more. Wayne Memorial High School cheerleaders will be volunteering their help. The event is activity-based, getting kids involved and learning through that involvement. All money raised goes toward fire prevention education. The fire department would like to thank Wayne Industries/Steel Pro, Costco, and all other businesses that have donated to make the event successful.
All you can eat pancakes, 3 sausage links, coffee, juice or milk will be served 9:00 a.m.-Noon.
Your Wayne Fire Department works hard to educate citizens about fire safety. This education is especially important for children to learn. The fire department is holding a contest for youth during Fire Prevention Week. Kids are encouraged to draw a map of the inside of their home and then share two ways out of every room. The drawing should also include a meeting place outside and the fire department’s emergency phone number. You can pick up an entry form at the fire station, 3300 S. Wayne Rd. Forms need to be returned by October 20 to be entered to win a ride on a fire truck with local fire fighters. The fire department wants every kid (and adult) to know what to do in case of a fire.
The fire department visits the local schools every year, focusing on fire safety. Kindergarten through second grade is the focus of the education. “We’re trying as hard as we can to get the community behind us,” said Deputy Fire Chief Fred Gilstorff.
While the number of fires in Wayne is down considerably, that does not mean they don’t happen. They do. It’s important to do everything you can to prevent a fire. With heating season closing in on us, it’s time to do a few things around the house that can reduce your susceptibility to fire. Change your furnace filter. Do preventative maintenance on your furnace. Keep everything three feet away from your furnace and water heater. Do not have combustible materials anywhere near the furnace/water heater. Keep clutter down and maintain the walkways through your home. Make sure your electrical cords are not frayed and that your electrical circuits are not overloaded. Space heaters cause many fires. Deputy Chief Gilstorff stresses that a space heater needs to be plugged directly into the wall outlet; do not plug it into a surge protector. Also make sure your space heater has an automatic shut-off feature that causes it to shut off if it is tipped over.
There is an ordinance in Wayne that every home in Wayne is to have a working smoke detector. Detectors should be in bedrooms, in the hall outside the bedrooms and at the basement landing to the first floor. You should change your smoke detector batteries every fall and spring when you spring forward or fall back with the time change. People are known to disable their detectors because they might go off at the slightest detection of smoke when cooking. It may be an annoyance to hear the detector during such a time, but put up with it. It could save your life later.
For more information about the Wayne Fire Department, visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.-com/WayneFireDepartment/. The department posts safety information and videos as often as they can along with other information on how they are serving the community.
The Wayne Fire Department is currently asking for donations of gently used shower chairs and wheelchairs.
What are you going to do right now, this minute? I hope you will go check the space around your furnace and water heater, change your furnace filter if you haven’t done so already this fall, check your outlets, check your walkways and your space heater, if you have one. Put batteries on your grocery list so you will have them ready when it’s time to set the clocks back an hour. Plan for yourself two ways out of every room in your home. As the old saying goes: Better safe than sorry.