Firemen's Association of the State of New York
Share the load program
It is with great sadness and heavy hearts we announce the passing of Life Member Charlie Seeber on Monday, February 8th. For those of us who new Charlie we will always remember his humor and quick wit. he would typically would draw a crowd and bring smiles to our faces. The past few years we enjoyed Charlie as he spent time sitting at the fire station on Tuesday evenings during the Farmers Market. His was also an officer with the Village Police Department. Charlie rest easy and know you made a difference in our Community. We will always be grateful for those members who earned their time to become life members of the Chittenango Vol. Fire Department.
Good evening everyone! I hate to report that as of today, 239 people have died in fires across the United States so far this year; of which 10 fire-related deaths occurred in New York State. We are not even out of the first month of 2021 and are already into double digit fatalities in New York State and triple digits across the country. Why are these facts not a nationwide headline? Why is there little to no focus on the lives lost and the families and communities affected by these PREVENTABLE tragedies? WHERE IS THE OUTRAGE?!!! Let us move forward, collectively educating and empowering our customers with accurate and pertinent information so they can practice effective fire and life safety strategies TODAY & EVERYDAY!!! Here are some relevant fire and life safety messages to promote this February:
Relevant messages in February:
Smoke Alarms:
The first battery powered smoke alarm to receive a UL Listing was designed by BRK Electronics (later to become the First Alert® brand) in 1969. Since that time, there have been multiple advances in technology to make smoke alarms more readily available and affordable for the public. However, 52 years later, we still find many fire-related injuries and deaths occur in private homes without properly placed and maintained smoke alarms. Because we have limited access for enforcement in private dwellings, it is more important than ever that we educate our customers about how to obtain, place, and maintain this basic fire protection feature in their homes. Check out these resources from NFPA & USFA regarding smoke alarms:
https://www.usfa.fema.gov/prevention/outreach/smoke_alarms.html
Carbon Monoxide Awareness:
Check out these resources from NFPA & USFA, including informational pamphlets in multiple languages, PSAs, and resources for use with various social media platforms!
https://www.usfa.fema.gov/prevention/outreach/carbon_monoxide.html
Home Heating Safety:
Check out these resources from USFA, as well as the informational pamphlet from OFPC, on ways to practice home heating safety:
https://www.usfa.fema.gov/prevention/outreach/heating.html
Hand Sanitizer:
Here is a link to a news story discussing the flammable properties of hand sanitizer:
https://www.whec.com/coronavirus/why-hand-sanitizer-should-never-be-in-your-kitchen/5980158/
Lesson Plans:
These lesson plans, developed by NFPA, can be used by fire & life safety educators OR teachers to discuss or emphasize the topics mentioned above. Consider recording a video to post to your agency’s website or various social media outlets, such as Youtube, with your members delivering these important life safety messages and send out the link to your customers in order to deliver the lesson virtually.
https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Teaching-tools/Lesson-plans
Also, check out the information pamphlets attached to this email. They include a baseline home fire safety checklist for homeowners and renters, as well as an informational pamphlet to better assist our customers living in multi-generational homes.
Stay safe! Stay well!
Michael Stevens
NYS Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Services
Office of Fire Prevention & Control
Public Education Committee
10 Ross Circle, Suite 1S
Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
E-mail: nyspubliced@dhses.ny.gov
Chittenango Vol. Fire Department 2021 Officers
Chief: Jason Baker
1st Assistant Chief Terry Mann
2nd Assistant Chief Jason Ferguson
Fire Captain Matt Lyman
Fire Lieutenant Rob Smith
Truck Captain Kevin Seltzer
Rescue Captain Rob Ramos
Rescue Lieutenant Erick Hass
Fire Police Captain Dan Welker
President Rob Ramos
Vice President George Baker
Treasurer Bob Freunscht
EMS Director Erick Haas
Secretary Kelly Boyer
Chaplain Mark Farsaci
Board of Directors Jim House, Dick Wilcox and Todd Ferguson
IS THERE A FIRE IN YOU?Check out www.FireInYou.org