Have a Great Summer, But Be Safe
Steven A. Pollio, Fire Chief
Temperatures have been rising, summer is clearly here. With summer comes a flurry of outdoor activities, cookouts, camping, sports, swimming, and more. I suspect that with the economy in the shape it is, more of us will be staying at home and not doing as much traveling. With that in mind, I am going to again beat the “Summer Safety” drum.
On the very top of my list of concerns is the need to drive slower and more carefully. Remember, school is out and the kids will be everywhere. I cannot begin to tell you how devastating these “child hit by car” calls can be. These incidents shake up the entire community, the victim’s family and friends, the driver’s family and friends, and lets not leave out the Firefighters and Police Officers who respond to help. I have seen these incidents destroy families, friends and divide neighborhoods. I am always shocked when I hear people tell me how happy they are now that the “schools zones” are not operational. What most people don’t think about is the fact that the entire City should now be treated as a school zone during the summer. Believe me when I tell, there is no match for “safety”. Please adjust your driving.
The next concern on my list is just as devastating as a child being hit by a car, or perhaps even worse. I am talking about “drowning” or “near drowning”. One of my last calls I responded to when I worked on a rescue unit was to a double drowning. A mother was cooking in the kitchen while she kept an eye on her two children playing at the steps of the back yard pool. She told us that she turned away from the window for two seconds to retrieve something from the refrigerator, and when she returned to the window, she noted that both of her children were at the bottom of the pool. She ran to the back yard and began screaming. Fortunately, her neighbor, a registered nurse, heard her screams and came to help. Upon our arrival, both kids were out of the water, with the nurse administering CPR to one of the children. We began CPR on the other child. We transported both children to the hospital where they remained for several days. I am pleased to report that both children made a full recovery. But don’t let your guard down, it doesn’t always work out that well. Please don’t think that because your child can swim, they are not likely to drown. Statistics tell us that children who can swim, often panic, and or become disoriented upon falling into the water and drown. Consider installing a pool fence or pool alarm, and don’t forget the swimming lessons.
Bar-B-Q fires are not uncommon and usually result from misuse, or a lack of maintenance. Gas fired grills should be tested for gas leaks after the installation of a new tank of gas. In many cases the hose coupling has a minor leak at the threads, and is not immediately obvious, until of course a spark ignites the gas leak. I remember several gas fired grills being donated to the fire house by persons who experienced a gas leak type fire. At the time I found it interesting that after a gas fire, these folks suddenly decided that a charcoal grill might be a better way to cook out. Bar-B-Q grills that employ charcoal can be safe as long as care is used when using the lighter fluid. And please remember never use any outdoor type grill in doors.
In closing, I would be remise if I
didn’t briefly discuss proper hydration while working or playing outside. The
high temperatures that make south