The Firehouse Report
By Jim Jarboe
As of April 30, 2015, the Takoma Park Volunteer Fire Department and the personnel of the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service assigned to the station have responded to 208 fire related incidents in 2015. The department addressed or assisted with 1,040 rescue or ambulance-related incidents for a total of 1,248. Totals for 2014 were 206 and 899, representing and increase of 143 incidents.
During the month of April 2015, the Takoma Park volunteers put in a total of 1,672.5 hours of standby time at the station, compared to 1,307.5 in April 2014, an increase of 1,150.5 hours.
Maryland fire deaths
The Maryland State Fire Marshal Office reported as of May 15, 26 people have died in fires in 2015, compared to 31 in 2014.
Smokers Be Alert!
- To prevent a deadly cigarette fire, you must be alert. You won’t be alert if you are sleepy, have taken medicine or drugs that make you drowsy or have consumed alcohol.
- Never smoke in bed. You should have a working smoke alarm in your bedroom.
- The risk of dying in a home structure fire caused by smoking materials rises with age.
- One out of four fatal victims of smoking material fire is not the smoker whose cigarette started the fire. If you are a smoker, consider smoking outside.
Fire Station Clean-Up
On Sunday, May 3 members of the Takoma Park VFD put on their work gloves to spruce up the front of the station at the main entrance. They weeded, planted and mulched.
A special thanks to the following, starting with the project leader FF/ EMT Kevin Tighe, Chief Tom Musgrove, EMT Leslie deLeon, EMT Jorge Alfaro, FF/EMT Adam Bearne and EMT Anthony Zarrella.
This article appeared in the June 2015 edition of the Takoma Park Newsletter. The Takoma Park Newsletter is available for download here
