City of Ames, IA This Week in Ames, 1 Nov 2013

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From YouTube: This Week in Ames

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Susan visits Fire Station 1 to recap fire prevention week.

A

Hi welcome to this week in ames, I'm susan guiasta, on today's show. We check in with the ames fire department about some fire safety tips.

A

My guest today is firefighter brad jerkins brad. Welcome to the show. Thank you well we're finishing up the month of october and it is fire safety month big month for firefighters. Tell me a little bit about you first and why you got into the field of firefighting.

B

I've worked for the city of ames for 11 years now. As a firefighter, I started off firefighting as a volunteer and really enjoyed doing it. So I started taking classes to become a career firefighter.

A

And where were you a volunteer around here, I.

B

Volunteered in mount pleasant, southeast, iowa, first and then a couple years at knoxville.

A

So here at the ames fire department, we do a lot of outreach and public education. I know that recently, you guys wrapped up an open house right here at fire station one. How did that go.

B

It was, it went really well, it was the first time we've ever had an open house for the public here at the fire station and we had a really good turnout. We had a met, a lot of people.

A

I know it was very popular for all ages. People love to see the equipment and machinery that you have here and also to learn more about firefighting.

B

Yeah we enjoy it too, we're a bunch of big kids with neat toys we like to show off so.

A

Maybe that might become an event you do more often I.

B

Think we're looking at continuing it for next year, fire prevention week.

A

That's great another thing: I know that the fire department's great doing is partnering with the schools to go into the elementary schools and really work with kids at a kind of an impressionable age about fire safety.

B

Yeah we uh every fire prevention week me and firefighter. Jess bappy go and speak with all the elementary schools, kindergarten through fifth grade and give presentations and fire safety speeches to all the kids.

A

Now I know that has a huge impact on children, because my own kids have come back and talked about the things that they've learned to stop drop and roll, not to be afraid when you see a firefighter how to get out not to go back for a pet is what I had heard recently.

B

Yeah we like to uh stress that one because everybody worries about their pets and we like to let kids know that they're they're important they're, the most important thing that needs to get out. First.

A

So when you talk with that age group, do you feel like you really are making a difference.

B

It's nice to hear parents, and especially at the open house, people come up and tell me that they had to practice their escape drills at home because their children came home and told them that we have to go out. We have to practice today. So that's that's always nice to hear.

A

You have to have your meeting place. You.

B

Have to have your special meeting place.

A

Yeah, so it's it's amazing and- and it's good to go back year after year to reinforce that message. Yes,.

B

I've been doing it now, since I joined the department and really enjoy doing it.

A

One of the other things I think is so much fun is that there is a coloring contest and the winners of that coloring contest get a special prize. Yes,.

B

They get a uh the winner of the second grade. Coloring contest get a ride to school in a fire truck. We take one of our trucks uh to their house, pick them up and give them a ride to school, and their class is usually out waiting for them and they hit the lights and sirens.

A

Which is which is really a fun fun incentive for kids. They.

B

Seem to enjoy it.

A

So one of the other things we were going to talk about is, as the days get cooler, people are spending more time inside we have the holidays coming up. What are some kind of dangerous behaviors that you see about this time of year that you would really like people to think twice about.

B

uh This time of year we're getting a lot more candles use fireplaces. You know safe use of candles and matches and lighters anything you use to start your fireplace or your candles. I want to make sure those are put away out of reach. The children candles are extinguished before you go to bed and fireplaces, make sure they're checked by a certified technician, make sure they're clean and used properly.

A

Do you worry about space heaters or weird ways? Are people heating, their homes.

B

Yeah space heaters are better now than they have been in the past. There's a lot more safety features built into space heaters anti-tip over and things like that, but they're definitely a problem.

B

People use unorthodox methods of heating rooms. Well,.

A

I've heard and I've read in fire safety tips people using an oven. You know opening their oven to heat up a.

B

Kitchen area charcoal grills propane heaters inside they all are large sources of carbon monoxide, which can be a big problem this time of year, too,.

A

And carbon monoxide, I know um a lot of people have carbon monoxide detectors um smoke detectors we just got done with daylight savings. That's always the time of year that what are you supposed to do when.

B

You change your clocks, change your batteries, so every year, when you twice a year, we recommend you changing your smoke. Detector batteries and a good way to remember is change the clock. Change your batteries. When you go around your house, changing all the clocks in your house bring a pack of batteries and change the batteries and smoke detector.

A

So this is something I didn't realize until recently. My house is about 20 years old that I should actually be changing out. The smoke detector smoke.

B

Detectors have a 10 to 15 year life and they need replace. So if you've had the same smoke detector hanging since you've owned a house, it used to be white. Now it's yellow it's time to replace it. Most of them should have a date on the back. That tells you how long they've been there and if they should be replaced. So.

A

I thought I was safe because mine's sort of hardwired, so I don't have to change the battery, but then I realized it's really old. Yes,.

B

It's old and most of the hardwired smoke detectors have a battery backup in them anyway, either in the detector themselves or in a central location that powers them all smoke detectors now because of a new iola are now dual sensor smoke detectors. Not only do they smell for smoke, they also look for the flickering frame flame. So all smoke detectors made in the past couple years and sold in iowa have to have the dual sensor.

A

But that doesn't make them carbon monoxide.

B

No carbon monoxide, they do make dual sensor smoke detectors with carbon monoxide detectors, but it would be labeled as such. Any smoke. Detector is a dual sensor, but if it says dual sensor with carbon monoxide, that would be a different unit. Okay,.

A

So something else to think about also an important safety feature for every home. What about fire extinguishers, fire.

B

Extinguishers they should be, you should have them kitchen garage, someplace, accessible, not buried in the back of the cabinet. You should make yourself familiar with them, know how to use them, but, on the other hand, realize that it's not your job to fight a fire, it's our job. So if, at any point you're not comfortable, don't know how to use it or you can't find it it's more important that you get out than actually using extinguisher. It's a band-aid.

A

Very very good information brad thanks for sharing with us today.

B

A

Well, just a reminder for your calendar. Remember that city hall and most city offices will be closed on monday november 11th for veterans day also, if you still have yard waste- and you want to get rid of it- remember that the next yard waste free day will be held saturday november 16th, there's more information about that on our website. Well, that's our show for today, thanks for watching and tune in next week for this week in ames,.

A