Biddle's Beat
Yeadon Fire Department: All fires start small
1/26/2011
When the microwave oven was first marketed, it introduced new, faster meal preparations, changes in cooking methods, and, in some instances, new unsuspected dangers. The Yeadon Fire Company’s response to a recent dispatch demonstrated one of the dangers – the danger that result from improper cooking.
Like many area residents, an overnight snowfall translated to a relaxed breakfast. During the preparations of a relaxed breakfast, the family microwave was elected to prepare a portion of the breakfast. Before that cooking exercise was completed, smoke and burning resulted in a lost breakfast and the arrival of visitors from the Fire Company.
Many meal preparers feel there must be either the open flame of the gas oven or the glowing heating element of an electric oven to start a fire. In reminding residents of one of the basic lessons taught school students during fire prevention programs, Yeadon Fire Chief Mike Melazzo stressed, “Three ingredients are needed to support combustion. When the proper mixture of heat, fuel, and the oxygen in the air combine and the result is fire”
Melazzo added that microwave ovens heat food differently than conventional evens. It is the radio wave energy of the microwave oven that promotes the cooking. The heating within foods can often generate temperatures that can approach that prompt burning in some foods. This appears to have been the cause of the recent snowy morning fire. “One way that high temperatures can be created is the choice of a microwave cooking time greater than really needed,” added Yeadon’s chief.
Special attention must also be given to the packaging of foods, as well as the containers housing leftovers. Not all food containers and packaging is appropriate for microwave cooking. Non-microwave objects can also create a fire hazard. The liners of most microwave ovens can become deformed and even burn when metallic objects are used in cooking.
The most common surprise items in the forbidden list are those with hidden metallic foil liners of packaged foods. “Speaking of liners, “volunteered Chief Melazzo, “those inside ovens can ignite or drip hot plastic onto hands placed inside a ‘just-damaged’ microwave oven. Please be careful!”
The Yeadon Fire Company urges both experienced and pressed-into-service cooks to read the suggested cooking instructions as well as pay attention to the progress of the items being cooked. These two steps go a long way in preventing both ruined food and a fire.
Return to TopYeadon Fire Department: Find a new safe place
1/26/2011
The white ground cover that helps in cancelling or delaying schools is a welcomed sight for most children. Parents probable do not share these feelings. Members of the Yeadon Fire Company have volunteered they have their own snow-based concerns
Yeadon Fire Company Fire Prevention members explained one reason for the emergency service providers’ dislike for snow. They cited the background for this concern, “Family evacuation drills call for a safe, outdoor meeting place. We are concerned the previously chosen safety location is now under the snow. Does your family need a new safety landmark?”
There is some urgency in following the Yeadon Fire Company’s suggestion. Wait too long to make a change to a spot that is not going to be snow-covered can be a gamble. If there is a fire and there is not safety location that is weather proof, family safety is in jeopardy.
Concluding this special winter weather advice, the local firefighters advised, “Please don’t gamble with the safety of your family. Also, remember the wise life-saving standard, ‘Get out! Call out! and Stay out!’ This simple saying, along with a guaranteed easy-to-find gathering location, has proven to save lives.”
Return to TopYeadon Fire Department: Fire Officers 2011
Yeadon Fire Chief Mike Melazzo has announced the recently selected 2011 fire ground officers. This two tiered group will lead the community’s emergency service providers during the year.
Working directly with the lead officer of the Yeadon Fire Company are Deputy Chief Craig Jeffries and Assistant Chief Rob Perna. This trio of leaders has an impressive tenure of leadership experiences.
Each of the members of this upper echelon has an impressive collection of officer roles as well as having previously served in their current offices. These three leaders have selected the remaining line officers from a collection of qualified and talented candidates. Each of the selected officers and the others have been chosen for their experience and previous leadership roles.
Next in the line of command responsibilities is Lyle Kunkle. As the Company Captain, Kunkle will oversee multiple staff and fire ground responsibilities. As fourth in the line of command, the Company Captain also is a liaison between the remainder of the line officers and the chiefs of the organization.
Heading the second tier of the Yeadon Fire Company’s officer corps is Captain Bruce Sloan. He has been an active firefighter and officer for many years. He will be joined by a collection trained officers in the daily command structure. These fire ground officers are Lieutenants John Mc Gowan, Terrance Stirling, Luigi Lazzaro, and Mark Hudson.
Managing the fleet of multiple purpose vehicles as well as working with a dedicated collection of trained engineers is Lieutenant Engineer Bob Lundell. The Engineering staff is responsible for the daily care of each piece of firefighting apparatus as well as arranging and overseeing the contract maintenance services for the Fire Company’s apparatus.
The Yeadon Fire Company’s Fire Police are required to work within the requirements of both the needs for the Fire Company and their support of the Yeadon Borough Police and, if required, the Pennsylvania State Police. They provide traffic control, building security and other joint, allied police support services.
The trained Fire Police are led by Captain Elijah Bey and Lieutenant Bill Neil.
Within the Yeadon Fire Company there are two general areas of responsibilities, Ladder and Engine activities. While these two activities have a collection of specific duties, they often are combined. Through cross training and other special activities, other emergencies activites are well served. This concept is most often demonstrated in Vehicular Rescue and Emergency Medical assisting duties.
Ladder Company operations within the Yeadon Fire Company incorporate search and rescue, building ventilation, and forced entry. It is this crew that helps in the location and evacuation of trapped people.
Many ladder crew activities are hidden by location, smoke, and interior duties. One important responsibility is preventing through ventilation the fire from consuming more of the building. In doing this, they help create a less hostile working area for the interior firefighters. As the interior firefighters progress into the structure, the ladder crew will use ladders to provide multiple emergency exits should there be a hasty way out of the structure.
In large fires, many different water sources may be needed. Thanks to the increased use of large diameter supply hose lines, water can be transported from different water mains blocks away. The majority of the firefighters may be away from public view doing interior firefighting.
Working with interior crews of two or more firefighters, the entire structure must be covered in the search for any hidden burning. Engine personnel also do extensive search and rescue in areas not reachable by ladder personnel. After the advanced of a fire has been stopped, the steps must be done to search for any hidden, unseen fire.
When the fire is extinguished, additional engine and ladder activities may include working with fire investigators reporting what was seen in each step in the extinguishing activities. “Remembering what was seen and experienced during every fire activity is a skill that is taught to every firefighter. This reporting helps compensate for any possible evidence consumed by the fire in possibly suspicious fires,” commented Chief Melazzo.
Return to TopYeadon Fire Department: Following the rules
1/24/2011
With the arrival of spring last year, residents of Yeadon, as well as the balance of the region, felt it would be a long time before they would have another challenging winter. Discussing this with his officers, Yeadon Fire Chief Mike Melazzo quipped, “Thanks to the low temperatures and heavy snows of this current winter, it appears our wait for another ‘real’ winter may be over. It may be here now.”
Both area and national winter news stories have been dotted with natural gas leaks, explosions, and disastrous fires. Older utility mains and winter-fostered sub-surface ground movements are known causes of breaks in underground utility mains. The result is escaping natural gas or water.
The pressure in underground mains can easily force water to erupt like a geyser and escaping natural gas to force its way into any underground path it can find. Recently, it was this migratory escape path that spread large volumes of freely-flowing, explosive vapors through a northeastern Philadelphia neighborhood.
It was a “one-shot-in-a-million” video that awakened my unknowing viewers of the potential wrath from burning natural gas.
In this dramatic footage viewers saw the result of the escaping fumes finding a source of ignition. This initial flame soon ignited a series of fires with their explosive spread soon enveloped the neighborhood.
These events will hopefully help motivated people to do so safety planning. Keeping all appliances in good working order is the best interior prevention practice.
If an outdoor smell of escaping gas is anything more than a “subtle hint,” immediately call 9 1 1 and then go to a safe distance and direct emergency personnel to the suspect area.
Safety steps change when the aroma is strong. Whether indoors of outdoors, don’t stay in the area of the collected gas. If outdoors, don’t drive; the vehicle can be the source of the ignition.
If indoors, leave the structure and immediately hurry to a safe area. Take with you a cellular phone; if none is available, take with you the home’s cordless phone and try making the call to the Delaware County 9 1 1 Center on the home’s cordless phone.
Do not be tempted to do anything but make a prompt exit.
Do not turn on or off any electric lights or appliances
Do not open or close any windows.
Do not try to shut off the gas.
Electric light switches can produce a very small, often unseen spark. Yet this small spark could cause ignition. Leave the windows as they are. Your first thought is to get away from the danger. The same must be said about attempting to turn off the gas supply. Chief Mike Melazzo stressed, “Please let the gas and electric workers shut off activities. This is a task for trained, meter-equipped people who have experience in working in this kind of danger.”
Yeadon firefighters stress, “Once out of the house stay away and don’t even think it may be safe to return. That permission can only come from trained, utility crews”
While the majority of the regional and national media are showing outdoor gas and water problems, this does not mean residents can stop their personal prevention practices. They are important and should never be stopped.
If there is an actual awareness or even a hint of any utility problems make that emergency call at once. Chief Melazzo explained, “Time matters. Lacking the immediate availability of the appropriate telephone number, don’t hesitate to call 9 1 1. This not only prompts their call to the utility on your behalf, local emergency services are also alerted. Let time work for you, not against you.”
Return to TopYeadon Fire Department: Holly Road
1/25/2011
In a Tuesday, January 25, 6:48 p.m. dispatch, the Yeadon Fire Company’s firefighters received what became the volunteer-staffed emergency service providers 33rd fire dispatch in the new year. The local apparatus and firefighters were initially joined by fire crews from East Lansdowne, Lansdowne, and Clifton Heights for the Rapid Intervention Team rescue group.
This early evening dispatch directed the firefighters to a building fire in the 400 block of Holly Road, Yeadon. The alert mission also added more definitive information that told there was smoke in the basement of one half of a two story, brick twin structure near Penn Street
Upon entering the corner home, the firefighters smelled the unmistakable odor of a heater. Nearing the basement door, they continued their careful meter-analysis of the air quality in the basement.
Completing a unsuccessful search for a source of the odor, and finding a fully functional heater, the search was refocused to the other half of the twin residential structure. As the firefighters approached the neighboring house, they were met by a seemingly suspicious neighbor. Dialogue reversed the initial reluctance to admit the firefighter to check her home.
As the mask-protected firefighters entered that dwelling’s basement and approached the home’s heater, they quickly saw on their Carbon Monoxide meter a reading of 122 parts per million. They immediately knew the potentially killer source of this colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas was located.
Following the completion of this life-saving call, Chief Mike Melazzo added, “The basement readings were well above the upper-limit of safe ‘CO,’ reading of 32 parts per million.”
The occupants of the residence having the unsafe heater were not aware of the dangerous conditions that were in their living area. These dangers prompted Chief Melazzo to summon PECO Energy gas and electric crews.
The utility workers analyzed the extent of these dangers. The result was a declaration that established that his home was currently no longer qualified for safe living conditions.
Upon learning of these findings Chief Melazzo notified the Delaware County Dispatch Center of the unlivable conditions and asked that the American Red Cross be alerted. Because of the dangerously cold temperatures, the displaced three adults and six children were taken to the Yeadon Borough Hall, where they met with Red Cross representatives.
Following this call, Chief Mike Melazzo stressed, “This call provided a ‘wake-up’ for one Yeadon family. It is the hopes of the Yeadon Fire Company that other families will use this evening’s dangerous events to do something about the professional inspection of their home’s heating systems. Carbon Monoxide kills.”
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