ANDREWS AFB, Md. –
The Andrews Fire Emergency Services unit stands at the ready for any crisis that may occur at a moment's notice.
When fire emergency members jump into action, they have the ability to be anywhere on base within five minutes, utilizing invaluable manpower, time and other resources. Senior Master Sgt. (Ret.) Christopher Parks, 316th Civil Engineer Squadron Fire Emergency Services assistant chief, said many of these calls are avoidable if Team Andrews members take a few steps to ensure their own personal safety, the security of their family and the protection of their home or workplace.
"Since October 2008, we've had nearly 300 calls, of which, many calls can be prevented," said Chief Parks. "If people who work and live on the base follow the guidelines already in place by base and housing regulations, we could cut down on many of these calls, which would save us time, wear and tear on the equipment and resources such as fuel for our trucks."
Chief Parks said there are three key areas where Team Andrews members can pitch in and help save manpower and resources.
The first area of concern for Chief Parks is the use of space heaters, especially in the office environment. "This is our number one concern right now. The week before last, we had a case at the Pearl Harbor Gate where we had a space heater fire. It was an area with a lot of high-power use,including a microwave, refrigerator and three space heaters -- two of which were plugged into the same outlet. When we got there, one plug was actually burned off in the outlet itself." Though there was minimal damage, Chief Parks said the fire could have been much worse, especially if the blaze occurred after hours, due to someone leaving the heater on overnight.
"People may be under the notion that if you have a surge protector, that you're fine -- it'll pop off when it's drawing too much power, but you need to know that's not always the case," said Chief Parks. "What many people need to realize is that the size of the wire on many of these protectors are larger than what's running around inside the walls of your house or workplace."
Chief Parks reminds Team Andrews members that "Andrews Air Force Instruction 32-2001, Andrews Fire Protection Program" Chapter 15.3 states, "Auxiliary heating devices, such as space heaters, are strictly prohibited. As a temporary exception to policy, space heaters may be authorized by the 316 CES Heating and Air Conditioning Flight for emergency purposes only. If approved for use, the fire prevention office shall provide guidelines on safe usage. A letter from HVAC will be required to be maintained by the facility manager if a space heater is approved for use."
Another area requiring immediate attention is the use of turkey fryer pots and fire pits. "With the Super Bowl coming up, folks get together and fry a turkey or use fire pits or Chimineas. First of all, fire pits are prohibited on base, period. It's a huge fire and safety hazard," said Chief Parks. "Many of the turkey fryer pots tend to be tripods which make it easier for them to tip over and many residents use the pots on their patio -- which is way too close to the exterior of the house. Add to that the kids or family dogs running around and you have a real dangerous situation."
Turkey fryer pots should be used at least 15 feet from the home and in an area that is not by trees or other structures, he added.
"I want to make this clear: vinyl siding will melt. We had a colonel sometime back who melted off the side of her new house because she used the gas grill too close to her house," said Chief Parks. "She paid for it, but had she known that vinyl siding would melt, it would have saved her money and us time and resources."
The third area of concern has the fire crew responding to calls three to five times per week: carbon monoxide detectors. Chief Parks estimates that 90 percent of CO calls are false alarms due to faulty detectors. "This is a major concern for us, especially with gas operated furnaces and stoves," said Chief Parks, "We take each call very seriously."
Chief Parks said carbon monoxide-producing appliances and devices are used more frequently during holidays and in colder weather. To reduce the risk of accidental CO poisoning, install at least one carbon monoxide alarm according to the manufacturer's instructions, have a qualified professional check all fuel-burning appliances, furnaces, and chimneys at least once a year, never use your oven to heat the home and never leave a motor vehicle running in a garage.
"Liberty Park checks fire extinguishers, CO detectors, smoke detectors and changes the batteries in all detectors before a resident moves into a house. These safety devices are also inspected during our preventative maintenance service calls," said Pam Sherouse, Liberty Park at Andrews community manager.
"All of our houses have CO detectors and smoke detectors. Residents are asked to keep them clean of dust and debris, test them not less than once a month and replace the batteries when needed. We recommend changing the batteries when you change your clocks during daylight saving time," said Mrs. Sherouse.
Statistics compiled by the U.S. Fire Administration show that about 480 people die of carbon monoxide poisoning each year and another 15,200 are treated in emergency rooms due to CO poisoning.