The Town of Erwin Fire Department is an integral part of the town’s municipal services offered to the residents and visitors of the Town of Erwin, Tennessee. The department had nine (9) full-time employees and fifteen (15) part-time employees, and is headed by a full-time Fire Chief appointed by the town’s governing body. The department is equipped with two 1997 Pierce 1500 GPM Pumpers, (one having a fifty feet Tele Squirt elevated master stream and ladder), as well as a 1978 Ford Boardman 1000 GPM Pumper and two service vehicles.

 

The department is the sole provider of fire protection, operational level hazardous materials response, arson investigation, codes enforcement and public fire safety education. Community groups may contact the fire department to schedule fire safety programs and demonstrations.

 

General Fire Safety
-Does each level of your home have a smoke detector?
-Does your family test smoke detectors regularly?(Remember, a smoke detector that doesn’t work is like not having a smoke detector at all)
-Does each area have an operational fire extinguisher? Kitchen, family room, work shop, etc.
-My Fire Department Emergency Telephone Number is: (911)
-Does your family know how to report a fire? (Remember to call the fire department from outside.  Give name, location and fire type clearly).
-Does your family plan and practice a fire drill from all areas of the house? (Know two ways out and have a meeting place away from the house).
 

 Kitchen Fire Safety
-Is the kitchen cooking area free of oil and grease? (Check under the burners and hood).
-Does your family know how to fight a grease fire? (Never pour water on it. Smother it with a lid or use a fire extinguisher).
-When working in the kitchen, does your family wear safe clothing and use potholders? (Never wear loose clothing—draping sleeves may ignite after brushing against a burner).
 

 Bedroom Fire Safety
-Is “no smoking in bed” a rule in your home? (Make sure matches and smoking materials are out before disposing of them).
-Does your family know what to do when in their bedroom and a fire breaks out? (Stay low, feel the door to see if it is hot; opening it could kill you, oxygen would be added to the fire allowing it   to spread into your bedroom. If door is hot, use an alternate escape route).
-Speaking of alternate escape routes, can your family easily open bedroom windows in case of a fire emergency? (Make sure windows are not painted shut and do not stick).
 

-Basement/Furnace Fire Safety
-Do you have the furnace cleaned and maintained regularly? (Keep a record and have it serviced and checked by an authorized technician).
-Does your family keep the furnace area free of trash, papers, paint, etc? (Use metal containers for ashes).
 

-Workshop Fire Safety
-Do you make certain your electrical outlets are not overloaded? (Use only grounded, heavy-duty extension cords).
-Is there a smoke detector and fire extinguisher in your workshop?
-When storing paint, varnish, etc., do you keep the contents tightly closed? (Make sure contents are stored in their original containers).
 

-Garage/Storage Fire Safety
-If your garage is attached to your house, is it separated by a tight fitting door, which is kept 
  closed? (Many homes install certified doors between living area and attached garage).
-Does your family store gasoline in a strong metal safety can and keep it in a protected area away from the house and garage?
-Does your family let the lawn mower engine cool before refilling the tank? (Also, let lawn and garden equipment cool down before storing in a garage or shed).
-Does your family discard old waste, oil solvents, flammable liquids, etc. properly? (Check with local authorities for proper disposal methods).

How well did your family do?

 

To pass, you need to correct each question that was answered with a NO.

 

Each year, residential fires kill approximately 5,000 people, injure an additional 21,000 and destroy over $3.5 billion in property. That translates to over 13 deaths and 57 injuries each day. The sad truth is that most of this devastation could be avoided if each household would eliminate fire hazards, install and maintain smoke detectors.

 

Home Fire Safety Tips

Don’t Panic—Concentrate on the task at hand: safe escape.

Act Quickly—Fire moves much faster than you can imagine.

Stay Low—If there is smoke in the area, get down on your hands and knees, and quickly move to  safety.

Feel the Door—Don’t enter through a doorway that feels hot, chances are the fire is on the other  side.

Go to the Window—If you can’t find a way out, move quickly to the window and signal others of  your dilemma.

Never Use an Elevator—Fires move upward through vertical openings like elevator shafts. If the  elevator loses power and stalls, you’ve had it!

Report the Fire—Once you and your family are safe, report the fire immediately by calling 911.

 

 

You can listen to the Erwin Fire Department with your scanner:

 

Frequency 151.145 Ch. 1 Dispatch

Frequency 151.2125 Ch. 2 Fire Ground Ops

Frequency 151.4075 Fire Ground Ops

Frequency 154.295 TN Fire Mutual Aids