If you are like me, many of you are still wondering what gifts to buy your family and friends this holiday season.
Some of you have been ambitious and have your shopping done or have bought at least one gift. December is without a doubt the busiest month of the year. Plans are being made for shopping excursions, holiday parties, and traveling to see family and friends.
With all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, sometimes we forget about the little things like blowing out a candle before leaving the house, turning off a space heater before going to bed, or leaving a lit burner unattended on the stove. This joyous time can quickly turn tragic.
Think about your house during the holidays. You might have at least one Christmas tree, stockings hanging from the fireplace, holiday decorations in every corner, and scented candles on tabletops. Everything I just mentioned could be a fire hazard. That’s why the holiday season can be busy for the fire service. Here are a few facts about holiday fires: Home candle fires are the highest in December; one-third of all candle fires start in the bedroom; a heat source too close to a Christmas tree causes one in every four Christmas tree fires; and one in every three home Christmas tree fires is caused by electrical problems.
With an influx of calls to respond to during the holidays, firefighters need to remember to stay smart and safe when responding to house fires. This starts with remembering to grab the thermal imaging camera (TIC) when getting off the truck. I know I write this in almost every column, but all too often firefighters run into a house fire, especially during the holidays, without a TIC in hand.
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| 1 Getting off the apparatus with a thermal imaging camera is as important as strapping on your self-contained breathing apparatus. (Photo courtesy of Bullard.) |
I recently talked to a coworker who shared a very sad story with me about a house fire a local fire department responded to a few years ago during the holiday season. It involved the rescue of two children and one adult. As the crew approached the scene, they were told that three children and an adult were trapped inside the burning structure. The crew’s first thought was to get in the house quickly and find those children. In fact, the entire crew began a rescue attempt, and not one of them was carrying a TIC. Once inside the structure and realizing they had zero visibility, crew members went back to the apparatus to retrieve the TIC.
With the aid of the TIC, the crew was able to locate two children and one adult. Sadly, one child didn’t survive. There’s more to this story. A member of the crew became disoriented while trying to find the victims. Fortunately, and again with the aid of the TIC, the crew member was found and carried out of the structure and survived.
Getting off the apparatus with a TIC is as important as strapping on your self-contained breathing apparatus. This action is critical to saving lives. Without the use of the TIC, this rescue may not have happened, and more lives may have been lost. Always, always, always grab the TIC. It’s a tool that should be with you every time you exit your apparatus. Don’t think you can leave the TIC on the truck if you’re not involved in a search and rescue scenario. You can use the TI