As the cooler temperatures migrate across our region, as does the concern for home heating safety. As soon as the temperature falls, your East Meadow Volunteer Fire Department will beginning a season of nearly 6 months running to heating system emergencies, as burners begin full throttle operation to warm your family home, or business.
The Chiefs, Officers, and members of the East Meadow Fire Department urge our residents to take steps each year to ensure the safety of your loved ones.
Heating equipment is a leading cause of home fire deaths in the USA with half of all home heating equipment fires reported during the months of December, January, and February.
Some simple steps can prevent most heating-related fires from happening:
In the event of a heating system emergency, turn off your emergency switch, all occupants must exit the home, call the East Meadow Fire Department hotline at 542-0576, and prepare to inform first arriving units, of the fire's location if known.
The safety list above represents the many warnings of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), as well as the many experiences of your volunteers here in East Meadow.
In closing, we remind you that many of these warnings will also protect our East Meadow volunteers since your actions will likely turn what could have been a large fire, into a smaller fire handled with less risk.
Below grade fires are the undisputed most dangerous home fire your firefighters will respond to.
Responding to these emergencies for 43 years, it no longer amazes me at what we see… Flammables stored within inches of a burner, oil burners so dirty that carbon deposits sit on every surface in the room, and yes, in 2017, a 20lb propane tank in the basement of a home during an oil burner fire.
Help make your home safe this year, not just for your family, but also for the men and women who will respond to your home in a moment’s notice.
On behalf of Chief of Department James Walsh, his Asst Chiefs Paul Kosiba, Peter Cheswick, Philip Fertitta, and the men and women of the East Meadow Volunteer Fire Department, we thank you for taking time out to make your home safe this heating season.
John J. O'Brien is an active Ex Chief of the East Meadow Fire Department. He is the District Supervisor of the Jericho Fire District and has over 40 years of Dispatch and Supervisory experience.