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Left:
Kitchen fire in a home with Sprinklers |
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Left:
Kitchen fire in a home with Sprinklers |
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If the pictures above don't convince you, Check out our article in the Fire House News archives: Fall 2000
Make sure fire hydrants have a three-foot clearance of debris and obstructions. Firefighters may need to get to the hydrant for water supply. An obstruction of fencing, tree branches, bushes, weeds or brush may cause delay as firefighters try to get water to extinguish a fire. Someone may be injured or killed because water is not available as soon as possible.
A fire hydrant that is leaking, broken, missing caps or malfunctioning should be reported to East Pierce Fire & Rescue at 253-863-1800
Please don't park vehicles or trailers near fire hydrants. This only causes delays for your Fire Department and prevents them from doing their job. If you have questions, please feel free to call.
Do you have your address number clearly marked either on the front or your house or at the street? Is your street name clearly visible from each cross street? Here’s how to make sure that if you need us, we’ll get there easily and quickly:
Numbers should be clearly visible from the street. If your house is set back from the street, make sure that your address numbers are also posted at the curb or near the end of your driveway.
Numbers should be at least four (4) inches high.
Numbers should be in a color contrasting to their background. It’s also a good idea if they are reflective.
They should have a suite or unit number or letter attached to your address, make sure that it is also posted with the numbers (i.e. 2245-A or 2245-#10).
If you have any questions, please call Assistant Chief John McDonald or Captain Barry Barquest at (253) 863-1800.
Children start fires for many reasons. The most common reason is curiosity or experimentation. Curiosity about many things, including fire, is a natural part of childhood development ~ especially between the ages of 3-10. However, once children begin to set fires, they typically will not stop on their own without intervention. Easy access to matches and lighters, and lack of parental supervision frequently contributes to this problem. Punishment, discipline and scare tactics may not satisfy a child's curiosity about fire.
In other cases, fire setting behavior is a child's way to seek attention or express feelings of anger or frustration. A crisis fire setter may be reacting to stress, may have low self-esteem or may have poor communication skills. Sometimes family dynamics may act as a catalyst for the child's fire setting behavior.
There are many reasons why children start fires, so it is important to take all fire behaviors seriously. In most cases, direct intervention is needed to help stop the fire setting behavior. Fire Stoppers offers children and families help with this issue
- Trained personnel are available to conduct an interview to determine the severity of the child's fire behaviors
- Fire and life safety education and professional short-term counseling are available at no cost to residents.
East Pierce Fire & Rescue participates with Fire Stoppers of Pierce County. If you need more information or have questions, call East Pierce Fire & Rescue at 253-863-1800.
