By Allen Smith
Independence Daily Reporter – December 8, 2013
Submitted by Newz Group Clipping Service – December 27, 2013
The members of the Coffeyville Fire Department are taking steps to make Coffeyville safer.
The new program, primarily kicked off Tuesday with the first inspection at the home of Karen Goss, known as Karen G, the radio personality at KUSN Radio in Coffeyville.
“This is our first inspection,” said Josh Mecom, one of two Coffeyville firemen on the CFD’s “A” shift.
The Fire Loss Awareness for Safer Homes project is not new, but the Coffeyville department decided to make the program more of a proactive event, rather than reactive.
“Other fire departments in larger communities use this FLASH program,” said Lt. Mike O’Connor. “We decided to be a little more proactive…get out and inspect homes in the community before there is a fire.”
“Many cities do this after the fact, go door to door in a neighborhood after there’s been a fire. We are going to try and do this before the fact, in hopes of preventing a fire,” said Capt. Bob Roesky.
Some of the items covered with a homeowner or the occupant of a home are smoking habits, electrical hazards, housekeeping, heating and cooking habits, smoke alarms, fire escape plans, fire extinguishers and conditions outside a home.
“Each category has a checklist of items we go over with homeowners,” O’Connor said.
“This FLASH survey is a result of the recent community survey completed by the city,” said Coffeyville Fire Chief James Grimmett. “The survey showed we are doing a good job as a department, but we know there is always room for improvement.”
“The inspection is completed by on-duty firefighters entering homes and educating the occupant of potential hazards,” Grimmett said. “When these hazards are detected, we would then recommend safer alternatives,” he added.
In the heating and cooling section of the survey one of the questions deals with changing the filters for forced air heaters and cleaning vents annually.
Following Tuesday’s inspection at Goss’s house, Goss left with a used filter in her hand she planned to replace.
“It’s things like that we look for,” Mecom said.
“We look for extension cords…are they used properly or are they placed under rugs or over hooks and nails?” Grimmett said. “Extension cords are helpful, but they need to be used properly.”
If a person smokes, the questionnaire asks are matches and lighters kept out of the reach of children?; is no smoking in bed a rule of the house?
“Those are big problems,” Grimmett said.
Firefighters look for smoke alarms outside every sleeping area, in every bedroom on each floor, are smoke alarms tested and are batteries replaced annually, does a family have a fire escape plan prepared and practiced regularly, whether or not families have a meeting place so everyone can be accounted for, whether or not house numbers are placed on a home where they can be seen.
Does a family, and babysitter, know the first rule in fire emergencies: GET EVERYONE OUT FAST AND DON’T GO BACK INSIDE?
“That’s a big one also,” Grimmett said.
O’Conner said the inspection process is completely volunteer.
“We’re not forcing anyone to do this…but it’s a good idea,” Mecom said.
He also stressed the fact completing this survey cannot stop a fire from occurring.
“People need to know these inspections don’t stop fires from happening…but if we’ve done an inspection and there happens to be a fire down the road then we have a little bit of a head start because we know the layout of a home if we’ve been here…and that’s a big plus,” O’Connor said.
Eventually, said Roesky, two firefighters on each shift will be doing these inspections.
“We have four or five inspections set up between now and the end of the year…after the first of the year we’ll start advertising the program on our facebook page, for example, and hopefully get some more people interested in getting their homes inspected,” Mecom said.
“We’re just trying to make Coffeyville a safer place for us all,” Mecom said.
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