Fire House Facts & Monsoon Season Safety

07/18/2012 | Kayla Holiman, Fire Inspector

From Sunday July 8, 2012 through Saturday July 14, 2012, the Yuma Fire Department responded to 266 emergency calls for service:

• 15 Commercial Assignments
  Including: Smoke inside an apartment from an air conditioning unit, a fire sprinkler activation in a walk in freezer at a restaurant when staff used a torch to melt ice on an evaporator, a broken natural gas line during construction, burned food in a hotel room, and various alarms
• 13 Motor Vehicle Crashes
  Including: 1 involving a pedestrian, and 1 involving three vehicles
• 179 Other Medical Emergencies (serious to minor)
  Including: 9 for difficulty breathing, 8 for chest pain, 16 fall victims, 4 unconscious people, 5 seizure cases, 17 people with psychiatric problems, 30 trauma injuries, 3 diabetic emergencies, 3 strokes, 7 dehydrated people, a call for three children locked inside of a vehicle, and other illnesses and injuries
• 59 Special Duty, Public Assistance, and Residential Assignments
  Including: Three calls for dogs locked inside of vehicles, a dog with his paw stuck in a fence (jaws of life were utilized to free him!), a snake on the lawn of a residence, 2 hay truck fires, a fence on fire, a pan left unattended on a stove at a house - filling the house with smoke, a natural gas leak in a residence, smoke in an apartment from an air conditioner, many calls for downed/arcing utility lines during a thunderstorm, a vehicle fire, and various alarms

"Monsoon" Season

A weekend storm caused over 24 emergency responses from the Yuma Fire Department during a 2.5 hour span. Some of those calls for service involved damaged utility lines/poles. Since it appears "monsoon" season is here, we probably can expect more summer storms to pass through our area. Here are some things to keep in mind.

Always treat any power lines as if they were live. Don't touch them! Leave that to the experts. Even if a line is not charged at that moment, it could become live without warning. A common time for lines to be down would be during or after a storm like we just experienced. Puddles or flowing water expand the area of danger, so be sure to stay well clear of them. Instead of stepping over them, go all the way around.

If power is out, intersections may be dark and the traffic control lights may not be working. If that is the case, approach the intersection with caution and treat it as if it was controlled by four way stop signs. It is not just a good safety procedure, it is the law!

Many traffic accidents seem to occur during or just after a rain storm. Roadways are slick and you need more room to stop. So slow down and use extra caution. Visibility is also reduced. Have you inspected your windshield wipers lately? Heat and direct sunlight can quickly age your wipers. Old and worn wipers can make visibility worse instead of better.

The time to make our personal and family plans/preparations are BEFORE the emergency occurs. We probably have not seen the end of "Monsoon Season," so be careful and drive safely!

For More Information

If you have questions or need more information, please contact Mike Erfert or Kayla Holiman at 373-4850.