SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2017
(Editor’s note: Beginning with this
issue of our monthly Coast Life section,
we will be carrying a special feature
written by new Siuslaw Valley Fire &
Rescue Recruitment and Retention
Coordinator Pete “Boa” Warren, who
will give insights, tips and perspective
from our local fire department each
month.)
A
B Y P ETE “B OA ” W ARREN
s the
Recr
uit-
ment
and
Retention
Coordinator
f
o
r
Deadwood,
Swiss Home,
Mapleton
and SVFR
F i r e
Recruitment & Retention
Coordinator for SVFR
Departments, I am the result of a newly
created, 4-year position thanks to a
FEMA SAFER Grant.
As the newest full-time member at
Siuslaw Valley Fire and an 11-year vol-
unteer, I’m responsible for recruiting
and retaining trained volunteers to serve
our communities.
In the coming months, I’ll inform the
public not only about my efforts as a
recruiter, but also about the goals of
area departments, training and develop-
ment, tips and other fire department-
related topics.
For this initial column, I thought it
would be appropriate to discuss what
“inititates” every firefighter’s response
to an emergency: The “tones” of his or
her fire department pager.
The tones, a specific sequence of
notes emitted by pagers, are different
for each fire department. This allows
firefighters and responders to identify
which department is being notified by
911 dispatchers, whether it be for
Florence, Mapleton, Deadwood, etc.
After sending the tones for a specific
department, dispatchers announce the
reason for the emergency response,
such as house fire, motor vehicle acci-
dent (MVA), search and rescue, ATV
accident or other emergency situation.
In addition, emergency information is
transmitted to the cell phones of first
responders as they head from home or
work to their respective stations. Within
minutes, residents hear sirens and see
flashing lights that, hopefully, cause
cars to pull over and make way for
ambulances and fire trucks.
Oftentimes, Facebook lights up with
“What’s happening?!?” messages.
What’s happening is that your local
Emergency Response Team members
and volunteers have initiated working
towards a common goal: Helping some-
one in need or protecting property
which is in jeopardy.
Each of these individuals is respond-
ing to the need for help — not only by
those needing assistance, but also their
fellow firefighters responding to that
same call.
Most are volunteers who respond are
ready to do so 24/7, throughout ous
area.
They do so thanks not only to the
tones emitted by their pagers, but also
the common call they all share in serv-
ice to their communities.
______________________
Capt. Pete “Boa” Warren can be
contacted at 541-997-3212, or the
main SVFR station, 2625 Highway
101, or email Boa@svfr.org.
Food safety tips in the event of power outtage
The storm is passed but the
power in many areas is just
now being restored. With
power outages for this length
of time, there are concerns
about safety of foods in deep
freezers and refrigerators.
What is safe and what is not?
OSU Extension Service has
resources available to help res-
idents determine safety of your
food.
“The weather was on your
side if you took advantage of
it,” said Nellie Oehler, OSU
Extension Faculty with the
Lane
County
Extension
Service. “Temperatures were
well below freezing during the
storm, so if your freezers were
in an unheated area outdoors or
in the garage or out building,
your food would have been
below 40°F.
“Now that the temperature is
warming put a thermometer in
Over
ars
50 Ye ce!
n
ie
r
e
p
Ex
MODEL TRAIN ENTHUSIASTS
CLEANING UP AFTER THE HOLIDAYS?
SPRING CLEANING AROUND THE CORNER?…
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the freezer and see if it is below
40°F. If so you can safely
refreeze the food. The quality
will be poorer but it will be
safe.”
However, if the temperature
is above 40°F, Oehler suggests
checking to see if there are any
ice crystals left in the food. If
so, those are safe to refreeze.
“Cooked foods such as con-
venience foods, pizzas, frozen
(blanched or cooked) vegeta-
bles should be discarded
because harmful bacteria can
multiply and some are not
destroyed by cooking,” said
Oehler. “Raw meats, fruits,
juices, jams, etc. are ok if they
are still cold or have ice crys-
tals in them.
The quality might be poorer
so mark them and use them
first.”
Food along the inside wall of
the freezer and those in the
door will thaw first, where as
those in the center will stay
frozen longer.
In the refrigerator, condi-
ments such as catsup, pickles,
commercial mayonnaise, jams
and butter will be safe. Cooked
foods should be discarded.
OSU Extentions — Lane
County has several publica-
tions on its website to help ana-
lyze food to determine whether
or not it is safe to eat at www.
extension.oregonstate.edu/lane
/food-preservation/publica-
tions.
There are also several publi-
cations on emergency food and
water storage.
For more information, call
the OSU Extension Service
Master Food Preserver mes-
sage line and a certified Master
Food Preserver at 541-344-
4885, or send messages via
“ASK an Expert” by clicking
the icon on the OSU Extension
Service website at www.exten-
sion.oregonstate.edu/exten-
sion-ask-an-expert.
541-255-9822 - Larry
landl316@live.com
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Financial Advisor
.
1010 Highway 101
Florence, OR 97439
541-997-8755
www.edwardjones.com
Member SIPC
Lady Elks offer scholarships
to local high school students
The Florence Ladies of
Elks, BPOE No. 1858, is
accepting scholarship applica-
tions from graduating seniors
attending local area high
schools. Students enrolled at
Siuslaw, Mapleton, Reedsport,
and Triangle Lake High
Schools are eligible to apply.
Students wishing to apply
are advised to request an appli-
cation from their guidance
councilor, along with an infor-
mation sheet detailing what to
include when submitting the
application packet.
Deadline for applications is
March 4.
Cel
e
70 brati
Yea ng
rs!
Hoberg’s
Complete Auto Repair
www.hobergsautorepair.com
345 Hwy. 101 • P.O. Box 357
Florence, OR 97439-0012
541-997-2413
Kevin McMullen
3rd Generation Owner
hobergsautorepair@gmail.com
Serving Your Auto Needs Since 1945
Fire Marshall offers
home heating safety tips
As colder weather arrives,
State Fire Marshal Jim Walker
is urging Oregonians to use
heating appliances wisely.
“With the onset of cooler
weather, I urge citizens to
ensure all their heating appli-
ances are in good working
order,” says Walker. “Have
your woodstoves, fireplace-
sand chimneys cleaned and
inspected every year by a qual-
ified specialist before using
them. Portable space heaters
also pose a high risk. Use these
with extreme caution and fol-
low our space heater safety
tips.”
Although woodstove- and
fireplace-related fires are more
common, the most deadly
home heating fires result from
combustibles too close to
portable electric heaters.
From 2011 through 2015 in
Oregon, there were 2,267
home heating-related fires
resulting in nine deaths, 57
injuries, and more than $30.9
million in property loss.
Although chimney and fire-
place-related fires accounted
for more than 66 percent of
these fires, six of the nine
fatalities occurred in portable
heater-related fires.
Oregonians can keep them-
selves safer from heating-
related fires using these safety
tips:
Portable Space Heaters
• Only use portable space
heaters with an automatic
shut-off so if they’re tipped
over they will shut off.
• Give heaters space. Keep
at least three feet of space
between the heater and com-
bustibles such as furniture,
curtains, bedding, and papers.
• Check heater electrical
cords. Inspect for cracked or
damaged cords, broken plugs,
or loose connections. Replace
before using the space heater.
• Plug portable electric
space heaters directly into a
wall outlet. Never plug them
into a power strip or extension
cord.
• Never allow children to
play with, or around a heater.
• Turn heaters off when not
in use, before going to bed or
when leaving the room.
Electric Baseboard
and Wall Heaters
• Be aware of electric base-
board and wall heaters. These
heaters are thermostatically
controlled and may turn on
without warning when temper-
atures drop.
• Give these heaters space.
Just as with portable space
heaters, keep at least three feet
of space between your base-
board/wall heater and com-
bustibles items such as furni-
ture, curtains, bedding and
papers.
Fuel Burning Space Heaters
• If using a fuel-burning
space heater, make sure it is
designed for indoor use. Read
all manufacturer instructions
and make sure it is properly
vented.
• Allow the heater to cool
before refueling. Refuel out-
side or in a well-ventilated
area.
• If you smell gas, do not
light the heater or operate any
electrical switches or thermo-
stats. Leave the building and
call 911, the fire department,
or the gas company.
Fireplaces and Woodstoves
• Have chimney and wood-
stove flues and vents inspected
and cleaned every year by a
qualified specialist. Ask them
to check for creosote deposits,
soot build-up or physical dam-
age.
• Always use a fireplace
screen. Make sure the screen is
made of sturdy metal or heat-
tempered glass to prevent
sparks from escaping.
• Keep a clutter-free envi-
ronment. Clear the area around
the hearth of debris, decora-
tions, and flammable materi-
als.
• Store kindling, fire logs,
and wood at least three feet
from any heat source.
• Install stovepipe ther-
mometers to help monitor flue
and chimney temperatures.
• Use proper fire starters.
Proper fire starters include
newspaper, kindling or spe-
cially manufactured starters
designed for indoor use. Never
use flammable liquid, such as
lighter fluid, kerosene or gaso-
line to start a fire.
• Never burn charcoal
indoors. Burning charcoal can
release lethal amounts of car-
bon monoxide.
• Use fire-resistant materials
on walls around woodstoves.
• Allow fireplace and wood-
stove ashes to cool before dis-
posing of them.
• Dispose of ashes in a tight-
ly covered metal container and
place the container outdoors,
at least ten feet from the home
and any other nearby build-
ings. Ashes may retain heat for
days after they appear to be
out.
Smoke Alarms and Home
Escape Plans
• For increased protection,
have working smoke alarms
on every level of your home
(including the basement), in
each bedroom and outside any
sleeping area (hallways).
• Test smoke alarm batteries
at least once a month by push-
ing the test button.
• Look at the date on the
back of your smoke alarm, if it
is 10 years old or older,
replace it. If there is no date, it
is more than 10 years old and
should be replaced.
• Ensure you have a home
fire escape plan and practice it
with your family.
Carbon Monoxide Dangers
• Carbon monoxide poison-
ing can be fatal if not detected
early.
• Home heating and cooking
equipment that burn fuels such
as gasoline, wood, coal, natu-
ral gas, propane, oil and
methane are sources of carbon
monoxide.
• Make sure you have work-
ing CO alarms on every level
of your home, in every bed-
room and outside each sleep-
ing area.
• Test and maintain your
carbon monoxide alarms
according to the manufactur-
er’s instructions.
Remember drivers to watch
for emergency personnel
The law requiring motorists
to yield to emergency vehicles
was signed into law in 2003,
yet many motorists still fail to
comply with the law.
Whether it is from inatten-
tion, being unaware of the law,
or indifference, failure to act
needlessly places police offi-
cers, fire fighters, EMT and
tow truck operators at risk of
harm.
Every year, police officers,
firefighters and emergency
medical workers are killed or
injured while working along
our nation’s highways, enforc-
ing traffic laws or assisting at
motor vehicle crashes.
The law requires that any
person operating a motor vehi-
cle who approaches an emer-
gency vehicle, roadside assis-
tance vehicle, tow truck or
ambulance which is stopped
and displaying warning lights:
• Must move into the lane
furthest away from the emer-
gency vehicle, or
• Reduce their speed if
unable to move into an adja-
cent lane by at least 5 mph
below the posted speed.
If you are approaching the
scene of a crash, carefully
watch for emergency workers
directing traffic and follow all
of their instructions.
—Lincoln County Sheriff’s
Office
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
The ‘tones’ of firefighting
SIUSLAW VALLEY
FIRE & RESCUE
7 B