Run Totals for Bethel Fire and EMS for the Month of August

Fire

There were a total of 33 calls for the Fire Department for the month of August.

Automatic Alarms – 10

Structure Fire – 1

Motor Vehicle Accident -4

Carbon Monoxide/Gas leak – 2

EMS Assist – 3

Rescue calls – 2

Pump outs – 1

Lightening Strike – 1

Gas Spills – 1

Wires down – 2

Mutual Aid – 1

Appliance issue – 1

Tree into house – 1

Brush fires – 3

EMS

There were a total of 136 EMS calls for this past month.

 

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Captains Corner

This month I wanted to touch on a subject in this article that is more controversial than perhaps anyone realizes (OK certainly among Firefighters), and that is the subject of what we refer to the place where we keep the fire trucks.

While what you call this place does seem to depend greatly on what part of the country you live in, the tradition and age of department you belong to,as well as things like if it is a paid department, volunteer, or a combination of the two.

The most popular is certainly “firehouse” followed by “Fire Station” which would be a lot to consider, but when you add in others such as “fire Bureau” “Fire Hall” which are more regionally specific terms it becomes less clear.

While all of these names have some merit, and to people not in the fire service it may just seem like a question of semantics, I know when giving tours with visitors of our department, we use firehouse, and I think that best describes who we are, what we do and where we do it. It is a place where our Fire/EMS family works, trains, and spends a large amount of our time at. When we drill on Mondays and other days during the week ,or if we are staffing for EMS we cook, eat, and sometimes sleep here as well. Somehow I don’t think Fire Station quite fits that.

I guess to sum it up best, trains and buses go to stations, families go to houses. I know which name is the one I prefer.

Be well and Stay Safe,

Brendan Fire & EMS