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

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

Fire

There were a total of 50 calls for the Fire Department for the month of March.

Structure Fire – 2

Automatic Alarms – 10

Arching Electrical Equipment – 4

Wires Down – 7

Kitchen/Cooking Fire – 2

Motor Vehicle Accident – 2

Carbon Monoxide/Gas leak – 3

EMS Assist – 9

Mutual Aid – 1

Unauthorized Burn – 3

Smell of Smoke / investigation – 7

EMS

There were a total of 129 EMS calls for this past month.

First Quarter Call Totals For Bethel Fire and EMS

EMS – 349

Fire – 134

Car 3’s Corner

This Months article is something that I have had in my mind to talk about for some time, and it is something that is truly unique about the Fire and EMS service that I think is often overlooked or dismissed. The place I’m referring to is our coffee room. I must confess as long as I have been giving tours of the firehouse, I can’t think of a single time that I have taken a group into it and I have never been asked as were going through to see it.

OK I get it most people want to see the trucks, the cool tools, our gear, the museum, and the two things we don’t have (but almost always get’s asked about) a dog, or a pole to slide down. No, nobody even notices the coffee room. Other professions certainly have coffee rooms in their facility, what makes yours so special you might ask? My answer is simple – The people in it.

If you come in early in the morning there are retired members like Walter Dugdale and Richard Reynolds talking about the news of the day, and are living historians of all things Bethel fire.

Sometimes Past Chief Clyde Finger or Jack Hawkins come by as well. I have been around for some of these talks, and what is truly unique about them is not only the great stories they talk about with each other, but also with their interaction of our new members with them as well.

The idea of multiple generations of Bethel Fire/EMS in the same spot listening intently to stories of fires and interesting calls from Bethel’s past and the equipment they used. There are not many other professions or organizations where you will see this.

The coffee room is also where we go after calls to unwind and debrief. Some of the calls we go to can be stressful in many different ways. Many times due to the nature of these calls our crews will talk through a call to make sure everyone is OK, sometimes we’ll talk about tactics, or vehicle placement to improve our response.

It is truly the heart of our, and probably all fire houses. As the name implies there is almost always a pot of coffee going, pretty much all day, which depending on when you get a cup can either be normal or something similar to the thickness of old motor oil (I hate to admit that’s my favorite) there are many things that are great about being associated with a group of people like we have in our department but knowing that after you retire, can no longer be an active member, or, even move away you are always welcome back at our table.

Stay Safe,

Assistant Chief

Brendan Patrick Ryan

Bethel Fire