Latest news with #CommunityConnect
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Fire department gives smoke detector program update
SHARON, Pa. (WKBN) — The Sharon Fire Department is pleased with how its smoke detector program is going. It's installing smoke detectors for free to any city resident who requests them. The program started earlier this month after a 9-year-old had severe burns from a fire. The fire department believes a smoke alarm in that boy's room would've made a big difference. So far, 170 smoke alarms have been installed. 'I can't stress enough how much I believe that fire safety through smoke alarms, early detection, fire prevention, community risk reduction — how that much is so much a part of the job of the modern-day fire service,' said Nick Samson, deputy fire chief. The smoke alarms come from the American Red Cross. You can call the fire department at (724) 509-1014 to schedule an installation or sign up online on the Community Connect portal. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Panama City firefighters begin annual spring fire hydrant maintenance
BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – If you live in Panama City and see brown water coming out of your faucets, don't worry. Panama City firefighters are flushing water through all of the city's fire hydrants this month. In between calls, they'll be stopping at all 2,750 of the city's hydrants. They'll perform maintenance and make sure they're ready for emergency situations. 'These hydrants are systematically our lifeline for water when a house is on fire, and the fact that they're working at 100% is when we get on scene, speeds everything up. If our guys are having to fight with the hydrant to get it on because the stems are tough, or the fact that the hydrant cats are stuck on, that's going to hinder our process and extinguishing the fire and saving your loved ones and property,' Division Chief of Fire Prevention Howard Demro said. The process starts with removing all of the caps, making sure they're lubricated for easy removal. Then they flush the hydrants to remove possible sediment buildup to make sure water is clear and flowing properly. Tourism Appreciation Month kicks off, TDC funding threats loom That sediment can cause possible water discoloration during this month's maintenance work. 'When that happens, we just ask the residents, if you see that, don't freak out. Just flow your water, turn multiple faucets on, let it flow for 3 to 5 minutes, and it should clear up,' Demro said. Firefighters clean all the brush around the hydrant that could prevent them from seeing it or limit their access. Another step is installing blue reflectors to help identify hydrant locations. They're documenting any issues or defects while conducting maintenance. 'The guys are writing them up immediately. I'm getting notification of this, we're sending it to underground utilities so they can start replacing caps, fixing the hydrants where they're easy to open, and making note of those hydrants that may have been hit by cars that we weren't aware of. They're getting all that stuff fixed,' Demro added. Fire crews say they've documented 10 to 15 fire hydrants that need repair. City maintenance teams are scheduled to repair them. Every 5 years, the department performs 'flow testing' to determine the hydrants' flow capacities. Fire officials say they've repaired about half of the non-working hydrants since the yacht club fire. They also encourage you to sign-up for Community Connect, a platform allowing them to communicate with residents and enhance emergency response. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Nolensville launches Community Connect platform for fire department services
NOLENSVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Residents and businesses in Nolensville now have a new way to provide critical information to their local fire department should they need assistance in an emergency. The town recently announced the launch of the Community Connect platform for Nolensville. 'It is our mission to enhance the quality of life for the residents of Nolensville through the effective and efficient delivery of fire and rescue services,' Nolensville Fire Chief David Windrow said in a statement. According to an explainer video posted on the Nolensville Community Connect page, the portal is designed for homeowners and business owners to input critical information to first responders that can help them protect residents during emergencies like fires. Neighborhood News: Stories impacting your community | Read More All residents and business owners need to do is visit this link and create a free account. Once they've created their account, they can fill out their profiles with information about their property, anyone who lives or works at the property, any specific medical needs anyone in the home or business might have, and even pet information for homeowners. According to Community Connect, here are the benefits of filling out the residential profiles for your local emergency agencies: Property: Understanding critical information such as your residence type, whether or not you have fire sprinklers, or designated family meeting places, improves our ability to respond and make decisions during an emergency People: Let us know who is best to contact in case of an emergency. Your contacts can help us with everything from access, to how to deal with potential hazards or locate occupants. Getting in touch helps us better communicate at the time when it's needed most Needs: If you or members of your family have mobility or other types of functional needs that may require additional assistance, letting us know means we can plan accordingly and respond more quickly to those needs Pets: Your pets are part of the family too. We want to make sure that we are able to evacuate pets and best handle them as best we can during an incident. Tell us about any type of pet at your residence – even take a photo so we can spot them easily! Business profiles can help in the following ways: Plans: Upload images and documents outlining your plans in case of different types of emergencies. Let your First Responders know what procedures you, your staff, and your guests will be following in case of an emergency. People: If you or people at your facility have mobility or other types of functional needs that may require additional assistance, letting us know means we can plan accordingly and respond more quickly and effectively Property: Keep us aware of the most important access and utility details, your fire control systems, if there are hazardous materials on-site and other key pieces of critical building information Contact Info: Enter your contact details – we'll send you a text message to inform you and/or the members of your team in the event that we are ever called to your property during an emergency More Neighborhood News | What's next for Nashville's largest homeless encampment? Any information provided to Community Connect is completely voluntary and based on what residents or business owners are comfortable sharing. All the information provided is also securely protected and only used to ensure first responders can better serve during emergency situations. No information is ever used for any other purpose, including advertising or marketing. For those who both live and work in Nolensville, you can fill out separate profiles for your home and your business, according to Community Connect. Each profile is connected to a specific address and email address, so if you have a personal and a work email address, you can use both to fill out a profile for your home and your business. According to Nolensville, the platform also has the capacity to help with obtaining burn permits, requesting inspections, and having your smoke detectors serviced. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Fire that injured 9-year-old leads to free smoke alarm installations
SHARON, Pa., (WKBN) — A recent fire call in Sharon has led to change after a 9-year-old boy was badly burned. He could've avoided injury if his bedroom had a smoke alarm. Now, the fire department has started a mission to provide free smoke alarms across the city. New smoke alarms are ready for installation in Sharon. The idea came after a fire on Euclid Avenue 10 days ago where the boy was sleeping and never alerted to a fire. 'In that boy's room was a bracket for where a smoke alarm should have been. The smoke alarm wasn't there,' said Deputy Fire Chief Nicholas Samson. The boy has serious burns but Samson believes he could've escaped injury with a warning sound so the Sharon Fire Department has a new mission to provide free smoke alarms for Sharon residents. 'One on every floor of their house and one in every sleeping room,' Samson said. The offer is for everyone. Up to three new smoke detectors per home are completely free. The sensors in smoke alarms only last ten years. The fire department is willing to inspect your alarms or install new ones. 'Even though you're testing it and it still beeps, it actually might need replaced and it might not function properly in the event of a fire,' said Samson. The smoke alarms come from the American Red Cross — a partnership to benefit the city and its residents. Residents have to take the first step and firefighters are ready to take it from there. 'It might not seem quite as heroic and exciting as the way you see on TV but to us, you know, a saved life through a smoke alarm, you know, is just as valuable as a saved life by someone being dragged out of a burning building,' Samson said. You can call the fire department at (724) 509-1014 to schedule an installation or sign up online on the Community Connect portal. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
