From the 
Apalachin Fire Department

 Happy Holidays from all of us at your Apalachin Fire Department! 

•  Personnel News    
Congratulations to Kayley Siebert and Shaun Foland for completing the Firefighter Survival class. Kayley is also now a certified Emergency Medical Technician and Shaun was recently qualified to drive our ambulances. Way to go, Kayley and Shaun!  

 Another one of our members, Steve Luker, is also now qualified to drive the ambulances. Good job Steve!   One of our former members, Jesse Garrett, recently completed his basic training in the military and another former member, Ray Morgan, is now employed by Arlington County, Virginia as a paid firefighter. You both make us very proud!  

 One final note of congratulations to Bernard "Bud" Bailey on 50 years of service with the Department. What an amazing example!  

•  Holiday Safety Tips
 If you use an electric space heater, a few quick checks should keep you safe. Make sure the heater has a thermostat control mechanism and will shut off automatically if the heater falls over. Be sure the heater is at least three feet from any combustible items. In addition, unattended space heaters should be unplugged.  

 Wood stoves cause over 9,000 residential fires every year. Use only seasoned wood for fuel, not green wood, artificial logs, or trash. Inspect and clean your pipes and chimneys annually and check monthly for damage or obstructions. Be sure to keep combustible objects at least three feet away from your wood stove.

 Do not place your Christmas tree close to a heat source. The heat will dry out the tree, causing it to be more easily ignited. Trees should not be left up for longer than two weeks. Keep the tree stand filled with water at all times.  Tree lighting is also a major contributor to holiday house fires.  Inspect holiday lights each year for frayed wires before putting them up and do not overload outlets. Connect strings of lights to extension cords before plugging them into the outlet.  Make sure to periodically check the wires. If they are warm to the touch, unplug them. 

•  Adopt A Hydrant Program
 Very soon you will start to see orange flags on the fire hydrants. If you live near one, please consider "adopting" it for snow removal. This makes our job easier if we need to locate them. Thank you!  

 Please drive safe this holiday season and enjoy the special time with your families!