Apalachin Fire Dept Open House
Saturday, October 18 
 Please join us for a fun-filled and informative day at the Fire Station. From 11:00 am to 2:00 pm, Station 1 at 230 Pennsylvania Ave will be open to the public. Check out the trucks, tour the station, and attend demonstrations on Fire Safety and EMS Skills. Volunteers will be available to answer questions on everything from why our trucks are yellow to what it takes to learn to drive them. 

 Those who come early will have the exciting opportunity to see the Guthrie Air – EuroCopter 135 helicopter after an early-morning training class for Fire Department personnel. This helicopter, staffed by an EMS pilot, a critical care flight nurse and a specially trained flight medic, is one of the options the Apalachin Emergency Squad has to help provide the best possible care and fastest transport to critical patients in the district.

 The new ambulances will also be on display. These PL Custom Medallion Type III vehicles feature a  G 3500 GM chassis, with Duramax diesel engines and Allison automatic transmissions. The rear box, with a full 72 inches of headroom, has full 50% reflective graphic striping on the back. As this type of visibility enhancement will be required by the National Fire Protection Association in January of 2009, the department is substantially ahead of the curve on compliance with these important safety standards. All the emergency lighting is done with energy-efficient LEDS, increasing visibility while reducing power drain on the electrical system, and the low-heat, long-life LEDs mean lower maintenance costs. The latest in on-board electronics, including safety cameras and GPS capability means the squad can better respond anywhere in the district.

 If you have ever thought you might be interested in driving the "rig", this would be the perfect time to sit behind the wheel, kick the tires, check out the powerful engine, and see more of the awesome features, such as the one-way privacy glass in the rear windows, an amazing system that protects our patient's privacy while providing an unobstructed view of traffic for the driver. 

 We have helpful and informative brochures available, on a variety of topics including wood stove safety, preventing wild land fires, how to secure your home after a fire, arson and juvenile fire-setting. 

 There will be games for the kids, and refreshments.

Fire House Chili Challenge
 During Open House, the Sometimes-Almost Semi-Annual Fire House Chili Challenge will take place. Think you make the greatest Chili in town? Just bring a quart of your best red to Station 1. All entries must be in by noon, with judging to take place at 12:30. When you drop off your chili, please let us know whether you are entering as a Volunteer (a home cook) or Career (restaurant), your name and phone number. Judging will be done by a panel of our Chiefs. The Prize is bragging rights for an entire year, and a lovely framed certificate!

 October is Fire Prevention Month, All Month         
 In addition to Open House, our fire fighters will be involved in many Fire Prevention and Public Education activities throughout the month. There will be programs at both the Apalachin Elementary School and at Tioga Hills Elementary School. We expect visits from pre-schoolers and home-schoolers. Please contact us if your group would benefit from some fire prevention education.
Daylight Savings Time Ends Sunday, November 2 

 Don't forget to pick up whatever batteries your smoke alarm requires to be ready when we "fall back" to Standard Time on the first Sunday in November. 

Did You Know?          
 Our Advanced Life Support EMTS are able to use intubation, the same technique seen on TV shows, to help those patients who are unable to breathe on their own. This procedure has saved many lives over the years. The problem has been making sure the patient is really getting all the oxygen we are trying to get to them; there is a lot of complicated stuff going on inside the breathing system of the human body!

 The answer is to use devices that measure the rates of the gases our bodies take in and put out as we breathe. This technology is called Waveform Capnography. 

 Recently, the district approved the investment of close to eight thousand dollars in our cardiac monitors to meet state requirements for the monitoring of critically injured patients that are intubated The addition of waveform Capnography will enhance our level of patient care for those most in need, while keeping our squad in compliance with State health Department rules, at a lower cost than replacing all our current cardiac monitors.

Exciting Opportunity!
 Did you understand everything in the preceding paragraph? Perhaps you used to run with an EMS agency, put it aside for family or career reasons, and are now at a different place in your life. Maybe you want to help, but don't feel comfortable with learning all that medical stuff. Come volunteer with us, please. 

 We offer free training, and re-training for EMTs and drivers. Over 80% of the calls the department answers are medical emergencies. In addition, the Emergency Squad responds to fires and helps insure the safety and well-being of firefighters on the scene. Sound exciting? It is! And the camaraderie is fantastic. 
Please stop by our main station at 230 Pennsylvania Avenue any Wednesday,  7:00 to 9:00 pm, or call Sammi Garrett at 625-5576 for more information.