Bigfork Fire Department calls increased in 2012

by Wayne Loeffler & Bigfork Fire Chief
| January 9, 2013 6:47 AM

People in the United States die each year from carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. This deadly gas is hard to detect because it is odorless, colorless and tasteless. Take the following steps to help prevent carbon monoxide poisoning in your home.

• Have a qualified technician inspect fuel-burning appliances at least once a year.

• Be aware the CO poisoning may be the cause of headaches, dizziness, vomiting, fatigue, confusion. If anyone is experiencing these symptoms, call 911 and immediately move to a location that has fresh air. Do a head count to be sure all persons are accounted. Do not re-enter the premises until it has been aired out and the problem corrected.

• Install a UL CO Detector outside sleeping areas on the ceiling.

• If your detector is wired directly into your home’s electrical system, you should test it monthly. If your unit is battery operated, test the detector weekly and replace the battery at least once a year.

For the month of December, Bigfork Fire Department responded to 44 incidents:

• One building fire

• One chimney or flue fire, confined to chimney or flue

• One land medical helicopter

• One medical assist, assist EMS crew

• 32 EMS calls, excluding vehicle accident with injury

• Five motor vehicle accidents with no injuries

• One gas leak (natural gas or LPG)

• One dispatched and canceled en route

• One alarm system sounded due to malfunction

For the year of 2012, Bigfork Fire Department responded to 661 incidents compared to 573 incidents in 2011.

On behalf of the Bigfork Fire Department, we would like to wish everyone a happy and prosperous new year. We look forward to providing quality emergency services to our community for the year 2013.

Wayne Loeffler,

Bigfork Fire Chief