FAQs...

Frequently Asked Questions

Please download our Fire Safety Check List (in pdf format) and more Home Fire Safety Tips. This includes:

• What should you do if there is a fire in your home?

• What is a smoke alarm?

• What is a Carbon Monoxide (CO) alarm and is it necessary?

• Backyard cooking, Candle Safety and more.

Why do firefighters break windows and cut holes in roofs when the fire is inside a building?

1. It seems that they are causing more damage than the fire. Fire in a building creates a tremendous amount of heat and smoke. In many instances, firefighters must remove this heat and smoke before they can get close enough to extinguish the fire.  Heat and smoke rise, so cutting a hole in the roof and breaking out windows in strategic locations allows the smoke to vent upwards, allowing cool air to enter the structure from below.  We call this "ventilation". This improves visibility and lowers heat conditions for the firefighters inside, allowing them to quickly and safely extinguish the fire. Remember, heat and smoke cause damage too, so ventilation will actually reduce overall damage to a building and contents.

If I were trapped in a burning building, would firefighters be able to rescue me?

1. This all depends on you and the fire protection features of the building you are in at the time of the fire. Relying on the expertise and resources of your local firefighters to save you in a fire is risky at best. The best rescue is self rescue Install smoke detectors in your home and check them monthly. Have a fire escape plan that includes 2 ways out of each room/home, and practice it monthly with your children. Learn what to do in the event of fire in your home. Never re-enter a burning building. If you panic, your chances of survival decrease drastically. If you are trapped and you know the fire department is on scene, make your location known by yelling, opening a window and hanging something out, or calling 9-1-1 and relaying your location to the dispatcher. Stuff bedding or towels under the door to keep deadly smoke and gases out of the room. Do not hide! Stay near a window or doorway. Firefighters are trained to search under windows and doorways during rescue searches. If you are on a second floor you may be able to hang from a window and drop to the ground without suffering significant injury. This option should be considered a last resort, and only when smoke or heat makes the room you are in uninhabitable.

When I see an emergency vehicle approaching while I am driving, should I always pull over to the right and stop?

1. State law, and common sense, dictate that vehicles yield to emergency vehicles that are operating their emergency lights and siren. Emergency vehicle drivers are taught to pass on the left whenever possible when responding in an emergency mode. When you see an emergency vehicle approaching from any direction, slow down, pull over to the right, and stop. Do not pull to the left. However, there are rare circumstances where that may not be possible (if you car is already stopped, and you don't have anywhere to pull over). Simply stay put until the emergency vehicle goes around you. If you are blocking the route of the emergency vehicle, and you are able to pull ahead and over into a clear area, use your turn signal to indicate your intentions, and proceed at a safe speed. Never slam on the brakes and stop in the middle of the road when you see apparatus approaching. Make no sudden moves. If an emergency vehicle is approaching from the opposite direction, you should always pull over to the right and stop. You have no idea if they are proceeding down the road, or are planning on turning into a driveway or intersection right in front of you. Do not tailgate, "draft", or follow a responding apparatus closely. Not only is this illegal but it is also deadly; you run the risk of collision as vehicles pull back out into traffic after the emergency vehicle goes by.

What do blue or green lights mean on a car?

1. Volunteer firefights are allowed to equip their vehicles with a blue light and ambulance volunteers are allowed to equip their vehicles with a green light if they choose. A blue light does not give them the rights of an emergency vehicle with lights and siren on. However, these lights are meant to communicate to other motorists on the road that they are in fact responding to an emergency. We do ask that motorists pull to the right whenever safely possible to allow these vehicles with blue lights to cautiously pass by. Keep in mind, these volunteers could be responding to your house Persons operating a blue light are not authorized to violate any vehicle and traffic laws in New York State New York State Vehicle & Traffic Laws Article 9 states that a “blue light may be affixed to any motor vehicle owned by a volunteer member of a fire department … provided such volunteer fireman has been authorized in writing to affix a blue light by the chief of the fire department … The blue light may be turned on by the volunteer.