Firefighters Help Santa Claus with Mail Again

The Nelsonville Fire Department has entered into an agreement with the North Pole to assist in mail service again this year. Persons wishing to send Santa Claus an Email may go to the Nelsonville Fire Departments Website, and they can be linked to Direct Email to the jolly old elf. The Website is www.nelsonvillefd.org. Firefighters were contacted again by Santa after another busy Holiday Season last year and asked to help out again. Firefighters said, AThe decision was not hard, when Santa asks for your help, it is hard to turn him down.@ Email can be sent directly to Santa at contactsantaclaus@yahoo.com.

Nelsonville Launches New Community Information Service

The City of Nelsonville is launching a new Community Information Service designed to deliver important and timely information to residents in our area using the latest technology. This service, created by Nixle, LLC delivers trustworthy and important neighborhood-level public safety and community event notifications by web, e-mail, and cell phone. Nixle is completely free, simple, and trusted. Residents of Nelsonville can now take advantage of Nixle! Nixle is a community information service provider built exclusively to provide secure and reliable communications. It is the first authenticated and secure service that connects municipal agencies and community organizations to residents in real time, delivering information to geographically targeted consumers over their cell phones (via text messages), through e-mails and via Web access. Register now and learn more at www.nixle.com. Then share this new service with friends and neighbors to spread the word! “Nixle is a first-of-its-kind tool for communities that need to provide critical information to their residents,” said Dan Pfeiffer, Fire Department Public Information Officer. “When it comes to public safety information, you have to trust the source of the information. Residents of Nelsonville can rest easy that the local messages they receive using Nixle are authentic.” We are very excited to have you experience it for yourself. Sign up at www.nixle.com to register. Information is also available at www.nelsonvillefd.org.

Nelsonville Firefighters hold Annual Breakfast Buffet December 5th

The Nelsonville Volunteer Firefighters will be holding their annual Breakfast Buffet on Saturday, December 5, 2009. The breakfast will be held at the Nelsonville Elks Lodge located on Hocking Street, in Nelsonville. Breakfast will be served from 7:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon. The price for breakfast is $4.00 for children 12 and under and $6.00 for adults. This year’s menu will include; Sausage Gravy & Biscuits Pancakes French toast Link Sausage Bacon Scrambled Eggs Hash Brown Potatoes Cereal Mixed Fruit Beverages The breakfast is being held in conjunction with the North Pole Nelsonville Christmas celebration. The public is encouraged to come out and eat a good breakfast before enjoying their day long activities in Nelsonville.

FIREFIGHTERS URGE RESIDENTS TO COOK SAFELY THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

The Nelsonville Division of Fire is reminding area residents about the dangers of cooking fires this holiday season.”Cooking fires are the leading cause of home fires in Ohio, and more than 80% of the residential fires on Thanksgiving Day and 30% on Christmas Day are cooking related,” said Dan Pfeiffer Nelsonville Public Information Officer. “We urge all area residents to use common sense when cooking this holiday season so that they may have a joyful holiday gathering.” The National Fire Protection Association reported that fire departments responded to 1,300 cooking fires on Thanksgiving Day in 2007 – more than three times the daily average for cooking fires in the U.S. Nelsonville Fire Fighters offer the following safety tips for safe holiday cooking: Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling, broiling or boiling food. If you must leave the room, even for a short period of time, turn off the stove. Have a safety zone and keep children and pets three feet away from the stove and oven. Never hold a small child while cooking. Avoid wearing loose clothing or dangling sleeves while cooking. Keep potholders, oven mitts, towels and anything else that can burn away from your stovetop. Clean up food and grease from burners and the stove top. If you must use a turkey fryer, keep the fryer outside in view when it is on and keep it away from buildings and other structures, such as garages, carports and decks. The turkey should be thawed prior to frying. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Keep an ABC multi-purpose dry chemical fire extinguisher nearby. Never use water to extinguish a grease fire. Water and grease are a dangerous combination and could cause hot grease to splatter. In addition to using caution in the kitchen, firefighters urge residents to have a working smoke detector installed on every level of the home and inside each bedroom or sleeping area. Each member of the household should know the home fire escape plan and practice it twice a year. Also, holiday guests should be made aware of the escape plan and the location of any fire extinguishers in case there is an emergency.

61st Year for Fire Department Christmas Food Basket Program

The Nelsonville Volunteer Fire Department in cooperation with the York Township Volunteer Fire Department will be holding their 61st annual Christmas food basket program. The program started in 1948 when firefighters distributed 14 food baskets. For this 61st year firefighters expect to distribute over 200 food baskets at a cost of approximately $6,000. The Parade of The Hills Festival held annually in Nelsonville in late August was established to assist in raising funds for the program. Funds are still raised by the festival and by soliciting local businesses and groups for their support of the program. Applications for Christmas food baskets will be available on Friday, November 27th, and must be returned by Saturday, December 5th. Applications will be available at the Nelsonville water office and the Nelsonville Fire Department. Approved Baskets will be delivered on Saturday, December 19th. Only residents of Nelsonville and York Township are eligible to apply for a basket. Persons having questions may call (740) 753-2588.

CELL PHONES FOR SOLDIERS AND NELSONVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT, KICK OFF CELL PHONE COLLECTION DRIVE IN NELSONVILLE

More than 150,000 troops are serving overseas and are away from their families. Cell Phones for Soldiers and the Nelsonville Division of Fire are calling on all Americans to support these brave men and women by donating their unused cell phones. Cell Phones for Soldiers hopes to collect over 50,000 cell phones this year to help keep troops connected with their families. “Over the past few years, we have been amazed by the generosity of others. But, we have also seen the need to support our troops continue.” says Brittany Bergquist, Cell Phones for Soldiers co-founder. “It is easy for Americans to make a small sacrifice of support by donating their unused cell phones, and providing families with a much-needed connection to their loved ones overseas.” Local residents can support the collection drive by donating their phones at the Nelsonville Fire Department: - 211 Lake Hope Drive, Nelsonville, 740-753-1244 “We’re proud to show our support for U.S. soldiers, and to contribute to a worthy cause like Cell Phones for Soliders,” said Nelsonville Firefighters Cell Phones for Soldiers was founded by teenagers Robbie and Brittany Bergquist from Norwell, Mass., with $21 of their own money. Since then, the registered 501c3 non-profit organization has raised almost $1 million in donations and distributed more than 500,000 prepaid calling cards to soldiers serving overseas. Through increased fundraising efforts, the Bergquist family hopes to raise more than $9 million in the next five years to fund new programs, such as providing video phones and prepaid service to allow soldiers abroad to see their families on a regular basis. The donated phones are sent to ReCellular, which pays Cell Phones for Soldiers for each phone – enough to provide an hour of talk time to soldiers abroad. Approximately half of the phones ReCellular processes are reconditioned and resold to wholesale companies in over 40 countries around the world. Phones and components that cannot be refurbished are dismantled and recycled to reclaim materials, including: Gold, silver and platinum from circuit boards Copper wiring from phone chargers Nickel, iron, cadmium and lead from battery packs Plastic from phone cases and accessories

Benefit Spaghetti Dinner 11/13/09

Benefit Spaghetti Dinner November 13th The Nelsonville Volunteer Firefighters will be holding a Spaghetti Dinner on Friday, November 13, 2009. The dinner will be held at the Nelsonville Elks Lodge located on Hocking Street, in Nelsonville. Dinner will be served from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. The price for dinner is $5.00 for children 12 and under and $6.00 for adults. The menu will include; Spaghetti with Meat Sauce Meatballs Lasagna Vegetarian Baked Pasta Garlic Bread Garden Salad Beverages Firefighters are also holding a raffle with numerous prizes, including a weekend getaway! All proceeds raised at the dinner will go to assist Sara Cheeseman and her family in her fight with Cancer. The public is encouraged to come out and eat a good dinner before enjoying a great evening in the Nelsonville area.

Winter Fire Safety Tips

November 8, 2009 The Nelsonville Division of Fire is reminding area residents to focus on fire safety when heating their homes this winter and to use extra care if utilizing secondary heating sources like space heaters. “Proper installation, use and maintenance of winter heating devices are essential for reducing the risks of fire and carbon-monoxide poisoning,” says Nelsonville Firefighters. “Home heating fires in Ohio are often caused by human error, particularly through the misuse of portable heaters, wood stoves and fireplaces.” In 2008, eight people died and 34 people were injured in 557 heating-related fires in homes throughout Ohio. Firefighters stress the importance of having your home’s heating system checked annually by a qualified professional. Furnaces, fireplaces, wood stoves and their chimneys should be inspected and cleaned prior to the start of every heating season. Be certain that alternate sources of heating, such as portable electric and kerosene heaters and wood burning stoves, are used according to their instructions and with extreme caution. For any space heater remember: Space Heaters Need Space – at least three feet from anything that can burn. To avoid falling victim to carbon monoxide – a colorless, odorless, potentially deadly gas produced by fuel-burning equipment, such as furnaces, wood stoves, fireplaces, and kerosene heaters – install at least one carbon monoxide alarm near sleeping areas. Call the fire department if the alarm sounds. The Nelsonville Fire Department offers the following additional safety tips to help you have a fire safe winter. Fireplaces and Wood Burning Stoves · Allow enough clearance between a wood burning stove and combustible materials such as walls, floors and ceilings. · A wood stove should be placed on an approved stove board to protect your floor from heat and hot coals. · Make sure the flue is open before lighting a fire, and never close the flue while a fire is still smoldering. · Use a fireplace screen to prevent any sparks from reaching out and igniting nearby objects. · Never use gasoline or lighter fluid to start a fire. · The immediate area in front of a fireplace (approximately 3 feet) should not have a rug, carpet or exposed wood flooring. · When lighting a gas fireplace, strike your match first, then turn on the gas. · Burn only dry, seasoned wood, and dispose of the cooled ashes in a closed metal container outside and away from your home. · Never leave a fire burning unattended in the fireplace. Portable Space Heaters · When buying a space heater, look for a control feature that automatically shuts off the power if the heater falls over. · Never leave a heater on when you are not in the room or when you go to sleep, and do not leave children or pets unattended around any heating source. Unplug the heater when you are not using it. · Don’t use an extension cord with an electric portable heater. The current to the heater could melt the cord and cause a fire. · Don’t plug more than one heating device into an outlet. · Never use electric heaters near water – as in your bathroom or near a water heater. Kerosene Heaters · Make sure the room has proper ventilation. · Fill your heater with only crystal clear, K-1 kerosene. Do not use any fluid that is not recommended for your heater. Refuel outside, and only after the heater has cooled down. · Check the wick every couple of weeks during the heating season. If the wick is dirty, clean it according to the manufacturer’s instructions. · Because a kerosene heater has a constant open flame, it should not be used in a room where there are flammable solvents, aerosol sprays, gasoline or any type of oil. Propane and Natural Gas · Like many other efficient fuels, propane is highly flammable. That means it can be dangerous if not handled properly. · If using a propane fueled heater, make sure it is designed for indoor use and properly vented. Read all of the manufacturer’s instructions and make sure it is properly vented. · Do not use propane barbecues (or any other type of barbecue) indoors. · If you smell gas, do not operate any switches, appliances or thermostats. A spark from one of these could ignite the gas. Get everyone outside and away from the building. Shut off the gas supply. Call the fire department from a neighbor’s phone. · Do not attempt to heat your home by opening the door to your natural gas or electric oven. Generators · If you have a portable generator, make sure you place it in a well-ventilated area. Read the manufacturer’s instructions before using it. · Be sure generator fuel is properly and safely stored according to fire regulations. Never store fuel or flammable liquids in a basement or near an open flame. Always refuel the generator outdoors and away from any ignition sources. · If you choose to have a generator permanently connected to your home’s electrical system, make sure a licensed electrician installs it and be sure to notify your electric company. Improperly installed generators can cause multiple types of hazards not only for you but for power company workers. Also, make sure you have working smoke alarms installed on every level of your home and inside each sleeping area to alert you in the event of a fire. Test the batteries on a weekly basis.

Services for Chief Tim Carr

Funeral Services for Chief Tim Carr of the Nelsonville Fire Department will be Tuesday at 1400 hour at the Bishopville Baptist Church where a firefighters service will be conducted. Calling Hours will be 1100 to 1400 on Tuesday as well.Department that want to bring apparatus may park them out front. If you have any questions contact Dean Russell at 740-591-0542

Changing The Batteries In Your Smoke Detector Can Save Your Life!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 28, 2009 The Nelsonville Division of Fire is reminding local residents to make a potentially lifesaving change when they move their clocks back on Sunday, November 1: Change the batteries in your smoke detectors! In conjunction with the United States Fire Protection Association’s (USFA) public awareness program “Install. Inspect. Protect.” the Nelsonville Fire Department encourages residents to make it a habit to change the batteries in their smoke detectors at least twice a year – at the beginning and end of daylight savings time. “The facts speak clearly – only a working smoke detector can save your life,” said Fire Chief Tim Carr. “Persons can greatly reduce tragic fire deaths and injuries by performing the simple task of replacing smoke detector batteries. By taking the time to change the batteries and by testing them monthly, you are doing more to affect the fire safety of your family and home than any other action you could take.” Chief Carr said firefighters still find that smoke detectors, which typically retail for less than $10, are often not present in homes or are not functional. Through October 19, 2009, 80 people have died in 66 fatal residential fires reported to the Division of State Fire Marshal. Smoke detectors were confirmed present in 22 (33%) of those fires and functioning in only 6 (9%) of the incidents. Smoke detectors, when properly installed and maintained, provide early warning when fire occurs. For the greatest protection, install a smoke detector on every level of your home and inside each sleeping area. Also, develop an escape plan and make sure every family member knows what to do if the fire alarm does sound. Test smoke detectors at least once each month to ensure that they are working properly. Vacuum the dust from inside the detector at least once every year. Batteries in battery-operated detectors should be changed twice a year or whenever a detector “chirps” to signal low battery power. Never “borrow” a smoke detector’s battery for another use. A disabled detector cannot save your life. In addition, smoke detectors should be replaced every 10 years or according to the manufacturer’s specifications. The USFA’s “Install. Inspect. Protect” campaign encourages citizens to 1) install and maintain smoke detectors, 2) practice fire escape plans, and 3) perform a home safety walk-through to remove fire hazards from the home.