For the period of Friday October 2, 2009 to Thursday October 8, 2009 the Niagara Falls Fire Department responded to 104 calls for assistance.
Friday October 2 – At 1:45 AM firefighters from the 72nd Street station were dispatched to a multiple dwelling in the 8400 block of Buffalo Avenue for a possible carbon monoxide incident. This was the first of five such incidents that the department would respond t over the next few days. In this particular incident residents suspected that the deadly gas was accumulating within the structure and using detection instruments firefighters were indeed able to confirm the excessive levels of the gas. The first and second floors of the structure were evacuated as the firefighters attempted to ventilate the building. Assistance from National Fuel was requested when firefighters determined that the source of the problem was a faulty furnace. Once the furnace was turned off, and the building ventilated the toxic levels diminished and residents were allowed to reoccupy their units.
Saturday October 3 – A member of the military out for a bite to eat quite possibly saved the life of a falls resident just after 7 PM. Firefighters were dispatched to a commercial building in the 8500 block of Niagara Falls Blvd for a report of a man choking. On arrival it was determined that a man was indeed choking and that a member of the military recognized the seriousness of the situation and performed the Heimlich maneuver and successfully cleared the obstruction from the man's airway. Firefighters assessed the man's condition and found him to be in good condition.
Tuesday October 6- Again this week firefighters found themselves responding to a call involving combustible liquids on a city street. Just before noon firefighters were called to assist the Police Department in the 9300 block of Cayuga Drive where they were investigating some type of liquid that was in three plastic totes. It was determined that the material was indeed a combustible hazard and working together the police and firefighters were able to determine who was the responsible for the product. A nearby resident had collected the material for a friend and was awaiting the pick-up of the material. The resident was instructed to remove the material from the city right-of-way and to provide documentation of proper disposal.
Thursday October 8 – At 3:35 PM the odor of smoke filled the hallway of a high rise residential building in the 100 block of Buffalo Avenue. The smoke was thick enough to activate the automatic alarm system within the building which alerted the residents to evacuate the building. Fire units arrived and were informed that some type of fire was on an upper floor. Once firefighters gained access to the reported fire floor that found light smoke conditions and the odor of something burning. On further investigation it was determined that a minor fire involving cooking had started in a nearby apartment. Firefighters determined that the damage was minimal and once the smoke was removed the residents were allowed back into the building.
This past week was Fire Prevention Week and Falls firefighters were out in all parts of the city speaking to groups about the hazards of fires and what you can do to not only prevent fires but how to survive should a fire break out in your home. In 2008 more then 4,000 Americans died in fires with more then 86% dying in their own home. Your best chance of surviving a fire is early warning through the use of a properly installed and maintained smoke alarm on each level of your home and in each sleeping area. Due to the proliferation of synthetic materials, fires today are burning much hotter then in the past and produce a variety of toxic gases that can incapacitate and kill with just a few breaths. Increase you and your family's chance of surviving a fire by not only installing smoke alarms that meet the current standard but by also regularly practicing fire drills in your home.
