Updates on the Parks Highway Fire near Nenana, formerly known as the Tamarack Fire, can be found on the fire's website here:

www.parkshighwayfire.com

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Anchorage Fire Department

06-8-2006

Contact Jennifer Klugh 317-9929

Anchorage Fire Department to Hold Annual Open House Saturday, June 10

The Anchorage Fire Department and the Anchorage Firefighters Local 1264 are pleased to announce our Annual Open House, scheduled for Saturday, June 10th from 10am until 4pm. It will behind held at the Fire Training Center, 1140 Airport Heights.

Many activities are planned including fire truck displays, a Kiddie Combat Challenge, Car Seat Inspections, live music by the Air Force Band of the Pacific, and a free BBQ. Fire department specialty teams will be demonstrating their rescue techniques, including structural collapse, Haz-Mat, rope rescue, vehicle extrication and the Anchorage Wildland Fire Helicopter. The Anchorage Firefighters Local 1264 Honor Guard will be presenting colors. Members of local media outlets will be competing in a firefighter obstacle course.

As part of the Anchorage Bike Helmet program, firefighters will be distributing and fitting free bike helmets to children under 15 years of age. There will also be a Bike Rodeo geared towards children, so please bring bicycles and helmets if you wish to participate.

Please call 317-9929 for more information.

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Anchorage Fire Department

Alaska Industrial Hardware Lends a Helping Hand to AFD’s Urban Search and Rescue Team

On Saturday, June 10 from 10 am – 4 pm, the AFD Urban Search and Rescue Team will be demonstrating the use of these new tools at our annual Open House. Visit www.muni.org/fire1/OpenHouse.cfm for more information.

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Safe Kids Alaska

June 5, 2006

Contact: Sara Penisten-Hurd

Safe Kids Alaska, State Coalition Coordinator

Providence Alaska Medical Center

Phone: 261-3194

Web: www.anchoragebikehelmets.org

Summertime free helmet distribution

75% of fatal head injuries among child bicyclists could be prevented with a bicycle helmet according to the National Safe Kids organization. To ensure our children’s safety, several local organizations have teamed up with Safe Kids Alaska to help provide a bike helmet to any child in the municipality who is unable to afford one.

This summer, all fire department stations from Chugiak to Girdwood will be fitting and distributing helmets. Helmets are also available at the Alaska Injury Prevention Center. Since April, more than 4,900 bike helmets have been distributed throughout the Anchorage School District thanks to the School Resource Officer program.

Susitna Elementary School nurse Joanie Lyke survived a crash thanks to a bike helmet. She now displays the damaged helmet in her office and often shares her story with students in an effort to encourage them to wear their helmets every time they get on their bikes.

To help kick off the summertime Anchorage Bike Helmet Project sponsored by Providence Alaska Medical Center, the media is invited to interview Nurse Lyke as she shares her story with two elementary students on Tuesday, June 6th at 10:30 am at Susitna Elementary School, 7500 Tyone Court, behind Carrs on Muldoon.

For the next several months, Anchorage police officers will hand out vouchers to children riding without helmets. The vouchers cite the recent helmet ordinance, detail the proper way to wear a helmet, and list distribution sites. Officers will also distribute 500 McDonald’s ice cream coupons rewarding children caught wearing helmets.

Safe Kids Alaska, in partnership with the AFD, will be distributing helmets at the AFD open house on June 10 and at the Bear Paw Festival Bike Rodeo on July 15.

Please note: in order to receive a helmet at any distribution site or event, the child must be present for proper fitting.

For more information, log on to www.anchoragebikehelmets.org .

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A Brief History
The Anchorage Fire Department was formed in 1915. It grew as a combination paid/volunteer organization to 50 personnel by 1951 when the first ambulance service began. In 1967, the first unification of services occurred when seven volunteer departments combined into the fully paid Greater Anchorage Area Borough Fire Department. 1971 ushered in the beginnings of current area wide Mobile Intensive Care Paramedic coverage.

Governmental unification occurred in 1975 when the City of Anchorage and the Greater Anchorage Borough unified to become the Municipality of Anchorage. An accelerated growth period, brought on by the construction of the Trans-Alaska pipeline, propelled the Fire Department from a combined Unification strength of 180 personnel to a current level of approximately 391. The Department currently staffs twelve fire stations. There are seven Basic Life Support, five Advanced Life Support engine companies, four truck companies, three aerials, a heavy rescue company and four tankers that serve as front line suppression and Emergency Medical Service (EMS) response units. Seven Mobile Intensive Care Units, Fire and EMS Battalion Chiefs complete the 24-hour unit staffing.  An additional rescue company and a variety of specialized units, including dive, foam, hazmat, mountain and water rescue are also available through cross-manning.

The Department maintains a number of specialty teams that include well equipped dive/rescue and hazardous materials teams. In addition to suppression duties, each engine company serves as a non-transport Basic Life Support (BLS) unit equipped with a semi-automatic defibrillator to enhance response to cardiac emergencies. The engine companies assist the Department's 66 Firefighter/Paramedics who provide Advanced Life Support (ALS) care and transport in conjunction with Firefighter/Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT's). A central 911 dispatch system serves the entire Municipality and coordinates police, fire and EMS response to all areas of the Municipality.

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Anchorage Fire Department
Press Release
9-12-05
Contact Tom Kempton 343-2902

In 1998, there were 18,300 residential fires in the United States originating in chimneys, fireplaces and solid fuel appliances, according to the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission. These fires resulted in 160 personal injuries, 40 deaths and $158.2 million in property damage.

Virtually all of these fires were preventable. The AnchorageFire Department recommends yearly chimney inspections to help prevent these hazards.

Many homeowners think their chimneys only need to be cleaned and inspected if they burn wood in their fireplaces or wood stoves. But almost all heating appliances, whether they burn gas, oil, wood or coal, rely on the chimney to safely carry toxic gases produced by the heating system of the house.

A carbon monoxide detector can warn homeowners of potential poisoning after the deadly gas has already entered the living area, but an annual chimney check can help prevent carbon monoxide from entering the home in the first place.

Each fall, homeowners shift into home-improvement mode. They clean gutters, garages and basements -- preparing homes for winter. But they usually don't inspect, repair or clean their chimneys, despite the potential for damage to their property or even to their lives.

An annual chimney inspection is a modest investment that can reduce the danger of chimney fires or carbon monoxide poisoning.  Fall is also an excellent time to replace the batteries in Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Detectors, and if you don’t have detectors get them now!  Carbon Monoxide is a colorless and odorless gas and the only way to detect it in your home is with a properly functioning Carbon Monoxide Detector.  Smoke detectors give you early warning of a fire in your home to give you and your family time to evacuate.

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