Fire Department News

Promotions
Due to the retirement of Battalion Chief Speck Gilreath (44 years), the Anderson City Fire Department would like to announce four promotions. Promotions are effective as of September 28, 2009. The Officer candidates test each October. They are tested by written exam, resume, peer evaluation and interview. The engineer test is during April. They are tested by written and practical exams. All test are very challenging and competitive and we would like to congratulate each member for their success.

Captain Brian Black is promoted to Battalion Chief

Lieutenant Tom Dunlap is promoted to Captain

Engineer Jamie Cantrell is promoted to Sergeant

Firefighter Luke Riddle is promoted to Engineer

Fire Station Dedication
Fire Station 3, located at 111 Simpson Road, was officially opened Tuesday, July 28, 2009. The 15,000-square-foot building was completed under budget and without increasing taxes. The contract cost was $2,008,266 for the fire station and $250,000 for a pumper truck. The land, 1.84 acres, is being leased from AnMed Health for a nominal fee of $10 per year. The station is staffed by three firefighters through the re-allocation of available personnel resources. Fire Station 3 is capable of:

Housing up to nine on-duty personnel
Housing up to four emergency vehicles
Hosting community meetings of up to 50 people
Providing a base of operation for an ambulance from Medshore Ambulance Service
Built-in training props for firefighter and rescue training

Photo Gallery

Retirement Recognitions
The Anderson Golden K Kiwanis Club recognized soon-to-be-retiring Battalion Robert (Speck) Gilreath and Captain Michael Shirley on July 21, 2009. When Gilreath retires in September, he will have over 44 years of experience with the AFD. Shirley will have over 35 years of service when he retires in early 2010. Firehouse Subs and Coach House restaurants presented each with gift coupons, and the Club presented each with a personalized plaque.

Historical Items Donated to Fire Museum
Robert Bone and Shirley Owen, both relatives of former AFD Firefighters, donated historical news articles and artifacts, dating back to the 1800s, to the Anderson City Fire Department Museum at the Headquarters Fire Station at 400 S. McDuffie St. Bone (left) is pictured with Chief Jack Abraham.

Put Safety First
It is that time of year for fueling lawn mowers, garden equipment, boats, and similar equipment. With this "hands-on" use of gasoline, please remember that it is an extremely dangerous flammable liquid.

The vapor of gasoline burns, not the liquid. For example, a gasoline spill in a garage can be ignited by a source many feet away.
One gallon of gasoline has the explosive potential of 20-sticks of dynamite. Always store gasoline in a UL approved gasoline container; never in milk jugs or similar containers.
If gasoline must be stored inside a structure, such as a home, use an approved UL metal safety can.
Fuel engines before use, or allow the engine to cool before refueling. Never refuel a motor while it is running.
NEVER use gasoline to start a fire in your outdoor grill; fumes can drift back towards the person igniting the fire, and engulf in flames anyone nearby.

Firefighter's Narrative
Anderson City Fire Department Sergeant Brian Black has written a narrative detailing a firefighter's response to a structure fire.

Watch Out for Thunderstorms
The spring season brings the inevitable thunderstorm, and the possibility of resultant power outages. Fire Chief Jack Abraham offers the following fire safety tips so you can be prepared.

Protect your home with a working battery-operated smoke detector. In a power outage, a smoke detector will not detect a fire unless it has battery power.
Provide for batter-powered lighting, i.e. flashlights, with spare batteries for prolonged outages. Candles are the number one cause of fires during a power outage.
Test the battery-operated emergency lighting at work twice/year by pushing the test button and holding for 30-seconds. A dim light signifies battery replacement needed.
Check your telephone service. Fallen trees may have impacted your phone service as well as electricity.

Smoke Detectors

The Fire Chiefs in Anderson held a news conference Friday, January 27, to promote smoke detector use in homes and the availability of free smoke detectors to those who need them in the county, thanks to a DHEC grant. The news conference was held at the headquarters station of the Anderson City Fire Department at 400 S. McDuffie Street.

Additional information about smoke detectors.

Holiday Fire Safety Reminders
The firefighters of the Anderson City Fire Department offer the following recommendations to help avoid an accidental fire:

Inspect all electrical wiring used for decorations. Do not use any appliances with frayed wires or defective plugs.
The safest decorative lights are the micro-lights w/ built-in fuses to eliminate electrical overload of the wiring when multiple strings of lights are connected together.
Use fire retardant trees inside homes. Natural trees, which have a tendency to become dry and very flammable, can be treated with a spray-on fire retardant.
Make sure all smoke detectors are working by pressing the test button, and make sure your family has practiced an exit drill in the home.

For more info, call (864) 231-2256.

Move Over for Emergencies
If you're driving along with the windows up, a/c on high, radio blaring, you may not hear that siren. A glance in the rear view mirror reveals the flashing lights of a fire truck coming at you. What do you do?

Although emergency vehicle drivers – fire, law enforcement, EMS – are trained to drive defensively, a 19-ton fire truck has limited maneuverability. Drivers who encounter emergency vehicles should follow these suggestions:

If possible, move to the right side of the road, come to a complete stop.
If you are on the inside lane & unable to move to the right, come to a complete stop until all emergency vehicles have passed.
Remain stopped if you are at a red light of an intersection and cannot pull any further to the right. The emergency vehicle driver will drive around a line of stopped cars.
If you are turning right on red, come to a complete stop; ensure there are no emergency vehicles approaching. The driver of a rapidly approaching emergency vehicle is going to assume the right of way if (s)he has the green light.

Summer Storms
Don't let the lazy days of summer catch you with your guard down. City of Anderson Fire Chief Jack Abraham cautions that strong, summer storms can create immediate and unusual fire hazards. The US Fire Administration offers these reminders:

Lightning associated with thunderstorms generates a variety of fire hazards. The power of lightning's electrical charge and intense heat can electrocute on contact, splitting trees and causing fires.
Pools of water and even appliances can be electrically charged.
If your home has sustained flood or water damage, and you can safely get to the main breaker or fuse box, turn off the power.
Assume all wires on the ground are electrically charged, including cable TV feeds. Report downed or damaged power lines to the utility company or emergency services.

Prevent Static Electricity Fires
For many of us, gasoline is such an integral part of our everyday routine that we sometimes forget it is a highly combustible liquid – safe when dispensed properly, but extremely dangerous when handled carelessly or inattentively. The Fire Department has provided a seven-minute video, produced by Purdue University Extension of Consumer and Family Sciences, to promote consumer awareness of – and instruct the general public in – the safe and proper way to fuel vehicles, containers and equipment at service stations, and remind us of the potential hazards if not handled properly. For copies of the video on CD, call 1-800-422-2525.

Video – Do's and Don'ts at the Gas Pump (Best viewed using Windows Media Player. Download the most recent version here. Video and download page will open in new windows. )