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FAQ's |
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Frequently
Asked
Questions |
Q. Are CO alarms worth the
money?
A.
CO alarms are
definitely worth the money. Carbon Monoxide is a colorless, odorless
gas that combines with red blood cells 250 times faster than oxygen.
It can affect pets, the young, elderly, or persons with health
conditions much more quickly than a healthy adult. Without a CO Alarm,
there is no way for someone to know if the deadly gas is present.
Q. Where should I place A CO
alarm?
A.
CO alarms should be placed according to
the manufacturers’ recommendation, much the same as a smoke detector.
You should avoid placing them next to gas fired appliances, keep them
away from air vents, *keep them out of void spaces, place one on each
floor of the home, they need to be near sleeping areas. Note:* Void
spaces for this purpose include the area where the wall and ceiling
meet. Keep smoke and CO alarms at least 18” out from where the wall
and ceiling meet.
Q. I have heard that children
may not hear smoke detectors while they are sleeping. Is this true?
A.
Recent reports have shown that many
times children do not hear smoke detectors whether their doors are
open or closed. Studies have also shown that if children do wake up,
even though they may have been taught what to do in case of fire, they
freeze. The only way to ensure a proper response from your children is
to set up and practice Exit Drills In The Home. This would include
setting off smoke alarms at night when children are sleeping as
further practice. We recommend at least practicing your exit drill
twice a year. For further information, see our Exit Drills In The Home
page on this website.
Q. My son came home from
school today and said that we should be sleeping with our doors shut
because it could give us an extra fifteen minutes to escape if there
is a fire. Is this true?
A.
Sleeping with your door shut can give
you up to an extra fifteen minutes to escape a house fire. Having the
door closed, helps keep the smoke out of the bedroom and acts as a
short term barrier to the fire. In a fire situation, if you cannot get
out the door, go to the window and yell to attract attention. Putting
sheets, towels, clothing, etc. blocking the opening between the door
and the floor will also help.
Q. Where can I get information
about home fire sprinkle systems?
A.
Click here for for Fire Safe Home website.
Q. Why does a fire truck
respond with an ambulance for a medical call?
A.
Fire trucks respond for a number of
reasons:
1. The St. Charles Fire
Department staffs each fire apparatus with at least one paramedic
and advanced life support equipment. Many times these fire
apparatus are the closest units to the call.
2. The dispatch center in St.
Charles County uses an Emergency Medical Dispatch protocol to
assign calls. Depending on the severity assigned, a fire truck is
sent because the medically trained crew can provide needed
assistance to the two paramedics on the ambulance. No one truly
knows how severe the call really is until they arrive on the
scene. For your safety, we work from a premise that it’s better to
be safe and send apparatus than sorry that we don’t have the man
power on scene to take care of you.
3. Man power is another reason
fire trucks respond. Many patients are in locations or are of such
a size that two people cannot get the patient to the ambulance.
The stretcher alone weighs 90 lbs. This is a concern for the
safety of fire/rescue crews as well as the patient.
4. Having fire trucks respond to
minor calls for help that do not require transport to a hospital
allow ambulances to remain available for more severe calls that
require transport.
Q.
Why do I, as a city resident, pay for medical transport?
A.
All tax supported ambulance services
charge nominal fees to cover the cost of equipment that taxes can not
cover. Medicines, advanced medical equipment, stretchers, medical
liability insurance, and training are all very expensive. Therefore,
the fire department charges your insurance company a fee for
transport. The fee charged by the St. Charles City Fire Department is
less than the other agency in the county.
Q.
How much
does the fire department cost me in taxes each year?
A.
The St. Charles Fire Department, which
provides emergency medical services to our citizens, is paid for out
of your $.97 per one hundred dollars of assessed valuation general
fund tax. On average, the four other major municipalities in St.
Charles County pay $1.53 per one hundred dollars of assessed
valuation. The fire districts that service those communities do not
provide advanced emergency medical services like the St. Charles City
Fire Department. So, the citizens of St. Charles actually pay $.56 per
one hundred dollars of assessed valuation less for more services.
Q.
What is the
difference between a fire department and a fire district?
A.
Fire departments are funded by
the general fund revenue of a city and are a department of that city.
They are over seen by the same municipal council that over sees all
city departments. Districts are special taxing agencies that
service one or more municipalities and unincorporated county areas.
They are over seen by a specially elected board. They are not
accountable to any municipality our county government agency.
Q.
Is the St.
Charles Fire Department a department or a district?
A.
The St. Charles Fire Department is a
municipal department.
Q. Why do firefighters perform
business inspections?
A.
Business inspections are
performed in an effort to cut down on the loss of life and property
within the city. Additionally, inspections give firefighters an
opportunity to become familiar with buildings in their areas before
they respond to one for an emergency.
Q.
What do
firefighters do when they are not fighting a fire?
A.
Fire/Rescue training, emergency medical
services training, hydrant testing, fire hose tests, business
inspections, station tours, community presentations and displays, and
station maintenance to name a few things.
Q.
Will the
fire department provide a fire safety or disaster preparedness
presentation to my business?
A.
Yes, contact 949-3250 for information or
to schedule a presentation.
Q.
Do
firefighters really rescue cats stuck in trees?
A.
We will get cats down, because we are
concerned that an untrained person or child may climb the tree and get
hurt. However, cats are not stuck and do not need to be rescued, they
will come down when they’re hungry.
Q.
Which way
should I move if an emergency vehicle is approaching?
A.
To the right.
Q.
Shouldn’t
all your fire trucks be red?
A.
YES
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The mission
of the St. Charles Fire Department is:
· Service without boundaries;
·
Compassion and Integrity in all that we do;
·
Courage to move forward.
Ernie Rhodes,
City of St. Charles
Fire
Chief
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Introduction