Direct Line

William Casey, Fire Chief, NAS Sigonella

When you think of your local fire department, you probably imagine the big red truck, a firefighter in full gear, and maybe a Dalmatian. However, typical fire and emergency services departments are more than just the first responders. The NAS Sigonella Fire & Emergency Services department is comprised of administration, operations, training, and fire prevention sections, all of which play a vital role in providing a safe and hazard free environment for our installation. Of these sections, the fire prevention office is charged with educating the public on fire safety and the prevention of fires. As we start “Fire Prevention Week,” we want to let you know a little bit about what our fire prevention team does.

Public education plays a critical part in ensuring the populace is safe in their daily activities. Our fire inspectors provide briefings to fire wardens and conduct fire drills at daycare centers, teen centers and at Department of Defense schools. You may have seen a fire inspector at your base indoctrination or even at your housing briefing when you arrived. Our annual “Fire Prevention Week” is a culmination of all our fire prevention efforts. This year, Fire Prevention Week runs from October 4-10, and the theme is “Serve Up Fire Safety in the Kitchen!” Here at NAS Sigonella, we will be hanging banners and passing out literature. Unfortunately, due to the Italian decree on COVID-19 we cannot have visitors in the fire station or fire trucks. We will be present for a daily AFN Radio show covering Fire Prevention Week and the history of Fire Prevention Week. Monday, Wednesday and Thursday the show will be at 1500, Tuesday will be at 1600 and Friday at 0900. You can also search under the heading NFPA Fire Prevention week for more information and games; there is even an application for your mobile device.

Of course, we also want to take this opportunity to make sure you know how to stay safe throughout the year. Here are just a few pointers:

• Cooking is the #1 cause of home fires and home fire injuries. Unattended cooking is the leading cause of fires in the kitchen.

• Always keep a lid handy. For stove top fires, put a lid on it.

• Never use water or baking powder on a grease fire.

• Fire in the oven? Keep the door closed and turn off the heat.

• Keep cooking areas clear of anything that can catch fire.

Public education isn’t all we do, though. Another critical aspect of the fire prevention office is conducting fire inspections. This may sound like a routine task, but the fire inspector must possess the knowledge associated with the facility classification, occupancy, hazard classification and have an understanding of the facilities historical data, before they begin the inspection.

Though fire inspections are a critical part of fire safety, preventing fires through sound engineering practices is always our preferred option. Fire engineering is the least visible part of a fire inspector’s responsibilities, but could be considered the most important. Engineering reviews are our opportunity to catch fire safety deficiencies while a building is in the planning phase or under major renovation. The inspectors ensure safety devices are included in the planning phase as well as the correct occupancy load, number of exits, emergency lighting and egress travel distance.

In closing, the fire prevention office is an essential part of any fire & emergency services program. A sound prevention program directly reduces the workload for the other functional areas of the department. Our fire inspectors are the lynch-pin to preventing fires and are an intricate part of our fire department!

For further information you can contact the Fire Prevention office: Assistant Chief Rowell 624-0534, Fire Inspector Musumeci 624-5194, or Fire Inspector Tatum 624-6294.

Happy Fire Prevention Week!