Faro’s Volunteer Fire Department

Faro’s Volunteer Fire Depar tment

Jaws of Life Training

Saturday September 17, 2022 Faro’s Volunteer Fire Department along with the Faro EMS Crew had a real life exercise where they received training in vehicle extraction. Great Team work was shown between two of the Town of Faro’s Emergency Response Departments.

Special thanks goes to Rose Stubbs for playing the victim as our crews cut her out of the vehicle and for taking pictures of the event, and to Russell Guspie for donating 3 vehicles to the fire department for this exercise

Did You Feel the Earthquake on Thursday?

Actually, there was no earthquake, but on October 20th at 10:20am, many places in the Yukon joined the worldwide Great ShakeOut earthquake drill. The Town of Faro participated in the drill, as did other businesses like Boreal Engineering. As Leif Nyland of Boreal noted, “Boreal has completed an emergency earthquake drill. Documented and everything.” Mayor Jack Bowers attended the Town Office Earthquake drill. “I learned that a door jam is also a safe, strong place to be and hold on during an earthquake.” So, what is the reality of an earthquake happening in Faro, and do we really need to prepare? Surprisingly, the possibility is much higher than most people think because this region is on a fault line. As in preparation for any majour emergency or disaster, it is important for each resident to be prepared, whether it be for wildfire, an extended power -outage in winter, or an earthquake. One difference is that with any earthquake, the first responders that you need to count on are yourselves, because everyone will be affected, including the personnel with police, fire, and ambulance. That is why the Yukon Government Emergency Measures Office (EMO) suggests that every family maintain a 72-hour emergency kit, like a special backpack or plastic bin, that you can grab quickly if you need to evacuate the building or the community. For more information about 72-hour emergency kits, please contact the Fire Department or the Town Office. Mayor & Council want residents to be prepared and safe, no matter what the emergency is.

The Town of Faro Fire Prevention week BBQ was a successful event. We would like to Thank Deputy Fire Chief Kieth Austin for barbecuing in the snow, Fire Department Volunteer Neil Yee for giving tours of the fire trucks, and local youth Charlotte for volunteering her time with monitoring the Sparky Swag table. We would like to thank all that came out, even with this cold weather we are having.

Wood Burning Stoves

Wood stoves can be effective tools for heating, but they also pose fire hazards. While they often conjure up images of warmth and comfort, wood stoves, fireplaces, and chimneys also represent a significant source of home heating fires. Fireplaces or chimneys are involved in almost two out of five home heating fires. Creosote - a sticky, oily, combustible substance created when wood does not burn completely - rises into the chimney as a liquid and deposits on the chimney walls, and plays a role in one-quarter of all home heating fires each year. In order to reduce the chances of a fire:

 Install the stove, chimney connectors and chimneys following manufacturer’s instructions or have a professional do the installation.  Wood stoves should have the label of a qualified testing laboratory.  In wood stoves, burn only dry, seasoned wood. In pellet stoves, burn only dry, seasoned wood pellets.  Start the fire with newspaper or kindling, never with a

flammable liquid, such as lighter fluid, kerosene or gasoline.  Keep the doors of your wood stove closed unless loading or stoking the live fire.  Allow ashes to cool before disposing. Dispose of ashes in a tightly covered metal container and keep the ash container at least 10 feet away from the home and any other nearby buildings. Douse and saturate the ashes with water.  Chimneys and vents need to be cleaned and inspected at least once a year.  Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from a fireplace, wood stove, or any other heating equipment  Create a three-foot “kid-free zone” around open fires.  Also, make sure any fireplace has a sturdy screen to stop sparks from flying into the room, and never leave a fireplace fire unattended. The Faro Volunteer Fire Department encourages everyone to think Fire Prevention with all home heating appliances used this winter, especial Wood Stoves.