From Sunday December 4, 2022 through Saturday December 10, 2022, the Yuma Fire Department responded to
333 emergency calls for service:
8 General Fire Responses
Including: 1 for a large backyard fire, 1 for a stove top fire, 1 for a gas fireplace left on but not ignited, and various alarms
1 Mutual Aid
Including: 1 for assisting Rural Metro with a medical emergency in the County
33 Motor Vehicle Crashes
Including: 1 involving a pedestrian, 1 involving a motorcycle, 1 involving a light pole, 3 involving head-on crashes, 1 involving a wall, and 1 involving three vehicles
273 Other Medical Emergencies (both serious and minor)
Including: 36 for difficulty breathing, 26 for chest pain/cardiac issues, 35 for fall related injuries, 12 for unconscious people, 10 seizure cases, 3 possible stroke cases, 4 for an intoxicated person, 3 for a person under the influence of drugs, 10 for psychiatric problems (6 threatening or attempting suicide), 2 for dehydration, 5 for medical alarms, 2 for choking, 17 for altered or decreased level of consciousness, 2 for fever, 2 for broken bones, 7 for diabetic emergencies, 5 for man down calls, 2 for uncontrolled bleeding, 4 for bad headaches, 4 for assaults, 6 for back pain, 12 for abdominal pain, 3 pregnancy related, 1 for a deceased person, 12 welfare checks, 1 for a 5 month old choking on a baby wipe, 1 for a person who took too much cold medicine, and other illnesses and injuries (Note: 1 of the week’s total responses was to the USBP holding facility)
18 Special Duty, Public Assistance, and Residential Assignments
Including: 1 for a semi-truck on fire, 1 for a leaking propane tank, 1 for someone stuck in an elevator, 2 for strong natural gas smells, 1 for a smoking washing machine, 3 for vehicle fires, and various alarms
This time of year, Yuma’s weather is almost always much better than that being experienced in other parts of the country. That does not mean that temperatures can’t dip down low enough to make things uncomfortably cool, or even “cold”. When that happens, sometimes, alternative heating sources are used. Improper use of heating equipment can have serious results. Not surprisingly, 48% of all home heating fires occurred in December, January, and February.
Every year, tens of thousands of heating related fires occur, causing hundreds of deaths. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), from 2014 to 2018, space heaters accounted for four out of every five home heating fire deaths. Better designs and more attention to safety have been reducing the number of heating fires. Prior to 1990, heating related fires were the leading cause of home fires. Since then it has been cooking related fires. Here are some tips:
- Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet away (at least 5 feet or more from open flames) from heating equipment (furnace, wood stove, portable heater, fireplace, etc.).
- Only use heating equipment that has the label of a recognized testing laboratory. And follow manufacturer’s instructions.
- Make sure your space heater is a modern variety that will automatically shut off if it tips over!
- Never use your oven for heating.
- Turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.
- Make sure all fuel burning equipment is properly vented to the outside to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.
- Test smoke alarms at least monthly.
For more information about fire and injury prevention classes we offer, contact the Yuma Fire Department Public Information Office at 373-4855, you can also “Follow” us at www.twitter.com/YumaFireDept or on Instagram @YumaFireDepartment
