Wednesday, January 22, 2020 | View in browser
 From the Chief's Desk
As we start 2020 I would, on behalf of the men and women of the Evanston Fire Department, like to express our sincere appreciation for your support during a very busy 2019. The department once again eclipsed over 10,000 calls for service last year that covered everything from structure fires and emergency medical requests to complex specialized rescues. We will remain steadfastly committed to performing each and every day with the highest levels of dedication and professionalism while being engaged in every part of our great community.
As a reminder, we will be testing for entry level firefighter/paramedic early this year and we would love for you to be part of our great team! We are committed to being a diversified and highly professional department and we are actively recruiting throughout the Evanston community.
If you or anyone you know would be interested in joining the department or you would like more information, please stop by one of our remaining recruitment sessions or visit: https://www.cityofevanston.org/government/departments/fire/employment
The final recruitment session will take place on Sat., Feb. 15, 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., at the Levy Senior Center, 300 Dodge Ave.
Enjoy this month’s Roll Call. If I can be of assistance in any way, please feel free to contact me at 847-866-5924 or bscott@cityofevanston.org
Stay Safe!
Brian R. Scott
Below is a breakdown of recent emergency responses.
EMS Calls
539 calls in December 2019
Fire Calls
 298 calls in December 2019
Evanston Fire ended 2019 with its busiest year ever, responding to 10,559 calls for service.
Response Time
EFD average response time for November: 3 minutes and 18 seconds from dispatch to emergency
NFPA Average: 4 minutes or less
Training
Division Chief Kull presenting at OSFM Instructor II class hosted by Evanston Fire Department
The Evanston Fire Department (EFD) is proud to announce that one-third of EFD firefighter/paramedics completed various Illinois State Fire Marshall courses in November and December. These courses are equivalent to semester long college courses and are the best way fire departments ensure firefighters are trained to established standards.
The Evanston Fire Department (EFD) hosted a Public Fire and Life Safety Educator course conducted by the Illinois Fire Inspectors’ Association designed to enable firefighters to more effectively communicate life-saving information to the public. Also, EFD personnel conducted both Fire Service Instructor 1 and 2 allowing firefighters to become certified instructors. The Instructor 1 course taught firefighters how to conduct classroom lectures (as seen in the photo on the left) and practical skill drills. Instructor 2 enabled firefighters to develop their own lesson plans and supervise higher hazard training evolution's.
Emergency Management
 The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) reached historic volunteerism in 2019, contributing a record 1,152 hours of service to the Evanston community. Thanks to the outstanding leadership provided by Mario Tristan, Steve Lemieux-Jordan and Mike Perlman, the CERT community has expanded its membership by 38% and increased program awareness through community outreach opportunities and a newly developed leadership team.
A record number of CERT training was provided by the Evanston Fire Department, CERT membership, and Northwestern University in 2019. The Evanston CERT community is trained for emergency response including light search and rescue, basic first aid, radio communications, weather spotting, traffic control, fire safety, disaster psychology and preparedness. This training allows CERT members to respond to anything from community events and small emergencies to large-scale disasters.
This year’s CERT accomplishments serve as yet another example of community partnership at its best!! Congratulations to Evanston CERT members for a job well done!!
 Home fires occur more in winter than in any other season. As you stay cozy and warm this winter, be fire smart! Half of all home heating fires occur in December, January and February.
- 1 in every 7 home fires and 1 in every 5 home fire deaths involve heating equipment.
- Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet from any heat source like fireplaces, wood stoves, radiators or space heaters.
- Keep portable generators outside, away from windows, and as far away from your home as possible.
- Install and test carbon monoxide alarms at least once a month.
- Plug only 1 heat-producing appliance (like a space heater) into an electrical outlet at a time.
- Have a qualified professional clean and inspect your chimney and vents every year.
- Store cooled ashes in a tightly covered metal container, and keep it outside at least 10 feet from your home and any nearby buildings.
For more information on how to prevent winter fires, visit www.usfa.fema.gov/winter and www.nfpa.org/winter.
Fire safety check list
|
