HANCEVILLE, Ala. – Hanceville Fire and Rescue Assistant Fire Chief Bart Absher gave an update recently on the number and types of calls the fire department has responded to so far in and around Hanceville in 2019. Absher said the numbers for 2019 are in-line with the 2018 numbers; however, one statistic in particular is a serious concern. He reported that Cullman County is ranked in the top 10 in the state of Alabama for fire fatalities. Hanceville Fire and Rescue wants to make all Hanceville citizens aware of a program where they can receive free smoke detectors.
The Alabama State Fire Marshal’s Office has created a program called “Get Alarmed Alabama.” Absher said Hanceville is participating in the program, funded by a private foundation, which provides free smoke alarms to its residents.
He said, “We can go out, we can give these to any citizen in our coverage area. We found out, even if it’s a rental property, then we can give them to a rental because state law says that rental person is supposed to supply, that’s part of rental property, but they don’t. We have to put on the paperwork, rental property-none were installed.”
Any fire department can register for the program to help provide residents with smoke alarms. One requirement to receiving a smoke alarm is the homeowner must allow the fire department to install the device in his or her home to make sure the alarm is installed correctly.
Another program that people can look for is “Turn Your Attention to Fire Prevention.” Absher described this program as “a work in progress” as departments get on board. The program will focus on education and fire prevention.
Why would Cullman County rank so high for fire fatalities?
Absher explained, “Unfortunately, it’s demographics. It’s financial and living (at or below) the poverty level. We have a lot of people out in the county that live in low-income, mobile homes, campers and make-shifts. It’s just financial, and when they are in that they don’t have resources such as fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, and out in the county there’s no building codes or building regulations. Something we’ve seen a lot of, they are buying these slide-off sheds that you see on the side of the road, the little barns, because you can get those for $2,500 when the cheapest mobile home now is $60,000.”
There are very few requirements for running electricity into a home or structure in Cullman County, according to Absher. He did say, however, that the Cullman Electric Cooperative requires a few things.
“The Co-op, when they go out, there has to be a certified weather head with a box, UL listed. But, after that, once it leaves the Co-op’s meter and goes through the appropriate box, they can do what they want to with it,” he said. “They can run it across the ground, they can put it underground and they can string it through trees.”
Absher warned that smoke detectors over 10 years old are no longer viable and need to be replaced. In 2020, new guidelines will be put in place requiring smoke detectors to detect different chemicals that are produced by the synthetic materials common in homes today.
Having a fire plan in place is something else people can do to reduce the risk of becoming a fire fatality.
Said Absher, “They have to have an escape plan. They have to have a meeting place and everybody’s got to know where that is. A lot of the fire fatalities we get are two-fold. Everybody gets out, but everybody goes to a different place. So, the kids are in the backyard and parents are in the front yard. The parents freak out and go back in to find kids. The other thing is they are going back in to find their pets.”
He continued, “Kids are the least likely to die in the fire. Older adults, 65 and up, are number one in fire deaths. It’s either mobility issues or the smoke detector has been up there for 40 years and the battery died 20 years ago.”
Absher said of the 2019 numbers, “Our biggest uptick has been fires this year. At this half point last year we were at 51 and this year we are at 64 but that includes mutual aid fires.”
Mutual aid means assisting other fire department, such as Hanceville assisting in the recent cottage fire at Stone Bridge Farms.
The Alabama Fire Marshal’s Office has made an effort to improve data collection from around the state; Absher said 60% of fire departments, mostly volunteer, haven’t been reporting data each month. This data Absher describes as “extremely crucial” he said will help give more accurate information regarding community risk reduction. A new app is being used now that allows a firefighter to enter information and pictures in real-time.
Hanceville residents can contact Hanceville Fire and Rescue now to sign up for a free smoke alarm. Call 256-352-5544.
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