October
19, 2009- PRESS RELEASE
Change Your Clock Change
Your Battery
As the time change
approaches on Sunday, November 1, the Brighton Area Fire Department wants to
remind residents to make another change that could save their lives – changing
the batteries in their smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.
Communities nationwide
witness tragic home fire deaths each year. Approximately every 3 hours a home
fire death occurs somewhere in the nation and 80 percent of those occur in homes
without working smoke alarms. Non-working smoke alarms rob residents of the
protective benefits home fire safety devices were designed to provide. The most
commonly cited cause of non-working smoke alarms: worn or missing batteries.
Changing smoke alarm
batteries at least once a year is one of the simplest, most effective ways to
reduce these tragic deaths and injuries. In fact, working smoke alarms nearly
cut in half the risk of dying in a home fire. Additionally, the International
Association of Fire Chiefs recommends replacing your smoke alarms every ten
years.
To save lives and
prevent needless injuries in our community, the Brighton Area Fire Department
has joined forces with Energizer and the International Association of Fire
Chiefs for the 22nd year of the Change Your Clock Change Your
Battery campaign. The program urges all Americans to adopt a simple,
lifesaving habit; changing smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector batteries
when changing clocks back to standard time each fall, this year on November 1.
Americans are encouraged again to check the batteries during the spring time
change on March 14, 2010.
“The peak time for
home fire fatalities is between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. when most families are
sleeping,” says Fire Marshal O’Brian. “Smoke alarm maintenance is a simple,
effective way to reduce home fire deaths. Children and senior citizens are most
at risk, and a working smoke alarm can give them the extra seconds they need to
get out safely.”
In addition, Fire
Marshal O’Brian recommends residents use the “extra” hour they save from the
time change to test smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors by pushing the
test button, planning “two ways out” and practicing escape routes with the
entire family. Families should also prepare a fire safety kit that includes
working flashlights and fresh batteries. During the spring, communities should
use the time change on March 14, 2010 as an opportunity to check the batteries
in emergency power kits.

Flameless Candle Order Form
April 27, 2009-
Press Release
The recent storms from last week serve as a simple reminder. Do
you know what to do when severe weather strikes? The Brighton Area Fire
Department would like to remind you of precautions that can be taken during
severe weather.
A Tornado/Severe Thunderstorm Watch is issued whenever conditions
exist for severe weather to develop. Watches are usually for larger areas and
give people time to prepare.
A thunderstorm warning means a thunderstorm is occurring or will
occur soon. If you are advised to take shelter, please do so immediately. A
Tornado Warning is issued by the local weather service office whenever National
Weather Service doppler radar indicates a thunderstorm capable of producing a
tornado or whenever a tornado is spotted by a credible source.
When a tornado warning is issued the sirens will be activated and
typically broadcast on local TV, radio or weather service radio. If a tornado
warning has been issued for your area:
·
Quickly move to shelter in the basement or lowest floor of a
permanent structure.
·
In homes and small buildings, go to the basement and get under
something sturdy like a workbench or stairwell. If no basement is available, go
to an interior part of the home on the lowest level. A good rule of thumb is to
put as many walls between you and the tornado as possible.
·
In schools, hospitals and public places, move to designated shelter
areas. Interior hallways on the lowest floors are generally best.
·
Stay away from windows, doors and outside walls. Broken glass and
wind blown projectiles cause more injuries and deaths than collapsed buildings.
Protect your head with a pillow, blanket or mattress.
·
Mobile homes and vehicles offer virtually no shelter. Leave them
and go to the nearest shelter. Highway overpasses do not offer shelter.
·
If there is no shelter nearby, the best alternative is to find a
low spot away from trees, fences and poles, but not in a place subject to
flooding. Shield your head with your arms.
·
If you are boating or swimming, get to land and shelter
immediately.
Additional information is available at Michigan Committee for
Severe Weather Awareness,
www.mcswa.org. or visit
www.ready.gov for information on being prepared.
For additional
details, please contact Fire Marshal O’Brian at 810-229-6640.
April
22, 2009- PRESS RELEASE
BRIGHTON AREA FIRE AUTHORITY, Brighton, MI, ANNOUNCES
2009 Arson Awareness week - May, 3-9 2009
This year’s Arson Awareness Week (AAW) theme is “Arson for Profit”.
The goal of this year’s
AAW, May 3-9, is to focus public attention on arson for profit. By drawing
people’s attention to the alarming statistics about arson for profit, we hope to
expand the resources and support necessary to reduce this crime. There are many
motives for arson, the crime of deliberately and maliciously setting fire.
Arson for profit or economic arson is when businesses or individuals set fires
to reduce financial loss, recoup initial investments or dispose of depreciated
assets usually for a payout from insurance companies.
Arson for profit is
insurance fraud, a criminal method of obtaining money from a fire loss policy.
The losses for arson are staggering!
Arson fires do not always
go as planned especially when set by amateurs. The blazes often leave clues
that send the arsonists to jail for years. Arson fires also can spread fast,
sometimes burning adjacent properties and even killing or injuring innocent
onlookers and the insurance crooks themselves.
According to the Insurance
Information Institute, arsonists destroyed nearly $900 million in insured
property and killed 295 civilians nationwide in 2007.
Arson for profit affects
everyone through the loss of life, increased insurance premiums and related
expenses for the fire and law enforcement professionals. Arson for profit can
only be curtailed by a collaborative effort and cooperation of fire
investigators, laws enforcement, insurance professionals the legal system and an
aware citizenry.
Any questions,
please call Fire Marshal O’Brian at 810-229-6640.
February 10, 2009-
Press Release
The Brighton Area Fire Authority
warns residents to stay off the ice!
Many of us
have enjoyed the recent unseasonably warm weather which has created thin ice.
This warmer weather has created a melting effect on our area ponds, lakes, and
other water areas. This ice has become unstable and Brighton Area Fire
Authority is encouraging everyone to staff off the ice.
Brighton
Area Fire Authority recommends the following:
-
Gauging
the strength of ice is very difficult. There is no such thing as 100% safe
ice.
-
The safety
of ice is ever-changing. It depends on a multitude of factors which include
(but not limited to) the thickness, temperature, snow cover, depth of water
under the ice, currents, local climate and distribution of weight on the ice.
-
If you do venture on the
ice, make sure you are with a partner and separated by a couple of feet.
-
Ice seldom freezes uniformly.
It may be a foot thick in one location and only an inch or two just a few feet
away.
-
Ice formed over flowing water and currents is often dangerous.
This is especially true near streams, bridges and culverts. Also, the ice on
outside river bends is usually weaker due to the undermining effects of the
faster current.
Brighton
Area Fire Authority recommends if you see someone fall through the ice to
contact 9-1-1 immediately. Do not go on the ice to try to rescue any person or
animal as you may become a victim yourself. Try to visualize where the person
fell through the ice and keep voice contact with the victim.
Again Brighton Area Fire
Authority recommends that all persons stay off the ice until it can be
determined that it is safe.
For additional details, please
contact Fire Marshal O’Brian at 810-229-6640
February 9, 2009- Press Release
Chief
Marty DeLoach is proud to announce that the Brighton Area Fire Authority has
been approved for a grant in round 23, of the 2008 Assistance to Firefighter
Grants. The application for a driving training simulator that will train,
evaluate and provide consistent driving oversight to our staff was approved in
the amount of $212,000.00. The simulator will allow our staff to learn how to
drive fire trucks with the real world obstacles and streets much like an airline
pilot does with airplanes, in a simulator, without the real crashes. The cost
of new fire trucks edging over a half million dollars along with training on
real streets makes this an excellent addition to our Fire Authority. The unit
will be mounted in a trailer so it can be shared with other departments and it
can travel to all five of our stations for training.
Our
Fire Authority has been very successful in identifying our needs and writing
grants that have been approved in the federal programs. In 2005, we received an
Assistance to Firefighters grant for new portable radios in the amount of
$92,600. In 2005, the Brighton Area Fire Authority received approval for a
Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant in the amount of $41,528
over a four-year period. In 2006, our request for an accountability system was
not funded, however the equipment was purchased through the Livingston County
911 funds to help with firefighter accountability.
In
2007, we received another Assistance to Firefighters grant for new Self
Contained Breathing Apparatus in the amount of $247,000.00. In 2007, we also
received a portion of the largest regional grant funded so far. Our portion was
for $86,000.00, to purchase training equipment that will allow 16 different fire
departments to share training and instructors while their staff remain in their
own district and stations.
In total since 2005, the
Brighton Area Fire Authority has received almost $700,000.00 in Federal Grants.
We are very fortunate to receive this money to help our firefighters serve our
residents. The last two grants are for training equipment, a critical element
of any paid-on-call fire department. It will help provide a dynamic training
opportunity for our members, allowing some quality training on their schedule
not ours.
January 29, 2009-
PRESS RELEASE
The
Brighton Area Authority is proud to announce the promotions of five of our
members, effective February 1, 2009. The promotions will fill some vacant
positions at 3 of our fire stations. Our Assistant Chiefs, Jim Tester and John
Bennington who are currently in charge of operations recommended these
promotions and Chief Marty DeLoach approved them. We believe the promotions
will provide some added leadership for some of our stations. All of the
members, who were recommended for promotion, recently went through a specialized
one-day training on tactical decision-making given by Southfield Fire Chief Pete
Healy.

On
Tuesday January 25th, 2009 the Brighton Area Fire Authority
introduced the promotions to the members of the department at Brighton Area Fire
Authority station 32. Department members were able to express their
congratulations to all of the members who were promoted. Chief DeLoach
introduced each of the Firefighters and mentioned a few short personal comments
about each, prior to a ceremonial pinning of their new badge in front of their
peers. Each of the Firefighters dressed in their formal uniforms and asked
someone from their family or the department to pin their badge on at the
promotion ceremony. Fire Marshal Mike O’Brian performed a short swearing in
ceremony to culminate the formal portion of the evening. The event was attended
by approximately 50 to 60 people who stayed around for several hours exchanging
stories and wishing all of our promoted officers well with the new challenges
that come with their new positions.
Kurt
Bortels has been selected to be promoted to Fire Lieutenant and will be assigned
to Station 32 on Old U.S. 23. Kurt started at the Brighton Township Fire
Department in 1999. Kurt’s day job is a senior estimator for Belfor
construction USA. Over the years Kurt has held performed several roles for the
Brighton Area Fire Authority including working on the “On the Job Training”
program, that trains our new hires and serving as a department representative on
the County Dive Rescue Team. His most recent assignment has been as a Sergeant
at Station 32. As Lieutenant, Kurt will be assisting the station’s Captain to
provide leadership on emergency scenes while working to develop and prepare our
members at station 32. Kurt is a Brighton Township resident and is married to
Lynette and has two sons Jared and Josh.
Jason
Hordos started at the City of Brighton Fire Department in 1997. He currently
works as a fire safety inspector for the State of Michigan. Jason has worked in
various roles in the organization including instructing students at our fire
academy. Jason has been a crucial element in the success of our “On the Job
Training” program. He has been working as a Sergeant at Station 34 on Dorr Road
in Genoa Township. In his new role as Lieutenant, he will work with the
station’s Assistant Chief and Sergeants to provide leadership on emergency
scenes while working with the Firefighters at his station. Jason is a Genoa
Township resident and has been married to his wife Debbie for the last 14
years. In his spare time Jason enjoys just about anything sports related,
especially golf and softball.
Glen
Bailey started at the Brighton Area Fire Authority in 2001 and has over 30 years
of previous experience in the fire service in Indiana. Glen has aided in
developing new Firefighters in our “On the Job Training” program. Glen worked
with the contractor and visited the Chilson Road station every day as it was
being built. He was instrumental in ensuring the detail work was completed as
expected during the construction of our new station 35. He has recently served
as a Sergeant at Station 34 and 35. In his new role as Lieutenant, he will
assist the station’s Assistant Chief and provide leadership on emergency scenes
while working to develop our stations Sergeants. Glen is a Genoa Township
resident, is married to Allison and has three sons.
Ron
Savage started at The Brighton Area Fire Authority in 2001 and was assigned to
station 32. Ron has previous experience as a Firefighter serving in North
Carolina and Walled Lake Michigan. Ron has been a senior Firefighter at Station
32 providing support to our Firefighting staff and working as an engineer. Ron
is very proud to serve as a Firefighter for our citizens and residents. He has
sought additional roles with the fire authority; Ron has been on our fire
investigative unit for several years. Ron was excited after returning from a
fire investigative class that was held on the other side of the state when the
instructor used our department as a positive example on how to investigate
fires. As a Sergeant, Ron will work closely with the stations Firefighters
working with the “On the Job Training” program. Ron is a Brighton Township
resident along with his wife Mitzi and son Ronnie.
Lauren
Brookins is a product of our very successful Junior Firefighter Program. This
program takes High School students and mentors them to be responsible adults
along with training them to be Firefighters. After graduation from High School
our Juniors can achieve full status as a Firefighter and work and respond to
emergencies. Lauren became a Senior Firefighter, Engineer and Aerial Platform
Operator since joining the senior department in 2004. She is currently assigned
to Station 34 and has been actively working our day shift program over the last
several years. As a Sergeant, Lauren will work closely with the stations
Firefighters and working with the “On the Job Training” program. Lauren is a Genoa Township resident and has recently been
asked to serve on the planning commission for the township.
The
Brighton Area Fire Authority is proud of the accomplishments of these
Firefighters and officers. When asked about the recent promotions, Fire Chief
Marty DeLoach stated, “I am very proud of each individual’s accomplishments and
promotions. Each of them brings a vastly different set of skills, knowledge and
tools to our emergencies, building on their diversity will make a great team. I
am certain each of these individuals will work with our other officers in
providing management and leadership to our organization. They are all committed
to our community and have served our residents well for their entire tenure with
the Brighton Area Fire Authority. All of the officers look forward to their
continued efforts in their new leadership roles for our Fire Authority.
As
always, for any additional information or fire safety tips/concerns, please feel
free to contact Fire Chief DeLoach or Fire Marshal O’Brian at 810-229-6640.