Why does a fire truck come when you call for an ambulance?

Often times firefighters can and do get there first, and time is critical in a medical emergency. Many Jackson Fire fighters are cross-trained in Emergency Medical Services. What does that mean to you, a citizen phoning 911?

In the early days, fire stations were strategically located so the crews could quickly get to burning buildings. Obviously, time is an important aspect of firefighting, because flames can rapidly spread through a building. The ability to quickly respond to a fire provides more time to rescue people inside, and save property by getting to the fire in the early stages. It soon became apparent that the firefighter’s ability to “get there fast” could be used for other types of emergency response, such as heart attacks, strokes and trauma. It’s for this reason that fire departments also respond to medical emergencies.

What other responsibilities do firefighters have other than fighting fires?

Fire calls represents only a small percent of the work of a typical fire department. The number of residential and commercial fires has steadily decreased over the years due to a variety of factors including improvements in construction, a greater public awareness of the risk factors leading to fires and a significant reduction in smoking nationwide. Fires, however, are only some of the emergencies to which the Fire Department responds. Nearly eighty percent of the Fire Department’s emergency responses are calls for medical aid, including illness/accidents at home and work, and injuries resulting from vehicle crashes. Other calls for emergency response involve hazardous materials releases, technical rescues, response to fire alarms and other calls for public assistance. Firefighters also spend much of their time maintaining equipment, doing routine public safety inspections for businesses, training for all types of emergencies and filling out the reports and paperwork associated with these activities.

Does the Fire Department fill fire extinguishers?

Jackson Fire Department is not equipped to fill fire extinguishers at this time. However, you can find local fire extinguisher businesses in the yellow pages to refill them.

Does the fire department fill swimming pools?
Jackson fire does not fill swimming pools for the residents of the community. This was a practice previously, but due to changes in laws and liabilities the department is no longer able to provide this service.

Why do I sometimes not get an answer when calling the station?
Jackson Fire Department is a volunteer department which means that most of the time there isn’t someone available at the station to take calls. Typically the station only has people present during training, meetings, and emergency incidents so calling outside of these times may result in your call being unreceived. If you are having an emergency and need to reach the fire department please be sure to call 9-1-1.

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Why do you block traffic lanes at auto accidents, sometimes more lanes than necessary?

We block traffic lanes for the safety of our personnel and our patients. Blocking extra lanes keep our personnel safe when they go back to our apparatus to get more equipment and help protect the victim we are trying to stabilize. Over 25 firefighters are killed or injured each year while working at incidents on streets and highways.

Why am I not supposed to drive over a firehose?

Firefighters are very concerned about running over firehoses because the hose can be damaged and any firefighter at the end of a nozzle will have the water interrupted which can cause injuries or death. Any hose that is driven over without protection has to be taken out of service and tested.

What should I do when I see or hear an emergency vehicle coming towards me when I’m driving?

When it is safe to do so, you should pull over to the right and stop until all emergency vehicles have safely passed. If you cannot safely maneuver to the right, simply stop and stay stopped so the vehicles can go around you safely.

Why do I see some people driving regular cars with red lights and a siren?

The Jackson Fire department is a volunteer department. This means that our firefighters, EMT’s, and Paramedics need to respond to the station from their homes or wherever they may be. In order to get to the station or an emergency scene quickly these firefighters equip their vehicles with red lights and a siren which then makes those vehicles an emergency vehicle. All drivers should follow the instructions above regarding emergency vehicles for those personal vehicles as well when the lights are flashing and siren is running.

How much does a Fire Truck cost responding to a fire?

Emergency responses are supported by taxpayer revenues and there is no charge for these pieces of equipment

What should I do if I’m a witness at an emergency scene?

If you are present at an emergency scene the best way for you to help once emergency crews arrive is to clear the immediate area of the emergency. Locate a safe place to wait or leave the scene all together if that is possible. Many injuries at an emergency scene happen when bystanders are moving within the emergency zone. There are a large number of hazards which may not be easy to see which can cause injury. If you have information that you feel needs to be shared with emergency crews speak only with members who either approach you directly or those that are located back near where the emergency vehicles are parked. 

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Why do I need to keep weeds and bushes away from fire hydrants on my property?

Weeds and bushes should be kept three feet from fire hydrants for visibility and accessibility.

What if I smell Gas in my home?

You will need to get out of the house and then call 9-1-1 for the Fire Department from outside or from a neighbor’s house. The use of a phone could cause the gas to ignite.

My smoke detector is chirping, what does that mean?

Most modern smoke detectors will chirp to alert you the batteries are low. So the chirping means you should replace the batteries and test your smoke detector. Smoke detectors can be purchased at any hardware or large commercial department store.

How often should I change the batteries in my smoke detectors?

We recommend you change the batteries in your smoke detectors every 6 months, an easy way to remember is to change batteries when you reset your clock for daylight savings time.

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How can I become a firefighter?
Jackson Fire Department is always looking for people who wish to join with us to help the community. Anyone wishing to join will be provided assistance with getting the proper training and certifications for anyone who is hired onto our department. This includes Firefighter I and II certifications as well as EMT-B and CPR. If you would like to join our department come out to one of our trainings on Monday nights at 7:00 pm and speak with any of our officers who will be more than happy to discuss with you what would be required.

How can I help without being a firefighter
Not everyone is able to dedicate the time and energy that it takes to become a firefighter with Jackson Fire, but we know that you may still want to help. We do have an Auxiliary which provides assistance to the Fire Department through help with fundraisers and other events put on by the department as well as providing some assistance to the firefighters on an emergency scene by bringing in cold water, food, and other things to help the firefighters on scene rest and recuperate before returning to work. If you’re interested in joining the auxiliary please check out the page dedicated to them here

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