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 December 2021
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Chief's Message
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The Holidays have arrived and most of us are starting if not already engaging in how we personally or our family traditionally experiences the Season. It seems apparent to me, as I drive around American Canyon in the evening that the Christmas light shelves at our local Walmart and the new Amazon Distribution Center may be close to empty! It great to see this annual tradition hasn't been lost on any of our neighborhoods in town.
I have written more than my share of these Holiday messages over my career and I always seem to have a difficult time blocking out my memory of that scene in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation where Chevy Chase stands on his front lawn and asks for a drum roll before he plugs in the electrical cord to light up the Christmas lights on the Griswold family home. What takes place next in the movie, is a great reminder of some of the more obvious electrical safety steps we all should keep in mind when decorating our homes with outdoor holiday lighting.
Here are a few Holiday Electrical Safety tips to use this year…
- Check each lightbulb carefully. Check for nicks in the cord that can cause a shock hazard. If there are any cracked bulbs or frayed cords, throw them away and buy new LED string lights.
- Check all your extension cords for abrasions. Do not tape it up, it is safer to just purchase a new extension cord. It is suggested to use an outdoor rated cord. Indoor extension cords can heat up and cause fires.
- Make sure your electrical products are UL Listed, so you know your lights were manufactured properly. A red UL Listed label means that your holiday lights have been tested for rain, high humidity, and other outdoor situations. If your holiday lights have a green UL Listed label, it means that your holiday lights are suitable for indoor use only. Although a green UL listing is only suitable for indoor use, a red UL Listed holiday light can be used for outdoor or indoor use.
- Don’t plug in too many lights! Too many stringed lights can cause your circuit to blow. Be sure to pay attention to the circuit rating on the label. This will tell you how many stringed lights your circuit can handle.
- For outdoor lighting purposes, make sure you only plug your lights into GFCI electrical outlets. Make sure you purchase a weather resistant GFCI outlet, for outdoor use only. All GFCI outlets will prevent shocking and all weather resistant outlets are tamper resistant. This makes them great for holiday lighting.
- When Installing holiday lights to the outside of your home, never use metal staples or nails. The metal staples can pierce the insulation, and cause a shock or fire hazard to you and your home. Always use plastic hooks. They are easy to install, easier to take down, and come in a variety of shapes and sizes.
Keep SAFE American Canyon…It is my Holiday wish that we all will experience a safe and healthy Holiday Season! Beyond that wish, I hope that 2022 will allow us to move even closer towards a community less challenged by the impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic and even more focused on what opportunities the future holds for this amazing and diverse community called American Canyon…
Mike Cahill
Fire Chief
https://www.facebook.com/AmCanFire
https://www.instagram.com/american_canyon_fire/
12 Days of Christmas Public Safety Tips
American Canyon Fire Protection District and American Canyon PD are teaming up, or should we say, our mascots are, to bring you 12 days of safety tips. Follow Marshal and Lobo on our social media pages as they bring our community tips how to enjoy a safe holiday season!
This Month in Action:
 Probationary Firefighter Breitenbuecher works on the training ground, located at Station 211, on forced entry.
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On December 13th, Firefighter/Paramedic Chad Pilkington with the assistance of Captain/Paramedic Ron Prettyman spent the day teaching the Freshman Class of ACHS Hands Only CPR.
ACHS has 6 AED's located on campus in the event of an emergency. A helpful tool to locate the nearest AED to you in any area is the free app 'PulsePoint'.
Do you know how to 'Keep the Beat and help someone STAY ALIVE?'
1. Shake and Shout
2. Instruct a specific person to call 9-1-1 and locate the nearest AED
3. Feel the chest for 10 seconds to check for breathing.... if they are not breathing......
4. Start compressions approximately 2 inches in depth to the beat of "Staying Alive".
DON'T STOP UNTIL HELP ARRIVES!
Way to go Class of 2025, you now have Life Saving Skills in your repertoire!
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Engine 11 consisting of Assistant Chief Belyea, Captain Martin, Firefighter/ Paramedic Steele, and Firefighter Quick attended a High Rise DRILL hosted by @sacramento_fire
This drill focused on command, division, fire attack, search and rescue, rapid ascent, lobby control, FDC hook-ups, and tandem pumping. This was a unique opportunity for our personnel to train in a dynamic setting with Fire Departments from all over the Sacramento region. Thank you to Sac Fire for allowing us to participate!
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On November 30th we had the pleasure of adding four new probationary firefighters to the #AmCanFire family. (From L to R) Firefighter/Paramedic Christina Breitenbuecher, Firefighter/Paramedic Brad Bermann, Firefighter Davis Pratt and Firefighter Kyle Murchison were sworn in and their badges pinned after completing a challenging and intense in-house academy led by Captain Kenny Diede.
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They will now complete a vigorous 18-month probation period in which they will train in all aspects of the fire service.
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If you see them out in the community, please stop, say hello and give them the AmCan welcome!
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