Suburban Fire Marshal

Setauket Fire Department responds to an automatic alarm at the Atria at Setauket, 4089 Nesconset Highway at Arrowhead Lane. Units arrive to find smoke in the building. Crews force entry into a basement laundry room of the three story building and quickly located and extinguished a fire. Simultaneous to this, crews evacuate the building. Mutual aid was requested from Stony Brook FD (engine), Terryville FD (ladder), Port Jefferson FD (engine) St. James (ambulance but not available), Centereach (RIT, ambulance and fire police), Farmingville (engine and ambulance), Holtsville (ambulance), Coram (ambulance) Ronkonkoma (ambulance), Selden (ambulance and fire police), Port Jefferson Ambulance, Medford Ambulance, Stony Brook University Ambulance, Shirley Ambulance (rehab unit), Miller Place Ambulance,  Nesconset FD (ambulance) The Suffolk County MERV was requested but was unavailable due to the US Open. In all 78 residents were safely evacuated. One resident was transported to the hospital for evaluation. Stony Brook University sent a bus to the scene to shelter some of the occupants. All units were clear from the scene by 1130 hours. Fire Marshals from the Town of Brookhaven are handling the investigation.

0038 hours. Ronkonkoma, Nesconset and Farmingville Fire Deoartment are dispatched to a reported house fire at 31 7th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B in the Ronkonkoma Fire District. Arriving units encountered heavy fire in the basement of an occupied two story private dwelling. All occupants had safely evacuated prior to the arrival of the fire department. Three lines were stretched and operated. Additional mutual aid was provided by Centereach Holtsville and Lakeland. There were no injuries and units cleared from the scene at approximately 0340 hours. Fire Marshals from the Town of Brookhaven are investigating.

Fire hydrants are the primary source of water firefighters use to fight fires. Kerosene is a Class 3 flammable liquid and therefore, not good for firefighting. For some reason, this kerosene tank was installed right up against a fire hydrant, rendering it useless.

It’s important to be a responsible boater and take necessary precautions this Fourth of July, the highest-boating traffic time of the summer. The Safe Boating Campaign, a program of the National Safe Boating Council, reminds boaters of three key tips to prevent a boating accident – always wear a life jacket, never boat under the influence, and use an engine cut-off device.

“The July 4th holiday is a great time to celebrate our freedom with family and friends while enjoying a safe boating experience,” said Peg Phillips, executive director of the National Safe Boating Council.

The Safe Boating Campaign shares these important boating safety reminders:

Always wear a life jacket. Drowning is the reported cause of death in 76 percent of all boating fatalities – and 84.5 percent of drowning victims in recreational boating accidents were not wearing a life jacket in 2017. Wearing a life jacket at all times while boating is the simplest safety step a boater can take, just like wearing a seat belt in a vehicle. Boaters can choose from a variety of U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets appropriate for their water activity.

Never boat under the influence. Boating under the influence is the leading contributing factor in recreational boater deaths. The side effects of alcohol or drug use, such as impaired judgment, reduced balance and poor coordination, are magnified while boating. Impairment can be even more dangerous for boaters than for drivers, since most boaters have less experience and confidence operating a boat than they do driving a car. The National Association of State Boating Law Administrators, a partner of the Safe Boating Campaign, is coordinating Operation Dry Water from July 5-7 in every U.S. state and territory to raise awareness about BUI dangers.

Use an engine cut-off device. An engine cut-off device is a proven safety device to stop the boat’s engine should the operator unexpectedly fall overboard. In 2017, the U.S. Coast Guard reported 172 accidents in which at least one person was struck by a propeller. These accidents resulted in 31 deaths and 162 injuries, all of which could be prevented if the boat operator was wearing an engine cutoff device.

Find more boating safety tips at www.safeboatingcampaign.com.

The Safe Boating Campaign is produced under a grant from the Sports Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund and administered by the U.S. Coast Guard. All statistics are from the U.S. Coast Guard.

The Kings Park, Smithtown, Nesconset, St. James and Nissequogue Fire Departments all have boats and or divers that respond to any reported emergency in Town waters. The Town of. Smithtown Department of Public Safety Bay Constable Division routinely patrols the roughly 57 square miles of Township waters. 

0658 hours. Hauppauge Fire Department and Central Islip Hauppauge Ambulance respond to a traffic collision on Motor Parkway at Express Drive South. Units arrived to find a crash involving two vehicles. FD personnel removed both doors on the drivers side on one vehicle to facilitate extrication by EMS personnel. The injured were transported to the hospital via ambulance. Assistant Chiefs Walker and Martinez operated with engines 1 and 4. 

This fire extinguisher is in a locked cabinet. If someone were to need the fire extinguisher in an emergency, the cabinet glass is shattered with the small hammer that hangs on a lanyard next to the cabinet. For some reason, the hammer for this cabinet is locked inside!

On May 16th the Central Islip Hauppauge Volunteer Ambulance Scholarship Committee presented the Howard M. Walwanis Memorial Scholarship to Central Islip High School Student Maria Suescun who will be pursuing a degree within the medical field. 
We wish Maria the very best of luck with her future endeavors!

Photo and information from the Central Islip Hauppauge Ambulance Facebook Page

0630 hours.  The Hauppauge Fire Department and Commack Ambulance iare activated for a traffic collision at  Timber Croft Way and Wild Run. Units arrive to find that a single vehicle had overturned and was on its roof in the roadway. The lone operator suffered a leg injury and  was extricated by a civilian prior to the arrival of emergency services. The victim was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital. Commack Ambulance operated with 2-16-19, 2-16-15 and 2-16-medic.. Fire Department services were not required. 

Commack Ambulance and the Hauppauge FIre Department respond to a traffic collision on Veterans Highway at Autumn Drive. Units arrived to find a crash involving two passenger vehicles with one vehicle in the woods. EMS personnel transported two patients to Stony Brook. FD personnel secured the vehicles. 

Fun with electrical equipment is a fairly common sight when performing fire inspections. In this instance, instead of calling a licensed and qualified electrician, someone decided to extend a circuit by just shoving the exposed wires into the end of an extension cord. This is poses both a fire hazard and electrocution hazard. Electrical work should be left to the professionals. 

1700 hours. Hauppauge Fire Department and Central Islip Hauppauge Ambulance respond to a traffic collision in front of 601 Veterans Highway (near Wheeler Road).  One vehicle left the roadway and sustained heavy damage to the drivers side. FD personnel opened the doors using hydraulic tools off engine 14. The injured were transported to the hospital via ambulance.

Since FIRE EXIT doors are the main factor in someone escaping from a fire or dying within the building, we will continue down this photo journey with yet another picture of a required fire exit that is completely blocked, rendering it useless in the event of a fire or emergency. This is a very dangerous situation that is not taken lightly by the Fire Marshals and Inspectors. These violations usually result in a summons and or/arrest and must be cleared immediately and in the presence of the Fire Marshal. 

Todays photo shows one of the most dangerous conditions that we as Fire Marshals encounter!

There are actually four violations here. Can you spot them?

1-Fire Exit sign is not illuminated as required. 

2-Fire Exit door is completely blocked with a merchandise rack and merchandise.

3-Fire alarm pull station is blocked by the merchandise. 

4-The exit width has been reduced due to the placement of the merchandise being displayed for sale. 

This condition is incredibly dangerous as in the event of a fire or other emergency (including an active killer event), no one would be able to escape from the building through this door. In cases like this, the fire marshal would normally issue a shutdown order until the violation has been cleared and either issue a summons to or arrest the owner/manager on duty. 

0126 hours. The Brentwood fire department was dispatched to a report of a structure fire in the vicinity of Ellery Street and Lincoln Ave. Units arrive to find heavy fire inventing from a vacant two story private dwelling at 152 Sherman Street. Three lines were stretched and operated. Mutual aid was requested from numerous departments to the scene and to cover. Commack FD sent a RIT. The fire was placed under control at approximately 0246 hours. There were no injuries. 

1407 hours. Hauppauge Fire Department responds to a vehicle fire on the westbound LIE shoulder between 57-56. The vehicle was a total loss. There were no injuries. Assistant Chief Walker operated with units 3-8-13 and 3-8-14. 

Nothing worse than being at a wedding reception with 320 of your closet friends and relatives and finding that one of the fire exits is completely blocked by a bar! This is yet another example of where a Fire Marshal may arrest the manager on duty and shut down the event until the violation has been cleared. Blocked exits are no joke and the results of an issue like this could be deadly. 

Welcome to the first of what I am sure will become a regular feature here at SuburbanFireMarshal.org. We will post a photo with a fire violation of some sort depicted. None of the photos are fake and the goal here is to educate folks about fire safety. 

Suffolk County Police Fourth Squad detectives are investigating a crash that seriously injured a teenage bicyclist in Lake Ronkonkoma on Friday.
 
Brian McCabe was driving a 2017 Honda southbound on Ronkonkoma Ave., near Willis Ave., when he collided with a 14-year-old male bicyclist from Ronkonkoma who was exiting Raynor Beach County Park at approximately 7 p.m.
 
The bicyclist was transported by Ronkonkoma Fire Department Ambulance to Stony Brook University Hospital for treatment of serious but non-life-threatening injuries. McCabe, 51, of Ronkonkoma, was not injured.
 
Both the vehicle and the bicycle were impounded for safety checks.
 
Detectives are asking anyone with information to call the Fourth Squad at 631-854-8452 or anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS.

Information above is via SCPD Press Release

1050 hours. Commack Fire Department responds to a vehicle fire on the Northern State Parkway near Commack Road. Units arrive to find an involved vehicle on the east bound side. Traffic was shut down while fire department units extinguished the fire. The call turned out be in the Dix Hills Fire District and they responded accordingly. 

0910 hours. The Nesconset Fire Department was dispatched to a report of a traffic collision with overturn on Route 347 near Terry Road. Units arrived to find that a single car had left the roadway on the westbound side, striking a pole and overturning. Both subjects self extricated and bystanders flipped the car back over prior to the arrival of the fire department. Both occupants were transported to the hospital via ambulance. The right lane was closed for approximately 2 hours while PSE&G replaced the broken utility pole. The St. James Fire Department sent an ambulance to the scene.