Niagara Falls
Fire Department
Calls for service
For the period of Feb. 19 to March 4, the Niagara Falls Fire Department responded to 226 calls.
• MEDICAL: Just before the morning shift change Feb. 19, firefighters assigned to the 72nd Street fire station were alerted to respond to a medical emergency at a commercial building in the 100 block of Energy Boulevard. Upon arrival, firefighters were confronted with a male patient in cardiac arrest. CPR was initiated while the patient was connected to the automated external defibrillator, which can analyze heart activity. In addition to cardiac compressions, oxygen therapy was administered to the patient. The patient was transported by ambulance to a local hospital.
• ALARM: The 400 block of 10th Street was the scene of an incident that required the resources of a number of emergency response agencies. At 6:52 p.m. Feb. 19, fire units were dispatched to a reported building fire that was possibly connected to another incident that the Niagara Falls Police Department was working on. The reported fire turned out to be minor and only involved a small amount of paper towels. During the incident, one of the residents of the building started to complain of chest pains and department medical technicians began treatment. An ambulance was called to the scene and the patient was transported to Memorial Medical Center.
• FIRE: At 12:30 p.m. Feb. 20, fire units were dispatched to a report of smoke and flames coming from a structure in the 3200 block of Lockport Street. Upon arrival, it was determined the inside of the chimney of the residence was on fire. Firefighters determined a large amount of creosote had built up on the walls of the chimney and, when heated, had erupted in flames. The fire in the firebox and chimney was extinguished before it could spread.
• FIRE: Smoke filled the early morning sky Feb. 23, as firefighters responded to the 500 block of 20th Street for a reported vehicle fire. Firefighters from the downtown companies arrived to be greeted with a well-involved fire in a 1989 Cadillac. The fire, which had originated in the engine compartment, had spread to the interior of the vehicle before it could be extinguished. The vehicle, which had been in a nearby garage for service, was apparently taken from the service station and, within a short distance, erupted in flames due to a mechanical failure.
• FIRE: A resident of a home in the 2900 block of Michigan Avenue returned home shortly after 2 p.m. Feb. 25 to find their home full of smoke. Firefighters arrived and found one resident who had been sleeping in the home was awakened by a smoke alarm and was able to get out. The source of the smoke was traced to an enclosed back porch where a plastic trash bag had erupted in flames. A resident of the home admitted to placing what they believed to be “cold” ashes from a fireplace in the bag and was storing them on the porch to be discarded with the trash. Fireplace ashes, even those that appear to be cold, can retain their heat for up to one week. Never store fireplace ashes either inside your home or adjacent to the structure. Ashes should be placed in a closed metal can and stored outside away from combustibles.
