More housefires happen in November and December than any time of year,
One lucky Coahoma County class enjoyed a visit to learn about fire safety and meet firefighters.
“It’s great for the kids to see how their fire stations work,” explained Chief Stephen James, School Resource Officer for the Coahoma County School District. “Our firefighters work hard and stay prepared at all times. That’s how they save lives. And it’s a great lesson for our students to meet them and learn about the work they do.”
James appreciated the opportunity to expose students to new experiences and ideas as well as teaching them how to stay fire safe a home.
Educating the public, and especially students, has become an important part of the fire department’s work. That work has brought great results in Clarksdale and throughout Coahoma Count.
“Since we’ve been having fire prevention week at the schools, we’ve seen a decrease in house fires,” explained Mazelin. “When the kids are more educated about the causes of fires and the ways to prevent them, that affects their families too.”
One specific lesson taught by firemen has helped decrease the number of fires during the holiday season. “A lot of the fires we have in the wintertime start because people leave clothes too close to space heaters,” he explained. “That can be prevented, which is something that we teach to the public. And it’s working. In the past, we had more fires during the cold months. We have just as many or maybe more in the summertime now.”
Captain Mazelin agreed that the class field trip was an outstanding idea. “We’re always proud to speak with school groups and answer questions,” added Captain Pete Mazelin of the Clarksdale Fire Department.
The Clarksdale Fire Department operates three fire stations with 42 Firefighters 24-hours a day, seven days a week, according to the website of the City of Clarksdale. That means there’s help when people in both the city and county need it. Having that level of manpower also means that the firefighters should arrive quickly at the scene of fires. They are the primary respondents to accidents anywhere in the county and are available for help outside the jurisdiction any time they are needed.
In addition to fighting fires and responding to emergencies, the department, officers, and men are involved in teaching the community safety instruction and information. The Chief, his staff, and Clarksdale firemen speak at local schools and all community service clubs when requested. They would much rather have a safe environment, and far fewer emergencies to attend.
When asked how fire fighting has changed during his career, Mazelin replied that the work is vastly different than before.
“It has changed a lot,” he explained. “We’re always taking classes on how to become even better firefighters. We take classes on how fires work and how they move and attack. We also keep up to date on how to fight fires more efficiently.”
Another big change has come in the realm of the technology that is available to fire departments. “When I went to the academy in 1995, there were only so many ways to fight a fire,” he added. That has also changed. Now, we have thermal imaging cameras. There have been fires within walls that we couldn’t see, but the camera has been able to identify their locations.”
Mazelin pointed up at the windshield of a fire truck, directing attention to a small, red device laying on the dash. “That is a thermal imaging camera,” he said. Mazelin also described additional functions of the cameras, including their help in finding people who may be trapped in a home or building. “The thermal imaging camera has saved many buildings and saved so many lives,” he added.
Saving lives is the name of the game for the Clarksdale Fire Department. Thanks to firefighters who are generous with their time, young students may learn life-saving lessons as well.
