Water and firefighting will always be together.  Globally, water is our most plentiful resource.  When public water systems are present, it is available in an almost endless supply and it is inexpensive or so you would expect.  I remember being puzzled when Macedonian firefighter friends told me (while I were training them) they had to pay for water used to extinguish fires??  A good lesson learnt for me on that day...never take things for granted!

When applied properly, water is very effective at absorbing heat and extinguishing fires.  For these reasons, we base our primary operations upon utilising water as a fire-extinguishing agent.  Because of this, it is important to periodically test all fire hydrants to determine what their capabilities would be in an emergency.  It is the objective of our Water Supply Program to test a third of Greenhithe's hydrants each year.  This year we actually tested all 200+ hydrants and found over 150 faults.  The most typical fault recorded is a missing cats eye and/or the triangle needing to be painted.  We are working with the Council to rectify these relatively minor issues and NSCC are very responsive around fixing faulty hydrants.

REMEMBER hydrants need to be readily recognisable and accessible.  If you have one on your property do not obstruct it, do not remove the yellow pole beside it AND KEEP IT clear of any vegetation.

There are still areas in Greenhithe that do not have hydrants.  It is the objective of our Non-Reticulated Water Project to record all alternative water resources in these areas and compile an operational risk map in case we need to fight fires in these areas.  Those living in these areas will receive a letter from us advising them of the date and time we will be visiting to record such data.

Halloween on Station was a great success.  Many monsters, fairies and witches took up the challenge of crawling through our smoke-filled tunnel and uttered the magic words “get down, get low, get out” to collect some lollies and stickers at the other end. Be FireWise on Guy Fawkes Night was also on our mind with brochures handed out.  We really appreciate the support we get from the community for fire safety activities like this.

This is the last Newsletter before Xmas so I would like to give you some tips around safe and happy Xmas holidays:

• Be aware that in the summer months the combination of a party atmosphere, drinks flowing freely, children playing and an open fire can quickly cause a tragic accident
• Be disciplined at taking simple precautions and pre-planning your BBQ – remember you must comply with any fire restrictions that may be in place
• Be careful with Christmas tree lights – check that your artificial tree is made from flame resistant materials, all tree ornaments should be flame resistant and never leave the tree lights on overnight or when leaving the house
• Be caravan and sleep out safe – the fire danger in these is much higher than in a home.  For lighting, use proper lighting units or torches – DO NOT use candles and invest in a fire extinguisher or fire blanket

In Brigade news this month, all Brigade members have completed a ventilation skills refresher.  Ventilation is a key tactic in fighting structure fires providing a number of benefits such as clearing gases and fumes, increasing visibility and reducing property damage.  Correct ventilation activities require a good level of skill and understanding of the situation.

And from early December, make sure you drive by the Station at night to check out our Christmas lights display.

Concluding word: Every man/woman is the architects of their own fortune.

Firefighter Isabelle LARDEUX-GILLOUX