The Nest — #Safety

The Independence Day holiday can increase exponentially the number of intoxicated knuckleheads you’re likely to encounter on your shift The months of June, July, August, and September tend to bring out a wee bit more of ‘the crazy’ than is typically encountered in the ‘dead of winter’ or the mild months of autumn and spring. Triple digit temps and extended daylight hours just seem to bring out the mouth-breathing nut jobs with greater regularity. The summertime heat begets bar patrons on sidewalks for miscellaneous mayhem far more frequently than you’d find in February, and we’ve all seen more than one...

When it comes to professional fireworks displays, there are some important things firefighters need to know to keep themselves and the public they are sworn to protect safe. "Time, distance and shielding are firefighters' best friends when it comes to fireworks," said Shawn Allison, a career fire captain and licensed pyrotechnician who has developed a fireworks safety course explicitly for firefighters. To prove his point, Allison fired a three-inch shell in a mortar at the Rochester, NH, fairgrounds. A thunderous boom rang out and shards of high-density plastic pipe and wood flew across the track infield, chased by a searing...

Independence Day Fireworks Safety (Fireworks Account for Most Fires) According to the National Fire Protection Administration (NFPA), far more fires are reported on July 4 than on any other day, and fireworks account for more than half of those fires, more than any other cause of fires. In 2011, fireworks caused an estimated 17,800 reported fires. These fires resulted in an estimated 40 civilian injuries, and $32 million in direct property damage. Over 9,600 fireworks related injuries were treated in U.S. hospital emergency rooms. According to the NFPA, the risk of fire death relative to time used shows fireworks as...