HomeMy WebLinkAboutReport of the Fire Chief for Sept 1981CAYEGA HEIGHTS FIRE DEPARTMENT
194 PLEASANT GROVE ROAD
ITHACA. NEW YORK
October 19,1981
TO: Hohorable Frederick G. Marcham, Mayor
Members of the Board of Trustees, Village of Cayuga Heights
RE: Report of the Fire Chief for September 1981
The Cayuga Heights Rescue Squad went on eleven calls during the month of September
Broken down by category the calls were, Cardiac (2), Stroke (1), Seizure (1), Fall
from ladder (1), Bicycle accident (1), Football injuries (2), Difficulty breathing
(1), Full arrest (2).
There was one incident call during the month and that was to investigate and find
a dead batterjt in a smoke detector.
A fly caused one of the three fire alarms for the month of September. An automatic
alarm called us to building G at BOCES. Upon arrival we found a smoke detector had
activated for no apparent reason. We were unable to reset the alarm system so we
investigated further. We found a fly inside the detector and let him free. The
system then reset and we all went home. The second alarm was a fire drill at BOCES
that was not properly disconnected from the phone lines to our fire house. The
third call was a malfunction in our Flexalrm system.. The alarm sounded and no
location was showing.
For more than a year now we have been experiencing problems with the Flexalarm
system in the fire house. We have had Simplex, the manufacturer of Flexalerm, in
to look at the system and they say the problem is in the phone lines. The Phone
Company says their lines are clean so the problem can not be in the lines. It has
become-apparent that the best way to solve the problem is to rid ourselves of the
entire system. The system has ten seperate locations coming into St. The first
six locations are six seperate buildings on the BOLES complex. The seventh location
is CayuBe Heights School, the eighth location is North East Elementary School, the
ninth location is Dewitt Junior High School, and the last location is the Cayuga
Heights Village Hall. I have approached BOCES about the possibility of their
system being converted to one of the newer radio alarm systems going directly to
Tompkins County Fire Control and not into our fire house at all. They have been
exploring this possibility and found the cost for the entire system to be the same
as one year's phone bill for the private lines they now—have.
Tompkins County Fire Coordinator John L. Miller has informed me they could handle the
remaining four lines on the Flexalarm box at Fire Central. This move would save
the Village of Cayuga Heights to cost of one private phone line we now have and
would also improve the service to all locations serviced by these alarm systems.
Under the present system an alarm blows the horns on the fire house and someone
has to go to the fire house to find out where the alarm is. The new system would
mean that someone would be where the alarms come in at all times and valuable time
could be saved.
Respectfully submitted
Franc- is L. Miller J
Fire Chief
"HELP PREVENT FIRES"