Easton Firefighters' Professional Achievements Acknowledged

By Christina Georgiou

George Leidy was officially sworn in as an
Easton Fire Department captain Wednesday evening
by Easton Mayor Sal Panto.

The achievements and contributions by two longtime Easton firefighters were recognized by city council at its meeting Wednesday evening.

Sixteen year veteran of the Easton Fire Department George Leidy was officially sworn in as a captain, having recently been promoted from lieutenant.

After his oath was administered by Mayor Sal Panto, Leidy's new badge was pinned onto his uniform by his father-in-law, Robert Lee.

Easton Fire Department Captain George Leidy's new
badge is pinned onto his uniform by his
father-in-law, Robert Lee.

The pinning of the badge was a significant moment, and it is traditional that a newly promoted fire officer choose someone close to him for the honor, explained Easton Fire Chief John Bast.

Leidy, who is nationally certified as a "Fire Officer I & II" and an EMS first responder, has been assigned to the city fire department's third platoon as the city-wide Tour Commander, where his responsibilities will include the management of the working platoon and responding to all incidents while on duty, Bast said.

Also recognized Wednesday night was Deputy Fire Chief John Price, a 31 1/2-year veteran of the department, for being granted the professional designations of "Certified Fire Investigator" (CFI) and "Fire Officer".

Deputy Fire Chief John Price,
a 31 1/2-year veteran of the department, center,
was recognized for gaining the professional
designations of "Certified Fire Investigator" (CFI) and "Fire Officer".

It took "five years of hard work" for Price to become a CFI, one of only 58 in the state, Bast said. The process includes an assessment of education, training and experience, as well as passing a comprehensive exam.

Price is one of only three Fire Officers in Pennsylvania as recognized by the Center for Public Safety Excellence, and the only one in the Lehigh Valley. The designation is awarded after a thorough assessment of the applicant's background and experience, including contributions to the profession and their community involvement.

Mayor Sal Panto, right, and Councilman Jeff Warren, who
heads the city's public safety committee, congratulate
Deputy Fire Chief John Price on his achievements.

Councilman Jeff Warren, who heads the city council public safety committee, credited Bast, as well as the firefighters, for the promotion and professional recognitions, noting that Bast was recognized as a Chief Fire Officer, a title shared by just 21 other fire officials in Pennsylvania, in 2012, and he has since encouraged professional development by members of the department.

"What a terrific job you've done with your leadership and on the example you have set for the department," Warren said, adding, "Thank you too, to the department for the job you do for our community."

Updated at 9:56 a.m.

Scene in Easton: Random Acts of Warm, Fuzzy Kindness

About 400 handmade scarves were given away to anyone who wanted
them by "Chase the Chill, the Original" along Northampton Street and
the surrounding area on Saturday.
Click on any photo for a full size view.

By Christina Georgiou

About a dozen volunteers, along with members of the Easton Fire Department, led by Easton textile artist Susan Huxley gave away about 400 hand knit and crochets winter scarves for the fourth year in a row in Easton on Saturday morning.

With a clothesline set up in front of the city's main fire station at the five-point intersection at the edges of the Downtown and West Ward neighborhood, "Chase the Chill, the Original" volunteers offered scarves to any and all who passed by and  desired them.

A Chase the Chill volunteer drapes a scarf
on a traffic signal pole for a passerby to
find and claim.

Some of the scarves were also draped on nearby trees, parking meters and other handy locations within a few blocks of the volunteers' gathering place for other passersby to find and claim. With tags that said,
"TAKE THIS SCARF...if you're cold or if you like it," recipients seemed pleasantly surprised by the gifts, and smiles and thanks were seen and heard along the 500 block of Northampton Street for about 45 minutes--the short  time it took for the hundreds of colorful, fluffy neck warmers to be happily snatched up and taken home.

The scarves were stitched by a dedicated group of volunteers over the past year, though one core member, Angela Boehm of Bethlehem, again created and donated a truly impressive number of them--166 in all.

Yarn for the undertaking is donated by the knitters themselves, as well as by community members--Huxley is always on the look-out for free wool that can be transformed by the group into next year's "scarf bombing," she said.

As recipients gathered at the clothesline strung between trees along the sidewalk, Huxley encouraged some of the recipients who seemed to be in more need to take a few scarves and distribute them as holiday gifts for loved ones too.

A happy recipient shows off her new scarf
Saturday at the Chase the Chill giveaway
event in Easton, as organizer Susan Huxley,
right, and a young volunteer tag more
scarves.

"My grand-daughter will love this one," said one senior, as she picked out a few.

Anyone who knits or crochets can get in on the action and donate to the annual  event, and Chase the Chill holds several public stitching gatherings a year as well, where volunteers can work on scarves to be donated.

Each donated scarf is photographed and documented by Huxley before being distributed, in and of itself a massive undertaking, considering the approximately  2,000 scarves that have passed through her hands.

The event has become so popular too that at least five other Chase the Chill groups have sprung up in the U.S. and Canada. The closest is in Emmaus.


"It's all about a random act of kindness," Huxley said, as one person marvelled at the amount of time and effort that went into the scarve giveaway.

To learn more about "Chase the Chill, the Original" or to get involved, visit the group's Facebook page.

Volunteers head off to drape scarves in the surrounding area
for lucky recipients to find and claim during the Chase the
Chill event on Saturday in Easton.

 

 

This Is the Weekend to Change Your Smoke Alarm Batteries

In addition to the end of Daylight Savings Time this weekend, this is also a excellent time to change your smoke alarm batteries.

According to the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), on average, people have less than three minutes from the time the first smoke alarm sounds to escape a fire. Working smoke alarms provide early warning and critical extra seconds needed to escape. They cut the risk of dying in home structure fires in half.

In the U.S., almost two-thirds of home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with inoperable smoke alarms or no smoke alarms. Thirty-eight percent of the fatal fire injuries occurred in homes with no smoke alarms at all, while 24 percent occurred in homes in which at least one smoke alarm was present but failed to operate.

This past September, three people, including a four-year-old child, died and three others were injured in a fast-moving apartment fire that occurred in Easton's West Ward neighborhood. Fire officials said the home lacked smoke detectors.

Smoke alarm failures usually result from missing, disconnected, or dead batteries. Households with non-working smoke alarms now outnumber those with no smoke alarms.

Changing smoke alarm batteries at least once a year, testing those alarms, and reminding others to do so are some of the simplest, most effective ways to reduce the change of tragic death and injury.

Additionally, the IAFC recommends that smoke alarms in homes be replaced every ten years.

The Easton Fire Department provides smoke alarms free of charge to city residents that request them. Contact them at 610-250-6670 for more information.

Paxinosa Students Geared Up for Winter, Thanks to Easton Firefighters

By Christina Georgiou

Paxinosa Elementary School students show off their new winter coats Tuesday afternoon. The Easton Fire Department's
"Coats for Kids" campaign outfitted 125 kids in need with brand-new, American-made winter garments.
Click on any photo for a full size view.

It's getting chilly outside, and it's only going to get colder as winter comes, but 125 Paxinosa Elementary School students are well-prepared for the season after  Easton firefighters outfitted them with brand new winter coats this afternoon.

The Easton Firefighters Coats for Kids campaign raised almost $4,000 since its kick off in August to provide the American-made garments to students that participate in the free and reduced-price lunch program at the school.

A student, assisted by an Easton firefighter, picks up her
new coat in front of Paxinosa Elementary School Tuesday
afternoon.

The students had their choice of colors--light pink, dark pink, or purple for the girls and gray, bright blue, or khaki for the boys--and each coat was tried on to ensure the proper fit, with a little room to grow too. Then, each child's name was written on the label inside by the Easton firefighters who volunteered their time for the giveaway event shortly before the end of the school day in front of the Northampton Street school Tuesday afternoon.

Donations to pay for the warm winter garments came from a variety of community sources and individuals, Easton Firefighters Coats for Kids organizer James Cocheran said.

"We got a lot of help," he said.

Sponsors, in addition to private donations, included Two Rivers Brewing Company and Rivals Sports Bar and Nightclub, both of who held multiple fund raising nights where profits from sales were donated to the cause.

IRCO Community Federal Credit Union in Phillipsburg, NJ was a major sponsor of the campaign too.

"And that's really amazing, since they're not even in Easton," Cochoran said.

One young man can't contain his excitement after receiving
his new bright blue winter coat.

Other local and area community businesses, including American Printing, Easton T-Shirts and Logos, Vintage Restaurant, Genesis Bicycles, Minuteman Press, Spa Soleil, and Dorney Park, also donated funds, supplies and materials, he added.

For their part, the students seemed delighted with their coats, showing them off to friends and happily posing for photos.

But despite the happy atmosphere, that there is such a need for the coat drive should be cause for reflection, Easton Fire Department Chief John Bast said. More than 80 percent of the approximately 725 students that attend Paxinosa Elementary School are eligible for the free or reduced lunch program, and about 1 in 6 of the students that attend the school were recipients of the city firefighters' generosity.

Students also got some fire prevention tips from
"Coats for Kids" organizer, Easton firefighter James
Cochoran.

"It says something that we have to give away this many coats," he said. "We have to take care of each other."

Anthony Viglianti, who took over as Paxinosa's principal this year after serving as a principal at Easton Area Middle School, said the event showed how much the community cares about the students.

"This is unbelievable," Viglianti said. "The overwhelming support the city provides, not only to our students, but the families too, is unbelievable. I always knew it when I was at the middle school, but now that I'm here and get to see it first hand...well, it's just incredible."

But Cochoran and all the other firefighters with the Easton Fire Department who spent months fund raising and donating funds of their own to make the coats a reality were modest about their efforts.

"It couldn't have worked out better," Cocheran said, as the children cavorted around him. "It was really great to see the smiles on the faces of the kids."

One Fire Victim Identified by Coroner; City Fire Chief Urges Residents to Check Smoke Detectors

By Christina Georgiou

Joy Lozier
Facebook photo

The first of three victims killed as a result of a fire that gutted their apartment early this morning was identified by Lehigh County Coroner Scott Grim this afternoon.

Joy Lozier, 24, was pronounced dead at 7:30 a.m. at the burn unit at Lehigh Valley Hospital in Salisbury Township, where where she had been transferred after having initially survived the blaze and taken by ambulance to Easton Hospital, Grim said in a press release.

Grim has ruled Lozier's death was accidental and attributed it to body burns.

Two other people, a man and a four-year-old boy, were also killed in the blaze, but Northampton County Coroner Zachary Lysek has not yet released information on their deaths and was not immediately available by phone Monday afternoon.

Unofficial reports indicate the four-year-old was Lozier's son, Mackai Peters, and the surviving baby is Lozier's second child. Online sources suggest Lozier worked as a manager for Dunkin' Donuts at a location in the city and was a graduate of the Lincoln Technical Institute.

Three other residents of the upstairs apartment at 724 Spring Garden St., a woman, a man, and a baby, survived the fire. Additionally, the resident of the first floor apartment escaped unharmed.

Residents' names, including that of Joy Lozier, who died as
a result of body burns sustained in a fast-moving fire that
consumed the apartment she shared with five others, are
seen on the mailbox at 724 Spring Garden St. While officials
have not yet released the names of a man and a four-year-old
child that also died in the fire, Gregory Jackson, whose
name is also seen above, is not thought to be among them.

Easton Fire Department Chief John Bast said Monday afternoon that both the man and the child have been released from a local area hospital after being treated for smoke inhalation.

The woman remained in the hospital Monday afternoon, and suffered burns as well as smoke inhalation, he said.

The fire started in a middle room on the second floor of the building near an electric clothes dryer, Bast said.

Though fire officials still haven't announced the official cause of the blaze, Bast said the fire is not suspicious, and there was "no criminal intent".

All the residents in the building, along with the seven residents of the other half of the duplex at 726 Spring Garden St., were left homeless by the blaze, as city officials have deemed both addresses uninhabitable.

The American Red Cross is reportedly sheltering the seven people that lived at the single-family home at 726 Spring Garden St. The resident of the first floor apartment at 724 Spring Garden is staying with family, Bast said, adding that he doesn't know what arrangements have been made for the survivors of the upstairs apartment at that address.

A house next door, at 722 Spring Garden St. also suffered minor damage from the fire, but owner Bruce Reichard, who has lived on the block "for most of 77 years" was not displaced. He was waiting for an insurance adjuster Monday afternoon to look at siding that melted, as well as a window that broke from the heat, and a glass panel in his front door that was shattered by emergency personnel when he was evacuated as a precaution during the fire.

Reichard said none of his neighbors next door had lived there for very long.

"I knew them to say hello to, but I didn't know them that well," he said.

Left, work men were seen boarding up and securing 724 Spring Garden St.,
site of a deadly fire early this morning in which three residents were killed and
three others injured. Right, displaced residents, one with an infant, sit on the
porch while other residents of the home pack belongings. Both properties
were deemed uninhabitable after the blaze.

Bast said smoke detectors might have prevented the the deaths and lessened the damages suffered by the survivors.

"We did not find one smoke detector in there, up or down," he said. "Please, people, check your smoke detectors. If you can't afford them, we'll give them to you. If you buy them, we'll put them up for you."

Bast said the fire is the deadliest he's handled during his career with the City of Easton.

"This is the first fatal fire in 12 years, since 2001," he said, adding that in that blaze, one man was killed.

Smoke detectors are available free of charge to city residents from the Easton Fire Department, which recommends having the life-saving devices on every floor and in every bedroom.  Residents can call the department at 610-258-6672 to arrange installation of smoke detectors.

Updated at 4:11 p.m.,  4:20 p.m. and again at 7:30 p.m.

West Ward Blaze Kills as Many as Three People, Injures Others

By Christina Georgiou

An apartment fire at 724 Spring Garden Street, claimed
the lives of up to three people in the early hours of  Monday
morning. Seen above, a member of the Easton Fire Department climbs
a ladder shortly after the fire was extinguished.

As many as three people lost their lives early this morning and as many as three more may have been injured when a fire ripped through a home at 724 Spring Garden Street at about 1:30 a.m.

Officials offered few details about the fire at the scene, citing the in-progress ongoing investigation into the blaze and the need to confirm facts before releasing information to the public, but witnesses said the blaze started on the second floor of the duplex, which appears to have housed two apartments, though online county records list the property as a four-bedroom single family home.

Flames had engulfed the entire second story and had spread to the third story by the time the occupants tried to escape, one witness said, adding that a woman and a baby were rescued from the third floor. Neighbors said they didn't know exactly how many people lived in the upstairs apartment.

She and the child, along with an elderly man, were taken away by ambulance, witnesses said.

One witness said the woman appeared to have burns on her arm, and another said they saw medics administering chest compressions to the man. The official condition of the baby is unknown, but one woman said she carried the child to ambulance medics, and he appeared to be uninjured.

Kris Thompson, 28, who lived in the first floor apartment downstairs from the fire, escaped without injury, as did seven other residents who live in a single-family home at 726 Spring Garden St.

"All I know is, I heard a big bang and a window exploded. Then someone yelled 'Fire!', and I got out," Thompson said. His dog, Havoc, also made it out of the burning building safely.

Jason Soto, right, stands with his son behind police lines
early Monday morning. He helped one of his neighbors
escaped the blaze which engulfed their apartment and took
the lives of others.

Next door neighbors Jason and Annette Soto ran out of their home, along with five other family members at their residence, after hearing a commotion.

"We heard breaking glass," Jason Soto said, adding that he initially thought someone was breaking into either their house or a car outside. "Then we heard someone screaming 'Fire! Fire! Fire!"

He said he tried to help one of the next door neighbors escape from the third floor, and then Easton Fire Department members arrived at the scene, at which point they stepped in and rescued at least one person from the blaze.

"I saw them pull one person out, and an old man," Jason Soto said.

His haste to escape and help his neighbors left him standing shoeless and shirtless on the sidewalk.

While their neighbors' attached apartment was entirely engulfed in flames, other than the sound of breaking glass and shouting, the Sotos had no warning of the danger, Annette Soto said.

"We have smoke detectors, but they didn't go off," she said. "There wasn't any smoke in our house, but theirs was in flames."

Ellen and Tom Moskella, right, talk with an Easton Fire
Department official at the scene.

Thompson said there were no smoke detectors in his apartment at 724 Spring Garden, though property owners Ellen and Tom Moskella, of Bethlehem Township, who arrived at the scene shortly before 3 a.m. disputed that fact.

Tom Moskella said both apartments were equipped with working detectors, "unless the tenants did something to them."

County records indicate the single family dwelling at 726 Spring Garden is owned by Guillermo Aguilar, of Palmer Township.

Neighbors adjacent to where the fire broke out said they knew little about the residents that lived there, including the number of people. Thompson said they'd moved in about four or five months ago and were generally quiet.

Easton Mayor Sal Panto, third from left, talks with Easton
police officers at the scene of an apartment fire that claimed
the lives of up to three people early Monday morning.

Mayor Sal Panto, along with City Administrator Glenn Steckman, was on the scene a bit after 2 a.m.

The mayor confirmed at least two people died in the blaze, and one of them was a child.

"It's not a good day. Not good at all," Panto said.

In addition to the Easton Fire Department, the Wilson Borough Fire Department were also at the scene. At least three ambulances were called to the address, and the Easton Police Criminal Investigations Unit had arrived by about 3 a.m.

A state police fire marshal will be investigating the blaze, in addition to Easton Fire Department Chief John Bast, who is also the city's fire marshal, and city police, EFD Captain Henry Hennings said.

More information will also probably be released about the fire later today, Hennings added.

Updated at 6:05 a.m. to add more photos.

Firefighters Aim to Keep Local Schoolchildren Warm This Winter

By Christina Georgiou

Winter may still seem like a long way off, but city firefighters are looking ahead and working to help keep as many local schoolchildren warm when the weather turns cold.

The "Easton Firefighters Coats for Kids" campaign hopes to provide brand new, American-made winter coats to students that participate in the free/reduced lunch programs at Paxinosa, Cheston, and March elementary schools in the city.

"We're trying to show the kids that they're worth something new," said campaign organizer and Easton firefighter James Corcoran. "We'd like to give them a self-esteem boost as well as make sure they're warm this winter."

The effort will also help recipients' families too, allowing the children's parents to allocate the money to other necessary expenses, he said.

The three schools were chosen out of the total of six Easton Area School District elementary schools because of the high number of students at each whose families are low-income, Corcoran said.

At Paxinosa Elementary School, 73 percent of the students are eligible for the free/reduced lunch program, while at Cheston and March, the numbers are 67 and 41 percent respectively. According to online statistics, 22 percent of all children in Easton live in poverty.

The firefighters' union, IAFF Local 713, which is sponsoring the campaign, has donated $1,000 to the cause, which will pay for the first 31 of the coats.

And, some local businesses are already helping out, Corcoran said.

Most notably, Two Rivers Brewing Company, which is directly across the street from the Downtown Easton fire station, will be holding a special happy hour event from 4 to 7 p.m. every Thursday in August, and 10 percent of all receipts at that time will be donated to the cause.

Click on this image for a full size view.

Fire station tours held from 5:30 to 7 p.m., along with a 50/50 raffle, may also draw more people to the five Thursday evening events too, organizers hope.

Other local businesses have been giving items to the charity drive's organizers that will be raffled between now and Oct. 16, the deadline for donations, Corcoran said. Again, all the money raised through the fundraisers will go directly towards the purchase of as many winter coats as possible.

"But, so far, it's been pretty slow," he said of the rate of donations, adding that while the firefighters hope to be able to provide a new coat to every kid in need, it may be that they will have to select specific classes at the three selected schools instead, and bypass providing coats to others.

Corcoran said he ultimately doesn't know how many children will be recipients of the drive, especially since it's the first year the union has held this sort of charity drive, and is being run through the national "Operation Warm" program.

"The original idea was to give every kid on the free- and reduced-lunch program a free coat, but we have to work with what we get," he said.

Corcoran is hopeful that once word of the coat drive gets out and the heat of summer begins to wane, more individuals will donate to the cause.

Donors aren't required pay for an entire coat, he said--any amount is welcome and will go directly towards buying the cold-weather garments.

Donations will be accepted through October 16, which will allow for the two-week turnaround the order from the manufacturer requires. The coats will then be distributed directly to the selected students in early November, hopefully in time for the arrival of cold weather.

Children will be allowed to choose the color of their coat, and each will have the recipient's name stitched inside too--a touch that lets the kids know the coat was made for them. Teachers will help fill out the order forms and measure students to ensure a good fit, Corcoran said.

"The cost is $32 per coat. However many donations we get, we'll work with that," Corcoran said.

To keep people up to date and provide more information about upcoming fundraising events that will contribute to "Easton Firefighters Coats for Kids", organizers have set up a Facebook page.

To contribute directly to the new coat drive online or learn more about the national "Firefighters Coats for Kids Foundation, visit the IAFF Local 713's web page on "Operation Warm" here.

Suspicious Bag Leads to Block Evacuation, Street Shut-Down

By Christina Georgiou


A report of a suspicious bag found between the inner and outer door of a
residence on North 11th Street caused the block to be evacuated and the
street shut down for nearly four hours Tuesday evening.

 The first block of North 11th Street was shut down for nearly four hours and residents were evacuated as a precaution after a "suspicious package" was found on the doorstep of a recently vacated apartment Tuesday evening.

Easton Fire Department Captain Henry Hennings said emergency personnel received a call from another resident in the building around 5:30 p.m. about a bag left between the outer and inner door of the building.

"It is a bag of unknown origin," Hennings said. "That's why we're treating it as suspicious."

Neighbors and local residents watch from across the street.

An Easton K9 sniff of the bag shortly after Easton police and fire officials arrived on the scene didn't indicate the presence of explosives, but Northampton County Emergency Management and the Bethlehem Fire Department Bomb Squad was called in as a precaution
anyway, he said.

The evacuation was a major inconvenience to at least one resident.

Though he said he understood the importance of being safe rather than sorry, being forced out of his home for hours made Matthew Koenig, who works the night shift at an area cold storage facility, miss work.

"Being a former Marine and having this happen, it's like, what the hell did I get out for?" he said. "I was having a nice peaceful sleep too...I was sleeping and all of a sudden my wife says, 'there's someone outside saying we're being evacuated.' This is just a pain."


A member of the Bethlehem Fire Department
Bomb Squad retrieves the parcel.

 After careful investigation, a bomb expert retrieved the bag at about 8:20 p.m.

Peering inside, authorities found the parcel contained personal items, and nothing dangerous or suspicious.

Hennings said the drawstring nylon bag held a notebook, deodorant, a sweatshirt, and an overdue library book.

Police swept the property, including a shed and a garage, but found nothing else out of the ordinary, he added.

"As far as we know, someone could have dropped off the bag not realizing the tenant was not there any more," Hennings speculated.

Easton Police Lt. Sam Lobb inspects the
contents of the bag, which was brought
out in a milk crate.

While there was no threat called in, the bag was possibly considered suspicious by the initial caller because the former tenant had apparently been recently evicted.

Local residents were allowed back into their homes and the first block of North 11th Street was reopened to traffic at about 9:20 p.m.

This is the second bomb scare in the City of Easton in as many weeks.


On the scene were members of the Easton Police Department,
the Easton Fire Department, Easton EMS, the Bethlehem Fire
Department Bomb Squad, Northampton County Emergency
Management, the Lehigh County EMA Special Operations,
and the Lehigh County Hazardous Materials personnel.

 On April 26, a number of surrounding roads were closed for about three hours after a black handbag was tossed from a vehicle near the corner of Seventh and Northampton streets, alarming a witness who thought the bag might contain a bomb. In that case, it was found that a woman had discarded the bag as litter shortly after purchasing a new one.

More than 20 emergency personnel, including members of the Lehigh County Hazardous Materials and Emergency Management Special Operations teams, responded to the incident.

Emergency Management Officials Urge Public to Stay Safe

The electricity provider MetEd announced Tuesday night that they estimate the thousands of people left without electricity in the aftermath of "superstorm" Sandy will see full service restoration by Monday, Nov. 5--or Wednesday, Nov. 7 at the latest in some areas.

That's a long time to go without, and people are being forced to make do in the meantime. However, some stop-gap measures to get by without power can be dangerous--even deadly--if proper care isn't taken.

Local emergency management officials are urging the public to use common sense and exercise caution while services are being restored.

Battery-operated lights are better than candles

"Be very, very careful with candles," warned Easton Fire Chief John Bast Tuesday afternoon. "We'd rather people didn't use them at all. Battery-operated flashlights and lanterns are much safer."

But for those who must use candles, Bast offered the following advice:

• Don't fall asleep when candles are lit
• Use glass hurricane shades whenever possible
• Make sure smoke detectors are working

"Halloween is one time people are supposed to check their smoke detector batteries anyway. Now is a very good time to do so," Bast said.

With colder temperatures arriving, he noted that it might be tempting for people to try to warm up in ways that are unsafe.

"Never use a gas oven for heating," he said, adding that cooking on a grill indoors can also be deadly.

For those with generators, he offered the reminder that they must be kept outdoors and never run in a house or garage where they can create a deadly build-up of carbon monoxide fumes.

Kerosene heaters should also be approached with a great deal of caution, both because of the risk of fumes and also because of the risk of fire.

Know these things when driving in a widespread power outage

With many traffic signals inoperative due to power outages, PennDOT also offered advice to motorists via email on Tuesday.

Traffic lights that are out should be treated as four-way stops, the state transportation agency says.

For signals that are blinking, a flashing red light should be treated like a stop sign; a blinking yellow light has right of way, but motorists should proceed with caution through the intersection.

Also, last month a new state law went into effect that imposes stiff penalties on motorists who ignore “road closed” or other safety warning signs and devices.

 

Under the law, motorists who past traffic control devices closing a road or highway due to hazardous conditions will have two points added to their driving records and can be fined up to $250.

If the violation results in a need for emergency responders to be called, the fine increases to between $250 and $500, and violators will be held liable for repaying the costs of the emergency response.

 

With the extent of damage the storm caused to electrical lines and trees, it may take work crews some time to clear dangerous situations, and some damaged lines and trees may still come crashing down.

 

Downed trees and power lines are dangerous

Met-Ed warns that touching a live power line can cause serious injury or death. You can't tell by looking whether a line is "hot" or not. Even if a downed line isn't actively sparking, always assume it is carrying electricity.

The company further states:

• Immediately report downed wires to 888-544-4877 or your local police or fire department by calling 911.
• Never go near a downed power line, even if you think it's no longer carrying electricity.
• Stay more than 30 feet away from downed power lines, don't walk or drive near or over a downed line, and watch out for anything touching the line.
• If a wire falls on a vehicle, passengers should stay inside until help arrives.
• Don't drive over downed power lines.
• If a downed line is near water - even a small puddle - keep well away.
• Keep children and pets away from any wires.
• Be careful not to stand under damaged tree limbs or power lines. Tree limbs can become weakened during a storm but not fall until several hours or days later. The same can be true for damaged power lines or poles.
• Unplug appliances like refrigerators and freezers, and sensitive electronic equipment like TVs and computers, so that they won't overload when power is restored.
• When operating a generator, always disconnect the power coming into your home. Otherwise, power from your generator could be sent back onto the utility lines, creating a hazardous situation for utility workers. The proper generator should be selected and installed by a qualified electrician.
• Stay out of flooded basements, even if the power is off. Stay away from the breaker box if it's in a flooded basement.

Avoid food poisoning 

The lack of electricity also presents difficulties when it comes to food storage.

Most refrigerated foods become unsafe to consume after being kept at 40 degree temperatures for more than two hours--that's about four hours in the average refrigerator without power when the door's been kept closed.

Obviously, with the expectation electricity won't be restored to the local area until next week, that's a problem.

Still, some foods that are commonly kept cold are safe to eat for longer, says www.foodsafety.gov , including:

• Hard cheeses, such as cheddar, Colby, Swiss, Parmesan, provolone, Romano
• Processed cheese, such as American
• Butter and margarine
• Fruit juices, opened canned fruits, fresh fruits, coconut, raisins, dried fruits, candied fruits, dates
• Peanut butter
• Jelly, relish, taco sauce, mustard, catsup, olives, pickles
• Worcestershire, soy, barbecue, hoisin sauces
• Opened vinegar-based dressings
• Bread, rolls, cakes, muffins, quick breads, tortillas, and breakfast foods--waffles, pancakes, bagels
• Pies, fruit 
• Fresh mushrooms, herbs, spices
• Raw vegetables

Nearly all other refrigerated foods should be discarded, especially highly perishable ones like meat. You can’t always rely on appearance or odor to determine whether food is safe.

Remember, "If in doubt, throw it out."

For more detailed information about food safety during an emergency, click here.

New Pumper Added to Easton Fire Department Fleet

By Christina Georgiou

The Easton Fire Department recently took delivery of a new pumper, which will replace a pumper that has served the city since 1985.

The new truck, a Spartan ERV "Transformer", is a state-of-the-art piece of fire fighting machinery, said Deputy Fire Chief John Price Tuesday evening.

It carries 500 gallons of water and is rated to pump 1,500 gallons of water per minute.

Price said the vehicle was customized to specifications specifically to meet Easton's needs, and is able to easily maneuver on some of the city's older, more narrow streets and alleys, along with the ability to be housed at the Southside fire station.

"This pumper will fit into the Southside fire station, which was designed for horse-drawn steam pumps," Price said.

"The Transformer" also features remotely controlled high-intensity lights mounted on the top of the truck, and also a high-tech traffic control device that pops out of the top of the vehicle, that will help direct motorists at emergency scenes.

The custom features of the new fire and rescue truck were designed with suggestions from all members of the Easton Fire Department, Price said.

"We took input from all the guys and asked them what they thought we needed most," Price said. "So it's not just like the guys at the top said, 'Here, this is what you're getting.'"

The life-expectancy of the new $504,000 pumper is about 25 years, but the city may not keep it all that time, said City Administrator Glenn Steckman.

"The truck this replaces is 27 years old. But we're hoping to cycle equipment more often than that in the future," Steckman said.

He explained that while the city has specific needs due to the multi-story buildings and urban environment, fire departments in other areas often don't need as up-to-date equipment and are happy to buy good used equipment.

"Ideally, we'd like to sell before all (a truck is) worth is scrap value," he said.

If such a system is managed well, the city could save some money while operating better, newer equipment at all times, Steckman said

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City firefighters are training on all aspects of the new vehicle, and it's expected to be put into official service near the end of the month when that training is complete and the last of the new gear that the truck will carry arrives.

The EFD will also be getting new radios for the entire department before the end of the year, due to federal requirements requiring an upgrade.

Some of the cost will be covered by a FEMA grant, but about 50 percent of the city's request for funding was denied by the federal agency, Price said, leaving Easton to pick up the remainder of the tab.

Easton will need three new base station radios, six new truck radios and 42 portable units to be in compliance with the new requirements,  the deputy chief said.

The money for the portion of the radios' funding that is not being paid for by grant money will come from the fire department's overtime and salary line items in the 2011 budget, city officials said.