San Carlos Park Fire District has made special arrangements with Santa Claus for our fire stations to be drop-off sites for letters to Santa Claus! Bring your children to drop off their letters in Santa’s Mailbox located at any one of our fire stations:

• Station 51 located at 8013 Sanibel Blvd.
• Station 52 located at 16901 Island Park Rd.
• Station 53 located at 19591 Ben Hill Griffin Pkwy.

Santa loves to get letters from boys and girls who have been good all year long!  Make sure to include your child’s name and address on each letter and San Carlos Park Fire District will ensure each child receives a personalized letter from Santa.

The deadline to drop off letters at Santa’s Mailbox is December 15th. No postage required, only a little magic!

For more information, call the San Carlos Park Fire District at 239-267-7525

Planning ahead can make this Halloween safer for your little mosters. Check out these safety tips so your night is a treat, not a trick!

Costumes

• When you buy or make costumes, masks, beards, and wigs, look for flame-resistant fabrics such as nylon or polyester, or look for the label “Flame Resistant.”
• Purchase or make costumes that are light-colored, bright and clearly visible to motorists.
• For greater visibility during dusk and darkness, decorate or trim costumes with reflective tape on the front, back and sides that will glow in the beam of a car’s headlights.
• Children should carry flashlights to see and be seen.
• Costumes should fit well and not drag on the ground to guard against trips and falls.
• If your child wears a mask, make sure it fits securely, provides adequate ventilation, and has eye holes large enough to allow full vision.
• Swords, knives and similar costume accessories should be made of soft, flexible material.

Treats

• Warn children not to eat any treats before an adult has examined them carefully for evidence of tampering.
• Carefully examine any toys or novelty items received by trick-or-treaters who are younger than three years of age.

Decorations

• Remove obstacles from lawns, steps, and porches when expecting trick-or-treaters.
• Keep candles and jack-o’-lanterns away from curtains, decorations, and other items that could ignite. Do not leave burning candles unattended.
• Indoors or outside, use only decorative light strands that have been tested for safety by a recognized testing laboratory.
• Don’t overload extension cords.

Follow these tips and have a happy and safe Halloween!

For more information visit the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

It’s National PrepareAthon! Day. Preparedness takes action! Learn more about hazards which can affect our community and ways you can take action to prepare and participate.

Active Shooter: Recent national tragedies remind us that the risk is real: an active shooter incident can happen in any place at any time. The best way to make sure you and your loved ones stay safe is to prepare ahead of time.

Flood: Flooding is the most common natural disaster in the United States and can happen anywhere.

Hurricane: Hurricanes have the power to cause widespread devastation, and can affect both coastal and inland areas.

Tornado: Tornadoes are one of nature’s most violent storms, and can cause death, injury, and destruction within seconds.

Wildfire: Wildfires can occur anywhere and can destroy homes, businesses, infrastructure, natural resources, and agriculture.

Follow this link for more information on how to Be Smart, Take Part, and Prepare for each of the hazards listed above: https://community.fema.gov/take-action/hazards?lang=en_US

Wednesday, September 14th at 6:00pm
Our Lady of Light Catholic Community
19680 Cypress View Drive
Fort Myers, FL 33967

Our Lady of Light Catholic Community will host a Blue Mass to show the community’s support of local Law Enforcement, Fire, EMS, and First Responders. All community members, First Responders, their families, and friends are invited to attend.

A Blue Mass is celebrated in the Catholic Church for those employed in the public safety field. The color blue relates to the blue uniforms predominately used by these services. The mass honors those who have fallen in the line of duty and those currently serving, and gives the community an opportunity to show gratitude for those who serve so courageously, as well as their families, who risk so much so others can live safely.  The first Blue Mass was held in Washington, DC in 1934 at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church.

The mass will feature static displays of apparatus from Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Lee County Emergency Medical Services, San Carlos Park Fire District and other local fire departments, as well as the presentation of colors by the Public Safety Honor Guard. Light refreshments will follow the mass.

Since mid-2015, Zika virus has spread rapidly throughout South and Central America and the Caribbean, including U.S. territories such as Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In July 2016, Florida became the first U.S. state to report local mosquito-borne transmission of the Zika virus.  Please see below for information on how to protect yourself from the Zika virus.  You can also follow this link,  Zika Virus Informational Poster, for a shareable pdf version of the information.

Two Fire Inspectors and Four Lieutenants were sworn in during last nights regular board meeting. Please help us in welcoming Fire Inspector Stritenberger and Fire Inspector Wilkinson and Congratulating Lieutenant Grafmyre, Lieutenant Altstatt, Lieutenant Nichols and Lieutenant Manning on thier promotions.

Fire Marshal Lennon,  Fire Inspector Stritenberger, Fire Inspector Wilkinson and Fire Chief Cambareri

Lieutenant Grafmyre, Lieutenant Altstatt, Lieutenant Nichols and Lieutenant Manning

Installing hurricane shutters can be time-consuming and difficult, so many residents leave some or all of them up year round or for the remainder of hurricane season after the initial storm has passed. While this might save some time and effort, it is not worth the threat it creates to your life safety.

During a hurricane, shutters protect your home from wind, rain, and flying debris. However, hurricane shutters can be unsafe and even deadly when left on your windows the rest of the year. If a fire were to occur in your home, how would you get out? And just as importantly, how would firefighters get in to help you?  Hurricane shutters are designed to withstand hurricane-force winds, and if they can keep debris from entering your home, they can keep firefighters from entering and you from escaping.

Did you know the majority of fires occur at night?  Keeping that in mind, if a fire broke out in your home while you were in your bedroom how would you escape?  Maybe you could use the bedroom door, but if the fire is outside of that door your only other way out is the window.  Devastatingly, there have been a number instances in Florida where firefighters haven’t been able to get into burning homes due to hurricane shutters being left on all year round.

In 2004, four children and an adult were killed in a house fire in Homestead, Florida. State records show that the windows were covered in plywood and burglar bars. That same year, a 53-year-old man was trapped inside his home in Fort Lauderdale during a fire. He had metal hurricane shutters on his home, and the fire department had trouble cutting through the shutters. In both situations, there was no threat of a hurricane or tropical storm.

Remember, as we enter into the typically more active part of our Hurricane Season, hurricane shutters should only be up when storms are threatening.  Hurricane shutters, when used correctly, aren’t dangerous. In fact, when deployed during a storm, hurricane shutters protect your home from rain and flying debris.  But in order to truly protect your home and your family, the best thing you can do is to only deploy hurricane shutters when there’s an imminent threat of a hurricane. For more information regarding hurricane preparedness please give us a call at 239-267-7525 or visit http://www.leegov.com/

The San Carlos Park Fire District is currently in the hiring process for the job position of Firefighter. The recruitment period runs from July 25, 2016 through August 12, 2016. To review the recruitment process and requirements for employment please follow the link below.

Click Here for Job Posting

The temperature outside is really starting to heat up and as it rises we need focus on being proactive so we don’t become victims of heat related illness. While paying attention to the temperature is important, it is also helpful to pay attention to the “feels like” temperature.  The “feels like” temperature or heat index is a result of humidity.  Heat index, calculated from the air temperature and relative humidity, is the heat stress that your body is subjected to. The heat index is the number to watch for during hot summer months.

Elevated temperatures, humidity, and heat index lead to a greater chance of heat related illness. Each year many fall victim to extreme heat. Heat related illness happens when people’s bodies are unable to compensate and properly cool themselves.  Signs of heat related illness include:

-Skin that feels hot and dry, but not sweaty
-Confusion or loss of consciousness
-Frequent vomiting/nausea
-Shortness of breath or trouble breathing

When the temperature and heat index are high try to stay indoors in air-conditioned areas. If you must go outside, take the following precautions:

-Drink more fluids, regardless of your activity level. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink.
-Don’t drink liquids that contain caffeine, alcohol, or large amounts of sugar–these actually cause you to lose more body fluid.
-Wear lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing.
-Protect yourself from the sun by wearing a hat or using an umbrella.
-Limit your outdoor activity to morning and evening hours and take frequent breaks.
-NEVER leave anyone in a closed, parked vehicle.
-If you have a chronic medical problem, ask your doctor about how to deal with the heat, about drinking extra fluids, and about your medicines.

If you don’t have air conditioning, or know an elderly relative or neighbor who doesn’t have it, think about ways to get into a cool environment for at least part of the day. Go to a movie, shopping mall, supermarket, or public library.

For more information please call San Carlos Park Fire District at 267-7525.

Today is National Pet Fire Safety Day! Follow these tips to keep your four-legged friends safe from home fires.

Extinguish Open Flames – Pets are generally curious and will investigate cooking appliances, candles, or even a fire in your fireplace. Ensure your pet is not left unattended around an open flame and make sure to thoroughly extinguish any open flame before leaving your home. Better yet, consider using flameless candles.

Pet Proof the Home – Take a walk around your home and look for areas where pets might start fires inadvertently, such as the stove knobs and other potential hazards. Pet owners should also check electrical cords to make sure their pets haven’t chewed and frayed them.

Secure Young Pets – Especially with young puppies, keep them confined away from potential fire-starting hazards when you are away from home.

Practice Escape Routes with Pets – Keep collars and leashes at the ready in case you have to evacuate quickly with your pet.

Have Working Smoke Alarms in Your Home – Smoke alarms should be located inside and outside of each sleeping area and on each floor of your home.

Get Out and Stay Out- In case of a home fire, pet owners should not go back inside to find pets. Instead, let us know that a pet is trapped inside. Each first due SCPFD apparatus carries a set of pet oxygen masks for use on your animals after they are rescued from your home.