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Fire Protector - Owosso fire chief improving safety, knowledge
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Tuesday, April 21, 2009 11:55 AM EDT
Argus-Press Photo by Nathan Bruttell Owosso Fire Chief Mike Bradley inspects the kitchen at the Shiawassee Council on Aging Friday. Bradley and Owosso firefighter Bill West have performed about 200 inspections of commercial buildings in the last two years. The efforts hope to decrease the number of major fires in the area.
OWOSSO - Owosso Fire Chief Mike Bradley is on a mission to put out fires - before they happen.
Bradley, a certified fire inspector, has reviewed more than 200 commercial buildings in the last two years in an effort to improve safety and prevent fires from occurring in the area. Bradley and Owosso firefighter Bill West were trained by the National Fire Protection Association, they completed a 40-hour class and passed several exams to become the city's inspectors. Bradley said he performs about three inspections a week.
All commercial buildings are required to receive an annual inspection. Bradley said the efforts of the department were not well-received, but added residents have warmed up to the idea after realizing the goal was not to increase citations, but safety.
“Awhile back I informed a business we were coming for an inspection and the person I talked to wasn't very happy,” Bradley said. “She said given the choice between a root canal and the inspection, she'd take a root canal. A few weeks later she called thanking me for educating the employees and improving the safety of the building.”
During inspections, Bradley uses a checklist to examine fire extinguishers, to verify that chemicals are stored properly, to make sure rooms are below capacity and several other items considered fire safety hazards. After completion, Bradley informs the business of any problems and works with the company to ensure the items are fixed.
Public Safety Chief Mike Compeau said the idea for the inspections surfaced after several major fires in the Owosso area.
“We realized we had a few that could have been prevented if buildings were up to code and people were more educated,” Compeau said. “We are being very vigilant with this and hopefully we will reap the results of having fewer fires the longer we do it.”
Compeau said Bradley's work goes beyond the checklist he carries.
“It means a lot to our department,” Compeau said. “Not only is he doing these inspections, but he will often come back and suggest that our men learn the layout of the buildings in case there is a fire.”
Buildings such as schools, Chemical Bank on Main Street, Memorial Healthcare and the Shiawassee Council on Aging have all been inspected recently. Bradley said all three shifts at the fire department have visited several buildings as well.
“It's important that they know what they're dealing with when they enter a building as large as some of the ones we inspect,” Bradley said. “It can mean the difference in saving lives.”
The Owosso Fire Department has made other steps to improve reaction time in case of fires. Along with inspections, Bradley offers the Knox-Box Rapid Entry System, which allows the department to gain access using a lockbox attached to the building to obtain a key.
“We can get into the buildings much faster this way,” Bradley said. “If we can't reach someone by phone and no one is there, sometimes we will need to break in to put out a fire. With this system, we can get in very quickly.”
Bradley said the system is a last resort for the department but could mean the difference between saving a structure or losing it to heavy fire damage.
- Contact Nathan Bruttell at 725-5136 extension 231 or nbruttellarguspress@gmail.com. Post comments about this story online at www.argus-press.com.