FANNIN COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY
181 Church Street
Blue Ridge, Georgia 30513
706-632-1958
Contact: Robert Graham, Director

Report Period: Oct 1 thru Oct 7, 2012

Total Calls answered by 911 Center (including non-emergency) 1440

The following figures represent emergency calls dispatched
Law Enforcement (cities & county) 295
Rescue 25
Fire 16
EMS 61 Total
• McCaysville Ambulance 13
• Blue Ridge Ambulance 28
• Morganton Ambulance 20
*Above EMS numbers do not include non-emergency calls or transfers to other (out of town) hospitals.

No Fire Report

Below is a Public Service Message from the Fannin County Emergency Management Agency
Fire / Rescue / E.M.S.
342 West Main St.
Blue Ridge, GA 30513
Phone: (706) 632-4711

The reality is that when fire strikes, your home could be engulfed in smoke and flames in just a few minutes.

It’s 3 a.m. You and your family are sound asleep and awake to the beeping smoke alarm. You are tired and confused from the effects of the smoke. You know you need to get to safety, but when you head for the front door, you find that escape route is blocked by fire that is spreading by the second. What do you do?

While this scenario is one Fannin County Fire Chief Larry Thomas hopes you never have to encounter, the statistics prove that many people do. According to the nonprofit National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), one home structure fire was reported every 85 seconds in 2010. That added up to 369,500 home structure fires, which caused 13,350 injuries and 2,640 deaths. The numbers also show us that most fatal fires kill one or two people. However, in 2010, 19 home fires killed five or more people, resulting in 101 deaths.

The numbers are scary, but there is something you can do to help ensure your family’s safety should a fire break out in your home: Have Two Ways Out! Fannin County Fire Department is teaming up with NFPA during Fire Prevention Week, October 7 to 13, to urge residents to “Have Two Ways Out!” This year’s theme focuses on the importance of fire escape planning and practice.

Although preparing for the unexpected is difficult, reviewing the information below and taking action based on it to plan for a fire could save lives. Fannin County Fire Department recommends the following tips for planning your family’s escape:

If you have children and want to make this a family activity:
• Make a map of your home. Mark a door and a window that can be used to get out of every room.
• Choose a meeting place outside in front of your home. This is where everyone can meet once they’ve escaped. Draw a picture of your outside meeting place on your escape plan.
• Write the emergency telephone number for the fire department on your escape plan.
• Sound the smoke alarm and practice your escape drill with everyone living in your home.
• Keep your escape plan on the refrigerator and practice the drill twice a year or whenever anyone in your home celebrates a birthday.

If your family is all adults:
• Walk through you home and identify two ways out of each room.
• Choose a meeting place outside in front of your home. This is where everyone can meet once they’ve escaped.
• Make sure everyone knows the emergency number for your local fire department.
• Practice your escape drill twice a year.
The Fannin County Fire Department will be hosting activities thru the month of October at Blue Ridge Elementary Oct. 9th The Learning Depot Oct 10th East Fannin Elementary Oct 12th West Fannin Elementary Oct. 17th Mile Stones Oct. 17th during Fire Prevention Week to promote “Have Two Ways Out!” Through these educational, family-oriented activities, residents can learn more about the importance of fire escape planning and practice, as well as the power of prevention.

To learn more about “Have Two Ways Out!” visit NFPA online at www.firepreventionweek.org.