Continuous community engagement and safety education is a goal of the Dover Fire Department to prevent fires and other emergencies. Dover Fire Department Capt. Joe Minnochi, who has 28 years of service with the department, recently spoke about the department’s community risk reduction programs.
“About four years ago when I got promoted to captain, one of my main jobs was to head up public education. Public education has now become Community Risk Reduction because it encompasses more,” Minnochi said.
Community Risk Reduction involves the whole municipality of Dover. The program has started with the basics, and they intend to keep moving forward, adding more programs as they are able. One of the most important programs is fire safety inspections.
“We currently have seven state-certified fire inspectors,” Minnochi said. “Our fire inspectors go to local businesses, and they do fire safety inspections. They look for anything that might cause a fire or lead to the spread of a fire if a fire was to break out.”
The fire inspectors can suggest needed changes.
“The idea is to keep the businesses as safe as possible for the business owner and for the patrons that visit that business,” Minnochi said.
They would like to inspect each business every year or two, but that is currently not possible.
“With the call volume we run, we’re not able to always do that,” Minnochi said. “The call volume has increased over the years, so when the inspectors are on their regular shift, emergency runs come first.”
The firefighters also conduct inspections after a fire to determine the cause.
“When we get a house fire or structure fire, we have a team that can do the investigation to find out the origin of the fire, where it started and what caused the fire. And we take that information to make things safer,” Minnochi said.
With support from the Dover Exchange Club, the department provides smoke detectors to each second-grader in Dover Schools and Tuscarawas Central Catholic Elementary. The program services around 200 students each year in October.
“We take the smoke detectors. We do a fire safety program where we talk about fire safety, how to dial 911, and not to play with matches and lighters and, if they find those things, to give them to an adult,” Minnochi said.
They also talk about EDITH, which stands for exit drills in the home.
“We make sure these students understand to have a plan of exit if there is a fire and a meeting place outside the home so that they can account for each other, and then that way when we get on scene, we ask if everybody is out of the home,” Minnochi said.
The program addresses serious issues, but working together makes it fun.
“The kids enjoy it; all the firefighters enjoy it. It’s a good time,” Minnochi said.
The DFD also is partnering with the Rosenberry Foundation to provide fire extinguisher training. The foundation provided $16,000 in funding to purchase fire extinguisher training props that make training easier.
“When we teach the class, we teach about the different types of extinguishers. We teach about the proper way to use the fire extinguisher, which includes the acronym PASS, which is for pull, aim, squeeze and sweep,” Minnochi said. “You pull the pin, you aim your nozzle at the base of the fire, and then you squeeze the handle and just sweep back and forth across the base of the fire.”
The DFD has provided this training for businesses and high school science classes. The new prop uses water-filled extinguishers for the class and keeps existing fire extinguishers in service.
“Previously, when we did it, we would usually use their extinguishers, and then they would have to get them refilled,” Minnochi said.
The DFD also offers CPR classes, which include first aid and AED training. Students can go through the training without the option of getting a certification card. For those who want a certification card, it can be renewed every two years through this class. Last year they provided 20 classes with more than 120 students.
They also offer Stop the Bleed programs.
“If somebody’s really bleeding from an injury, if you can stop that bleeding or slow it down, you give them such a much better chance,” Minnochi said.
Techniques include applying pressure, packing a wound or applying a tourniquet.
The department also sends out information a few times each year in Dover utility bills to update the community, especially during the holidays when there are added fire risks. They also hold presentations for groups.
The department has had good feedback on its programs, and it is continually working to improve.
