This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Crime & Safety

Hot Off The Press: East Haddam Volunteer Fire Department News for February 2012

The Safe Home Alone Readiness Program (S.H.A.R.P) class presented at the Nathan Hale-Ray Middle School and the fire department's monthly incident reports.

 

The subject of home safety is one that cannot be emphasized or discussed often enough. Especially when it involves children and the fact that they are sometimes left home alone, often at a very young age.

A recent class, titled Safe Home Alone Readiness Program (S.H.A.R.P.) was presented at the , sponsored by East Haddam Youth & Family Services and presented by Mindy Johnston of S.E.Y.A. (Safety Education for Youths and Adults).

Find out what's happening in The Haddams-Killingworthwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The informational three-night class was targeted for children ages 10 and up who stay home alone, to provide valuable personal safety tips and problem-solving skills in the event of an emergency and also as a prevention tool for any unforeseen safety challenges, especially when left unattended by adults or a babysitter.

The discussions included subjects related to fire, police and medical issues and awareness. Guest speakers/instructors during Johnston's series of classes included East Haddam Fire Chief Don Angersola and East Haddam Resident State Trooper Jeff Rhoades.

Find out what's happening in The Haddams-Killingworthwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Chief Angersola spoke to the group about the importance of having a family meeting place outside of the home, in the event of an actual fire emergency. He discussed escape plans, the proper use of and how to dial 9-1-1 and the value of having working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in our homes.

"Smoke detectors save lives," Angersola told the students.

"And, it's always important for families to take the time to get together to review and practice fire safety and escape plans, on a monthly basis if possible," he said.

Johnston, a certified Emergency Medical Technician and Auxiliary State Trooper, has been teaching babysitting and other safety classes for the past 30 years, and began the S.H.A.R.P. program in June of 2011.

"If I were to single out what I consider to be one of the most important messages of S.H.A.R.P, it would be to always talk through a locked door," Johnston instructed.

In many cases, children are told not to answer the phone or the door when their parents are away from home, which could lead to trouble if the residence appears vacant when it is being targeted for a crime.

"Most burglaries occur during the day when people are at work and children are at school. Burglars want the money, jewelry and electronics; they do not want witnesses. For that reason, burglars will often knock first before breaking into a home," said Johnston.

More information about the S.H.A.R.P program, including safety tips, true-life experiences and videos can be found by visiting the S.E.Y.A. website, or you may contact Mindy directly at: mindy@homesafetyeducation.com 

 

The East Haddam Volunteer Fire Department reports the following incidents for the month of January:

FURNACE PROBLEM - 7 Benjamin Lane, Sunday, Jan. 1st at 12:58 p.m.

WIRES DOWN - 35 Alexander Road, Wednesday, Jan. 4th at 6:37 p.m.

STATION COVERAGE / EAST HAMPTON - Friday, Jan. 6th at 7:18 a.m.

CARBON MONOXIDE INVESTIGATION - 38 Lookout Drive, Saturday, Jan. 7th at 12:52 a.m.

MOTOR-VEHICLE ACCIDENT - 189 River Road, Saturday, Jan. 7th at 2:39 p.m.

OUTSIDE FIRE INVESTIGATION - 5 Huntington Drive, Saturday, Jan. 7th at 10:39 p.m.

STRUCTURE FIRE - 35 Cold Springs Road, Sunday, Jan. 8th at 12:14 a.m.

CHIMNEY FIRE - 15 Oriole Road, Sunday, Jan. 8th at 8:31 p.m.

BRUSH FIRE - Town Street, Wednesday, Jan. 11th at 11:30 a.m.

FIRE ALARM - 12 Norwich Road, Thursday, Jan. 12th at 8:48 p.m.

CHILD LOCKED IN CAR - 99 Leesville Road, Friday, Jan. 13th at 6:25 a.m.

CAR INTO LAKE - Fedus Drive, Lake Hayward, Sunday, Jan. 15th at 8:20 a.m.

SMOKE INVESTIGATION - 23 Birch Road, Monday, Jan. 16th at 10:50 a.m.

FIRE ALARM - 106 River Road, Tuesday, Jan. 17th at 3:13 p.m.

FIRE ALARM - 74 Great Hillwood Road, Thursday, Jan. 19th at 12:26 a.m.

FUEL LEAK - 15 Southwinds Road, Friday, Jan. 20th at 1:21 p.m.

PROPANE TANK LEAK - 190 North Moodus Road, Saturday, Jan. 21st at 1:45 p.m.

MOTOR-VEHICLE ACCIDENT - 120 Bashan Road, Sunday, Jan. 22nd at 10:22 p.m.

MOTOR-VEHICLE FIRE - 38 Glimmer Glen, Monday, Jan. 23rd at 2:45 p.m.

MOTOR-VEHICLE ACCIDENT - Boardman Road, Tuesday, Jan. 24th at 12:49 a.m.

FIRE ALARM - 73 Clark Gates Road, Tuesday, Jan. 24th at 6:03 p.m.

FIRE ALARM - 238 East Haddam-Moodus Road, Tuesday, Jan. 31st at 5:15 a.m.

CARBON MONOXIDE INVESTIGATION - 106 Mill Road, Tuesday, Jan. 31st at 10:08 p.m.


We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.