As we get into the colder weather, let’s look back on some advice retiring Danville Fire Chief Don McMasters gave on 1490 WDAN several months ago. And that would be: USE CAUTION WITH THOSE SPACEHEATERS. AND PLEASE USE HEAVY DUTY EXTENSION CORDS, NOT A THIN ONE FROM A DOLLAR STORE.
AUDIO: Some of the time they buy one of those cheap brown or white extension cords to do that. Those are rated for about two-thirds of the voltage that a space heater actually draws. People wouldn’t think that little bitty space heater that’s about the size of a 12-pack of Pepsi would draw so much electricity, but they draw significant amounts of electricity. And the cords aren’t rated for it; so the cord will overheat, it’ll get hot, it’ll start melting through, and it’ll either arc or it’ll start the carpet on fire underneath it, or whatever is close by to it.
Chief McMasters says your best bet is plug the space heater right into the wall. And make sure there is nothing combustible, for that matter nothing at all, within a three foot radius around the heater.
Meanwhile, would you like to be a firefighter? Applications for testing are being taken right now. And as McMasters recently shared with Laura Williams on 1490 WDAN’s Community Connection program, he was a student at DACC thinking about engineering or architecture as a career; when a certain connection led him to being a firefighter.
AUDIO: Due to dating my wife in high school; when I graduated from high school both of her brothers at the time were volunteer firefighters. So I tried that just to see what it amounted to. So I started thereafter testing for location fire departments locally.
Right now, applications for firefighter testing are being taken through November 3rd. Please go to the main fire station on Griffin Street, or the Danville municipal building during business hours Monday through Friday, or to cityofdanville.org.
To hear all of Laura Williams’ recent interview with Chief McMasters, please go to https://vermilioncountyfirst.com/the-community-connection/
