News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Algood Fire Fighters are beginning the process of understanding what fire hazards might be present in commercial structures across the community.
Fire Chief David Judd said the process also includes documenting the facility controls in place at businesses and industrial sites. Judd said having that information ready for firefighters can save time and, potentially, lives during a fire.
“You have some facilities that are food storage facilities, and they have refrigeration units,” Judd said. “Those can pose a hazard to firefighters. Trying to know what we’re dealing with on scene. We have certain medical facilities in the area that do research, so just kind of knowing what they have on site so that we can keep a watch out for those hazards and hopefully contain or mitigate any kind of incident that happens there.”
Judd said firefighters can use this pre-assessment information to make quicker decisions in the case of an emergency. Judd said this kind of work is part of every community’s planning and was a priority for him after becoming Algood’s first full-time chief.
“It’s a priority to try to provide the safest community that we can,” Judd said. “It lets the public and the commercial properties kind of see the firefighters in action, meet with us, and if they have any kind of concerns that we can go over with them as well.”
Judd said he plans to upgrade the information annually. He said once the assessment is completed, he can compile the data and build strategies for various situations.
“So you may have an incident at a facility and it affect a neighboring, you know, community, you know, residential community,” Judd said. “So if we can see those before it happens, come up with a plan of action before the incident ever takes place, we’re just a little bit more in the driver’s seat on that.”
Judd said they can also approach new businesses and industries that open in Algood, and update the information there.
