Watertown Fire Department
Mission Statement
Contact
Mario A. Orangio
Fire Chief
99 Main St.
Watertown,
MA
02472
Ph: (617) 972-6512
Fx: (617) 972-6575
Emergency 9-1-1
Hours
24 hours a day,
7 days a week
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The mission of the Watertown Fire Department is to provide the citizens and visitors of Watertown with an effective, well-trained team of professionals to protect their lives and property through:
Fire prevention and education
Emergency services
- Fire suppression
- Medical
- Rescue
Emergency management
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Watertown, MA Fire Department
Breathe Easy . . . Using Home Oxygen Safely
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Breathe Easy . . .
Using Home Oxygen Safely
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Advice for patients, families, doctors, nurses and therapists:
Smoking and Oxygen is a dangerous combination
Oxygen & Fire can be deadly!
Risks of Combining Smoking & Home Oxygen Therapy:
- Oxygen, while not flammable itself, does support combustion. In fact most fires need oxygen to enable burning to occur. Remove the oxygen and most fires will go out.
- Oxygen therapy provides a patient with a higher concentration of oxygen (40 to 100%) than the air we naturally breathe (20% oxygen.)
- In an oxygen-enriched environment materials will ignite easier and burn at a faster rate with more intensity than they ordinarily would.
- Some materials that do not normally burn will burn in an enriched oxygen atmosphere. Nomex, the material used in firefighter protective gear, can burn vigorously when exposed to high oxygen levels.
- A cigarette, match or lighter can ignite materials such as clothing, furniture, bedding and human hair.
- Petroleum based products, oils, grease and lotions can self-ignite in the presence of high oxygen concentrations
Patients using therapeutic oxygen who continue to smoke are at risk:
- In Massachusetts, from 1997 to 2011 there have been 31 deaths and 57 serious burn injuries related to smoking and oxygen.
- Many other fires involving therapeutic oxygen caused extensive property damage.
- Two fires that occurred in public housing displaced residents and cost cities and towns over $600,000.00.
Reduce the Risk
- If you can't stop smoking take off the oxygen and wait 10 minutes for the oxygen levels to reduce. Go outside to smoke.
- Don't use oxygen while you are cooking, or near an open flame such as a fireplace or woodstove. Even sparks from appliances, electric razors and hair dryers can be a source of ignition.
- Make sure that the smoke alarms in the home are working properly
- Plan and practice a home fire escape drill
- If the patient has mobility limitations the plan will need to be modified to meet those needs.
News Corner
Learn About Smoke Alarms
Why should I have a working smoke alarm?
A properly installed and maintained smoke alarm is the only thing in your home that can alert you and your family to a fire 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Whether you’re awake or asleep, a working smoke alarm is constantly on alert, scanning the air for fire and smoke.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, almost two-thirds of home fire deaths resulted from fires in properties without working smoke alarms. A working smoke alarm significantly increases your chances of surviving a deadly home fire.
What types of smoke alarms are available?
 
There are many different brands of smoke alarms available on the market, but they fall under two basic types: ionization and photoelectric.
It cannot be stated definitively that one is better than the other in every fire situation that could arise in a residence. Because both ionization and photoelectric smoke alarms are better at detecting distinctly different, yet potentially fatal fires, and because no one can predict what type of fire might start in a home, the USFA recommends that every residence and place where people sleep be equipped with:
- Both ionization AND photoelectric smoke alarms, OR
- dual sensor smoke alarms, which contain both ionization and photoelectric smoke sensors
In addition to the basic types of alarms, there are alarms made to meet the needs of people with hearing disabilities. These alarms may use strobe lights that flash and/or vibrate to assist in alerting those who are unable to hear standard smoke alarms when they sound.
What powers a smoke alarm?
Smoke alarms are powered by battery or they are hardwired into the home’s electrical system. If the smoke alarm is powered by battery, it runs on either a disposable 9-volt battery or a non-replaceable 10-year lithium (“long-life”) battery. A backup battery is usually present on hardwired alarms and may need to be replaced.
These batteries must be tested on a regular basis and, in most cases, should be replaced at least once each year (except for lithium batteries). See the Smoke Alarm Maintenance section for more information.
Are smoke alarms expensive?
Smoke alarms are not expensive and are worth the lives they can help save. Ionization and photoelectric smoke alarms cost between $6 and $20. Dual sensor smoke alarms cost between $24 and $40.
Install smoke alarms in key areas of your home
Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, including the basement. Many fatal fires begin late at night or early in the morning, so the U.S. Fire Administration recommends installing smoke alarms both inside and outside of sleeping areas.
Since smoke and many deadly gases rise, installing your smoke alarms at the proper level will provide you with the earliest warning possible. Always follow the manufacturer’s installation instructions.
Hardwired smoke alarms should be installed by a qualified electrician.
Smoke alarm maintenance
 
Is your smoke alarm still working? Smoke alarms must be maintained! A smoke alarm with a dead or missing battery is the same as having no smoke alarm at all.
A smoke alarm only works when it is properly installed and maintained. Depending on how your smoke alarm is powered (9-volt, 10-year lithium, or hardwired), you’ll have to maintain it according to manufacturer’s instructions. General guidelines for smoke alarm maintenance:
Smoke alarm powered by a 9-volt battery
- Test the alarm monthly.
- Replace the batteries at least once per year.
- The entire smoke alarm unit should be replaced every 8-10 years.
Smoke alarm powered by a 10-year lithium (or “long life”) battery
- Test the alarm monthly.
- Since you cannot (and should not) replace the lithium battery, the entire smoke alarm unit should be replaced according to manufacturer’s instructions.
Smoke alarm that is hardwired into the home’s electrical system
- Test the alarm monthly.
- The backup battery should be replaced at least once per year.
- The entire smoke alarm unit should be replaced every 8-10 years.
Never disable a smoke alarm while cooking
A smoke alarm is just doing its job when it sounds while you’re cooking or taking a shower with lots of steam.
- If a smoke alarm sounds while you’re cooking or taking a shower with lots of steam, do not remove the battery. You should:
- Open a window or door and press the “hush” button,
- Wave a towel at the alarm to clear the air, or
- Move the entire alarm several feet away from the location.
Disabling a smoke alarm or removing the battery can be a deadly mistake.
For more information about smoke alarms, click here.
The Dangers of Too Much Stuff
A particular concern of the fire service is the chaotic nature of the material in many hoarding households, where blocked windows and exits can make fire attack and rescue difficult.
Click here to read a compelling article about hoarding from the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA).
Frequently Asked Questions
Please Click here to access answers to some common questions.
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