Welcome to the Milwaukee Fire Department
Chief Douglas A. Holton Announces Retirement From the Milwakee Fire Department
Chief Douglas A. Holton announced he will retire from the Milwaukee Fire Department (MFD) after 32 years of firefighting service, effective Nov. 28, 2009.
Chief Holton joined the MFD January 9, 1978. He successfully advanced through the ranks of the Milwaukee Fire Department over a 25-year period, serving as Deputy Chief of Fire Operations, Deputy Chief of Instruction and Training, Deputy Chief of Construction and Maintenance, Battalion Chief, Captain, Lieutenant, and Firefighter.
In 2003, Chief Holton left the Milwaukee Fire Department to become the first African-American chief of the St. Paul Fire Department. After a successful three-year stint in St. Paul, Chief Holton returned to the City of Milwaukee, where he was sworn in as the first African-American chief of the Milwaukee Fire Department on June 4, 2007. Please click here to read more.
The Milwaukee Fire Department Teaches Children How to Control Their Anger
Firefighters at the Milwaukee Fire Department are doing more than preventing house fires. They are also preventing “heat ups” among children that could result in violence.
For the third consecutive school year, the Milwaukee Fire Department has gone into Milwaukee Public Schools to teach sixth graders anger management skills and techniques through a unique program called Project Staying Alive.
At first glance you would think Project Staying Alive is a program more suited for police officers to teach. However, fire departments across the country respond to more than 80 percent of EMS calls, which many result from blunt-penetrating trauma cases caused by violence. And that’s why the Milwaukee Fire Department got involved.
"Milwaukee firefighters are the first to arrive on the scene of any shooting, stabbing, and/or violent injury in the City," said Lieutenant David Anderson, director of Project Staying Alive. “As a paramedic, these runs are the worst runs you can go on, especially when a child is involved. Therefore, our department is making an effort to decrease violence in our communities.”
In the 2008-2009 school year, the MFD firefighters taught over 2500 sixth graders Project Staying Alive. This school year the department hopes to double that number and develop a similar curriculum for high school freshmen. To learn more about Project Staying Alive please send an e-mail to ProjectStayingAlive@milwaukee.gov.
MONTHLY MESSAGE FROM MFD FIRE CHIEF DOUGLAS A. HOLTON
Winter/Holiday Fire Safety
Winter is around the corner and the holiday season is shortly kicking in. The festive season brings good times, food, gifts and entertainment, but on the flip side it is a season in which the fire department responds to the most fires.
A majority of winter structure fires are caused by candles, Christmas trees, cooking, and heating equipment. According to NFPA.org, during 2003-2007, U.S. fire departments responded to an average of 250 home fires that started with Christmas trees per year. During 2003-2006, an estimated 14,800 home structure fires started by candles were reported to local fire departments, and four in 10 reported home fires start in the kitchen -- more than any other place in the home.
This winter/holiday season be safe and follow these fire prevention/safety tips.
• Please help your fire department by shoveling out any hydrants in your area that are covered with snow. This will help firefighters easily access the hydrants for water.
• Keep lit candles away from decorations and other things that can burn.
• Keep children and pets away from lit candles.
• Stay in the kitchen when cooking on the stovetop.
• Ask smokers to smoke outside. Remind smokers to keep their smoking materials with them so young children do not touch them.
• Provide large, deep ashtrays for smokers. Wet cigarette butts with water before discarding.
• If you have an artificial tree, be sure it is labeled, certified, or identified by the manufacturer as fire retardant.
• Choose a tree with fresh, green needles that do not fall off when touched.
• Use lights that have the label of an independent testing laboratory. Some lights are only for indoor or outdoor use, but not both.
• Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment, such as the furnace, fireplace, wood stove, or portable heater.
• Never use your oven for heating.
• Turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.
• Test smoke alarms and CO alarms at least monthly.
Sincerely,
Douglas A. Holton
RELATED LINKS:
American Heart Association ~ American Lung Association ~ Safe Kids ~ National Fire Protection Association
City of Milwaukee Office of Homeland Security ~ Mesothelioma Prognosis