Lebanon Fire Department

765-482-8832

In Emergency Dial: 911

About Lebanon Fire

The Lebanon Fire Department, founded 23 December 1872, employs 19 full time firefighters. The department makes approximately 500 runs per year encompassing structure fires, auto accidents, medic aassists, good intent, and general investigations. The department is also involved in community activities such as Fourth of July festivities, fire prevention activities in our local grade schools and general safety walk thru's of local businesses. Lebanon is a growing community and the need for a sub-station has arisen. The City Council would like to locate a second station on the north side of Lebanon.

Lebanon Fire Department Staff

Chief: Jim Stevenson

Safety Tips

Smoke Detectors

Smoke Detectors Save Lives. It is a fact that most victims who die in a fire could have lived if they only had a smoke detector. There is a misnomer that fire is what will get you and cause you harm. In actuality most victims in a fire are smothered by a fires choking smoke long before the flames ever reach them. When there is a fire, both you and the fire are in a competition for oxygen. Since the fire doubles in size every minute, unfortunatly it is a battle which you most likely will not win if you do not have a smoke detector. The key to surviving a fire is an early warning. A smoke detector properly placed in your home will give you the time you need to escape to safety. I strongly recommend that you place one on each level of your home. If you can not afford that, the most important place to have one is in the hallway leeding to your bedrooms. When you are asleep is when you are most vulnerable. Remember to change the battery in your smoke detector every 6 months! A good key to go by, is change the battery every time you change your clocks.

Fire Drills

Pratice Exit Drills in the Home. It is important to review this with your family so that in the event of a fire everyone will know how to get out! Remember to plan several ways out of your home in case your usual route becomes blocked for some reason. The time to plan a safe escape is before a fire strikes. Once you are outside it is important that you have a common meeting place, a tree, mailbox or even the neighbors house. As long as everyone in the family knows to meet there. If someone does not show up, inform the first arriving fire units so they can go in for a rescue. Once you are safely out of the house, do not go back in. Not for pets, valuables or anything your life is worth much more than any possessions you might have. Many pet owners have died going back in to rescue the family pet. Spot and fluffy are smart animals and will often find their own way out.

Carbon monoxide (CO) Detectors

Carbon monoxide is a by-product of incomplete combustion. Its sources include malfunctioning appliances, such as furnaces, stoves, space heaters and hot water heaters which operate by burning liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), or wood. Other sources of CO include blocked chimney flues, cooking appliances used for heating purposes, vehicle exhaust, and charcoal grills used in the home, camper, garage or other unventilated areas.

When appliances malfunction or are inadequately ventilated, the amount of CO in the air can rise to a level that causes illness or death. Symptoms of CO poisoning are similar to those of the flu and can include dizziness, fatigue, headache and nausea. Since CO is colorless and odorless, most individuals never realize that they are being poisoned.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) points out that the first line of defense against carbon monoxide is to make sure that all appliances are properly installed, ventilated and maintained. This means that appliances and home heating systems (including chimneys and flues) should be inspected each year by a qualified inspector.

Recently, Underwriters Laboratories (UL) developed new construction and test standards (Standard 2034) for CO detectors. You should purchase models that meet the following requirements:

• New detectors should include a test/reset button
• New detectors should have the words "carbon monoxide" stamped/labeled on the case which insures they are not mistaken as smoke detectors
• New detectors are less sensitive to prevent false alarms from occuring.

This is your second line of defense. When properly installed and maintained, these detectors can provide an early warning before carbon monoxide can build to a dangerous level.

Although CO Detectors and Smoke Detectors look similar, they are by no means interchangeable. Do not replace one device with the other.

To learn more about these lifesaving devices, contact the Lebanon Fire Department at 765-482-8832.

Useful Links

Hazardous Chemical Database
FEMA - Federal Emergency Management Agency
NIUSR - National Institute for Urban Search and Rescue
MSDS - Material Safety Data Sheets