City of Lexington Fire-Rescue Lieutenant The City of Lexington is currently accepting applications for a full-time Fire-Rescue Lieutenant. This position is in the Operations Division of the Lexington Fire Department. This is a day work weekday position Monday - Friday supervising all three shifts of full-time and part-time career personnel. The job description and application are at: http://lexingtonva.gov/employ.htm The salary range is from $40,770 to $49,674. Applications must be returned to City of Lexington, Human Resource Office, 300 East Washington Street, Lexington, VA 24450 by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, June 14, 2013.

Memorial Day Safety Tips - Grilling and Swimming Memorial Day is commonly thought of as the start of summer. Some schools have already started their summer recess with others closing within the next couple of weeks. Summer vacations are being planned and enjoyed. The Memorial Day weekend is when many private, public and home swimming pools open as well as grills are cleaned off and readied for summer cook-outs. The men and women of the Lexington Fire Department unfortunately have seen many festive occasions quickly turn into tragedy and we want to help you avoid those circumstances. Everyone needs to keep safety at the forefront of every activity. We offer these common sense safety tips that will help to keep everyone safe including our firefighters and paramedics. By you staying safe it keeps our emergency personnel in the Fire Station and available for other incidents. Grill Safety It is anticipated that many backyard barbeque’ s will be in use over the course of this long holiday weekend and throughout the summer months. We ask that you exercise caution and keep safety in mind when setting up, using and cleaning your BBQ grill. Did you know that cooking, most notably "unattended cooking" is a leading cause of fires and fire related injuries, this includes both inside and outside cooking: WATCH WHAT YOU HEAT!!! •NEVER use a grill indoors including garages, overhangs and canopies •Grills should be at least 30 feet away from any structure. •When using a grill at your home – homeowners should use a 10-foot perimeter from anything combustible – including your house!!! Never place a grill up against your house, wood deck or fence. •Do not allow children and pets to play near a grill - set up a 10 foot safety zone around your grill. •Only use approved ignition fluids – NEVER use gasoline to ignite a grill •Keep a fire extinguisher, garden hose or bucket of sand nearby to douse a grill fire that gets out of control. •Inspect your grill before you ignite to ensure everything is in working order. This inspection includes all connections on your gas grills are tight and not leaking. Charcoal ashes and used briquettes should be disposed of in a metal container and allowed to cool down for up to 48 hours before disposal. Keep ash container off of your wood deck and away from your house. Swim Safely Even though our temperatures are only forecast to be in the 70's over the Holiday weekend, residents will be swimming this weekend and keeping safety first will help to prevent such a festive occasion from becoming a tragedy. For parents: •Always watch your children and never leave them unattended. A lack of adult supervision is one of the leading contributing factors to children drowning. •Do not rely on flotation devices to protect your children from drowning. You must supervise at all times. •Have a phone nearby in the event you need to call 911. •Have children swim in pairs - the "buddy system" •If a child is missing - check the pool first. •Teach your child how to swim. Visit http://www.lexingtonva.gov/d-pool.htm for additional information. •Learn CPR. For pool owners and managers: •Install a fence around the perimeter of the pool. •Use self closing latches and gates. •Install a door alarm from the house to the pool area. •Have life saving equipment nearby such as life rings or reaching poles Speaking of swimming pools, Firefighter/Medics can perform a wide variety of services, emergency and non-emergency, to assist our citizens, visitors and businesses. One of the services we do not provide is to fill your swimming pool with water. Please contact a contractor or one of our neighboring departments that may be able to provide this service for you. The Fire Department wishes everyone a festive and safe Memorial Day. Keep safety in every aspect of your event!!!

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The City of Lexington Fire & Rescue, South River Fire Dept. and Rockbridge Baths Fire Dept  was dispatched Monday night to Lee Hi Travel Plaza for a report of a tractor trailer fire with exposures and possible entrapment. Upon arrival crews found one truck well involved and spreading to an adjacent truck. First responders determined there was no entrapment and worked quickly to contain and extinguish the flames. Crews then checked the trailers for fire extension and found none. 

Lexington FD would like to alert you of some possible upcoming weather. As always, 911 is not for trees down or powerlines down, it is for EMERGENCIES ONLY. And PLEASE, don't try to drive through rising water. We will be here if you need us. FLOOD WATCH...National Weather Service Blacksburg VA....4:08 AM EDT Monday May 6, 2013...FLOODING ISSUES ARE POSSIBLE INTO TONIGHT AND SOME AREAS TUESDAY....A deep and slow moving upper level low will pass across the southeast states through Tuesday, Pproviding the support for a prolonged period of moderate to occasionally heavy rain across the region. Rain will be heavy at times along the Blue Ridge, as well as the eastern face of other prominate ridges across the area. The heavier rain bandds shift north tonight into Tuesday....FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING... The NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE (NWS) in Blacksburg has expanded the *FLOOD WATCH* to include portions of Central Virginia and West Central Virginia, including the following areas...in Central VA...AMHERST. In west Central VA... **ROCKBRIDGE**. Through Tuesday morning, TWO (2") to as much as FOUR (4") inches of rainfall will be possible along the crest of the Blue Ridge. The main threat will be... FLOODING OF CREEKS, STREAMS AND RIVERS...although some isolated flash flooding is possible along steeper slopes.....PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A flood watch means there is a potential for flooding based on current forecasts. You should monitor later forecasts and be alert for possible flood warnings. Those living in areas prone to flooding should be prepared to take action should flooding develop.

Firefighters were dispatched to a late Friday afternoon structure fire inside the City.  The initial assignment was Lexington Fire and EMS - First-Due, Kerrs Creek Fire and Buena Vista Fire.

A Lexington PD Sergeant arrived and reported heavy fire on the front of the dwelling.  Communications assigned the RIT Company, Natural Bridge Fire.  South River Dist. Fire was special assigned while the Commander was enroute.

Upon arrival of Chief Dickerson, the incident was marked a working fire, with heavy fire showing from Side-Alpha (the front) and both Divisions (the first and second floors).  Chief Dickerson established Command.

9-Engine arrived, stretching the LDH Supply-Line to establish a water supply.  Two and a half on a Bitz nozzle was deployed to quickly knock down the exterior flames.  The exterior porch fire was rapidly controlled.

Engine-9's Officer was assigned Fire-Attack Group and an Offensive-Attack was mounted inside the structure.  The operating Companies brought the fire Under-Control in about 40 minutes.

The fire fighters worked hard and did a great job to keep the fire from spreading throughout the dwelling.  The residents are displaced but, much of their belongings were able to be salvaged.

The LFD wishes to thank everyone for their hard work on this incident.  This fire could have easily spread to adjacent homes.

Special thanks to News Gazette photographer Kit Huffman for her photos of the incident.  Mrs. Huffman shot frames prior to and during arrival of Engine-9.  She also shows the effective suppression operation.

The LFD also extends its gratitude to Mr. K. Altenburg of Salernos Family Restaurant for his generosity of supplying food to the firefighters.

Company 10 (BVFD) and Rescue 2 (BVRS) were dispatched for a two vehicle traffic collision, head on with entrapment. Company 9 dispatched per South River Road command (Chief 10-2) to set up L-Z for air medical. E-92 (with five) respond. E-92 crew set up a safe L-Z for two air medical units (LG10) and (LG12). Both units land, load patient and take off with no incident. Units on call: BR-21, BR-22, E-103, Brush-109, E-92, LG-10, LG-12, VASP. Total Company 9 personnel: 5.

Company 9 (LFD) and Rescue 1 (LFD) dispatched mutual aid for Company 10 (BVFD) and Rescue 2 (BVRS), single vehicle traffic crash with unknown injury. E92 (with four) and M17 (with two) respond. Arrive to find a single passenger car is off the roadway, into the brush. M17 standby, no patients found with the vehicle. E92 assigned hazard control. Small amount of sorbent placed on a fluid leak. EMS placed in-service, Engine 92 stay on scene until car was removed. Operating on scene: E92, M17, Command 10, Chief 10-1. Total Company 9 personnel: 6.

Hurricane Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday is May 25-31. Before tropical storms arrive, you can get ready and save money, too. Shop during Virginia’s Hurricane Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday, May 25-31, and you won’t pay sales tax on supplies for protecting your home and business. For more on the story and a list of supplies included in this Sales Tax Holiday, click the following links.

Next week we will celebrate Earth Day on April 22nd and Arbor Day on April 26th and many of us will be planting trees to commemorate these two important events. Columbia Gas of Virginia reminds everyone to always call 811 at least 3 working days ahead of time to have all underground utility lines marked before any digging begins. By calling 811 today, all underground utility lines can be marked in time for both Earth Day and Arbor Day events. Click the following link to get the rest of the story.