Page 14 - InCommand Volume 36

Fire Safety in the Amish
Community
Lieutenant Ben Reed, Middlefield Fire Department
Author Bio
Lieutenant Benjamin Reed
Lieutenant and 19 year veteran of Middlefield Fire Department
Fire Safety Inspector - City of Beachwood Fire Department
Fire Investigator - Heights Hillcrest FIU and Geauga County FIU
In Eastern Geauga County, as you enter the small town of Middlefield, you are greeted by a sign that reads “Middlefield, Center of the 4th largest Amish settlement in the world”. For years, the Middlefield Fire Department and the Amish community that it serves have been working side by side in an effort to create a safe environment where a growing manufacturing town can coexist with the rural, simplistic lifestyle that is the Amish way of living.
In January of 2002, tragedy struck the Middlefield community when three lives were lost to a house fire that was caused by an explosion of a white gas lantern being used to illuminate the family living room. Shortly after this tragic incident, the fire department and leadership of the Amish community developed a safety committee with a focus on education and prevention. Not long after this committee was established, an annual event was scheduled to bring the Amish community and the safety forces of Geauga County together. This event is known today as “The Amish Safety Day”. Every year, a new list of topics are highlighted and presented to hundreds of Amish gathered in a local auction hall. The event is typically started with the arrival of University Hospitals Medivac, followed by brief presentations from the county sheriff, fire department officials, representatives from The Ohio Department of Natural Resources, and other state and local agencies. The event is capped off with a live auction in which the proceeds go to a different local Amish school each year.
Of course, the fire departments still visit the Amish schools to teach prevention throughout the year, but the uniqueness of the Amish Safety Day allows safety forces to have face to face time with not only the children of the Amish community, but their parents and grandparents, as well. Every year,
prior to the event, the committee meets to discuss pressing topics for that year. Most common topics discussed include dangers of white gas appliances; traffic and pedestrian safety; proper labeling and storage of flammable liquids; routinely cleaning chimneys; smoke and carbon monoxide detectors; home escape plans; and calling 911.
Over the years, the committee has been successful at finding safer lighting alternatives, such as battery powered
led lights. Although white gas is not completely removed from the homes
yet, the appliances have been adapted
and often include safety features, unlike appliances in the past. Pedestrians are wearing safety vests, more community phones are being added, and more
homes have carbon monoxide and smoke detectors than ever before. At this year’s Amish Safety Days, the topic of widening driveways was discussed. Fire trucks are often larger than many driveways, and widening them would allow the trucks closer access to the homes.
Fire Safety Educator Steve Waltman from the State Fire Marshal’s office is a fantastic resource when it comes to understanding the culture and tendencies of the Amish population. He will agree that having a good line of communication is key when it comes to the safety of the community.
The overall goal of the Amish Safety Committee in this area is to minimize preventable accidents, bring awareness and education to fire safety, while at the same time, respecting and understanding the practices of the Amish culture. We ask for feedback from them, keep publications to the point, avoid vibrant colors, and most of all respect
and accommodate their way of living while having the common goal of keeping everyone safe.
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