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Fire officials report 896 suppression responses March–April, warn of extension-cord and smoking hazards
Summary
Atlantic City Fire Department reported hundreds of responses and inspections and urged residents to stop using illegal extension cords and to discard smoking materials safely after several recent serious fires.
An Atlantic City Fire Department spokesperson told the meeting the department’s fire suppression division responded to 896 calls from March 3 through April 27, including 494 emergency medical calls, 55 fires and 161 false alarms.
The nut graf: staff said several recent serious fires were tied to improper electrical setups and the unsafe disposal of smoking materials, and the department advised residents to report hazards so code enforcement and fire prevention can investigate.
The fire prevention division reported 529 inspections, 675 reinspections and more than 254 permits issued during the same period. The department said the last six weeks included several serious fires; staff cited the illegal use of extension cords and improper discarding of smoking materials (including on balconies and decks) as recurring causes. Fire officials asked residents to report unsafe electrical hookups or discarded smoking materials to city code enforcement or fire prevention.
Meeting participants discussed that some recent major fires began with electrical issues caused by extended or improvised power connections. Staff noted these improvised connections can cause displacement when fires start, and urged residents not to tamper with electrical supplies. No formal action or new ordinance was reported at the meeting.
