City of Batavia Fire Department

With some 80 firefighters, including nearly all of the city fire department’s team, city management, public works, and eight responding fire companies plus Genesee County Emergency Management, the Howard Street fire on the city’s Southside this past weekend gave pause for officials and spectators alike, City Council President Eugene Jankowski says.

Considered to be the city’s largest structure fire in recent years, the blaze at Baskin Livstock was reported early Saturday morning, and city firefighters are still hitting hot spots, Chief Josh Graham said. Jankowski noted this week that social media posts pointed to the collective response and teamwork throughout the work to get the fire under control and out.

“Somebody commented on social media and said that you must train a lot together, because everybody seems so cohesive, all the different fire units over there all seem to really work well together. And I know we have a really good emergency management as it is, but that's a good side. And everybody was working together and getting the job done,” Jankowski said during Tuesday’s business meeting at City Hall. “It was a big fire, and it was nice to see everybody working together, as they always have, but other people … they seemed shocked when they mentioned it was interesting to see that everybody was working together.”

“Everybody” included fire companies from the town of Batavia, Elba, East Pembroke, Bergen, Le Roy, Stafford, Albion and Alexander, which covered 10 additional incidents in the city on Saturday, Graham said. 

The city manager and assistant manager brought food and refreshments to the firefighters at the scene and DPW Director Tom Phelps was also called into assist with water needs. He tallied the gallons of water required to help battle the blaze from the city water and wastewater system.

“We were pumping out about 2.6 million when the fire came in, then we were at 3 million,” Phelps said, adding that the water volume was increased to 3.5 million gallons and ended at about 4 million when the fire was at full momentum. There were repairs to waterlines in the area, which includes nearby Graham Manufacturing, in the last three to six months, he said.

“That's something I never would have thought of, that the water sewer plant would have had to be brought into this and have somebody there to be able to adjust the water supply, because I just never thought of it,” Jankowski said. “So it's important that we have those things in place. We thank you for all coming down on a Saturday. I mean, people could have been out of town, could have been anywhere else ... everybody was able to get in. Good work on that.”

Given the proximity of Graham’s property, the situation could have been worse, but the site only suffered some melting plastic and was saved from more extensive damage and loss, Graham said. There were still some hot spots that city firefighters were continuing to monitor and put out at least through Wednesday, he said. 

He has not named a cause of the fire as it is still being investigated, and the site's insurance company has been at the scene, he said.

Press Release:

The City of Batavia Fire Department is sponsoring the 11th annual Fire Prevention Week Coloring Contest. This is a coloring contest open to students from grades Kindergarten- Fifth Grade. “Our hope is to get the children to discuss safety with their teachers, other students and parents/guardians.”

Information has been distributed to City schools, but we wanted to include any home schooled children in the City of Batavia School district as well. Copies of the official coloring page and contest rules are available at City of Batavia Fire Department, 18 Evans Street or by contacting Lieutenant Bob Tedford at rtedford@batavianewyork.com. We encourage all eligible students to participate.

The 2024 Fire Prevention Week (October 6-12) theme is “Smoke alarms: Make them work for you!” Additional information can be found at the Fire Prevention Week website www.FPW.org. 

Smoke alarms can make a life-saving difference in a home fire, but they have to be working in order to protect people, “This year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign drives home just how important it is to install, test, and maintain smoke alarms to ensure they’re working properly.”

Any posters wishing to be entered need to be at the Fire Station located at 18 Evans Street in Batavia no later than Tuesday, October 15 at 4 p.m.

Judging of the posters will take place October 13-17. The winner of each group will receive a ride to school on a City Fire Engine, and be invited to a special awards luncheon with their family held at the fire station. Second and third place finishers in each group will also be invited to the fire station awards luncheon.

The best of luck to all students!

Press Release:

Every year the City of Batavia Fire Department spreads the word in town, and throughout our schools and community about fire prevention.

Fire Prevention week is observed each year during the week of October 9 in commemoration of the Great Chicago Fire, which began on October 8, 1871. This horrific fire killed more than 250 people and destroyed more than 17,400 structures leaving more than 100,000 people homeless.

This year the City of Batavia Fire Department is teaming up with the National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®) — The official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week for more than 100 years — to promote this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign, “Smoke alarms: make them work for you”. 

This year’s focus on working smoke alarms comes in response to NFPA data, which shows that the majority of U.S. home fire deaths continue to occur in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.

Smoke alarms can make a life-saving difference in a home fire, but they have to be working in order to deliver the needed protection. This year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign reinforces the critical importance of smoke alarms and what’s needed to install, test, and maintain them properly.

Having working smoke alarms in the home reduces the risk of dying in a home fire by more than half (54 percent). 

However, roughly three out of five fire deaths occur in homes with either no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms. More than one-third (38 percent) of home fire deaths result from fires in which no smoke alarms are present. 

People tend to remove smoke alarm batteries or dismantle them altogether when they don’t know how to fix the issue. These actions put them at serious risk in the event of a home fire. 

The City of Batavia Fire Department encourages all residents to embrace the 2023 Fire Prevention Week theme. “Smoke alarms: make them work for you”.

The City of Batavia Fire Department wants to share the following safety messages that support this year’s theme:

1. Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area (like a hallway), and on each level (including the basement) of the home.
2. Make sure smoke alarms meet the needs of all family members, including those with sensory or physical disabilities.
3. Test smoke alarms at least once a month by pushing the test button.
4. Replace all smoke alarms when they are 10 years old or don’t respond when tested.

For City residents: to setup an appointment to install a free smoke detector or battery please contact Fire Headquarters at 585-345-6375.

To learn more about Fire Prevention Week and this year’s theme, “Smoke alarms: Make them work for you!” visit fpw.org. Additional Fire Prevention Week resources for children, caregivers, and educators can be found at sparky.org and sparkyschoolhouse.org.

The City of Batavia Fire Department is hosting a series of events in support of this year’s Fire Prevention Week; including stops at Batavia schools, housing units, and the library. 

Press Release:

The City of Batavia Fire Department released a new technology to assist in emergencies back in 2022. In honor of Fire Prevention, which starts in October, we are working to add more participants in our free Community Connect application. This application is focused on protecting residents and their property in the most effective way possible during an incident or major disaster. 

Community Connect is a secure, easy to use platform that allows residents to share critical information about their household in order to aid first responders and emergency service personnel to respond more efficiently and effectively; ultimately resulting in better incident outcomes.  

In addition to the residential portal, Community Connect also helps business owners and managers keep people at their commercial properties safe by giving First Responders access to critical documents such as evacuation procedures, occupant rosters, hazardous material lists and more. 

Additionally, designated contacts at properties that joined the program will receive immediate alerts via text message when First Responders are dispatched to the building address or home. 

Community Connect is completely voluntary and residents are individually able to decide which information they are comfortable sharing. Residents simply create a profile and enter critical property and occupant information which is then made available to public safety agencies at the time of dispatch.

Data provided by residents within Community Connect is 100% secure and is used only for the purpose of better serving the resident during emergency situations. 

To learn more about the program and to create your profile, please visit City of Batavia Community Connect.

About First Due:

First Due is on a mission to end first responder and citizen injuries due to a lack of information. First Due is focused on providing solutions for fire and EMS agencies and the communities they serve, all with the goal of ensuring optimal preparedness for disaster situations.

About City of Batavia Fire Department:

The City of Batavia's Fire Department is ready to respond to emergency calls 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. In addition to fire suppression and emergency medical services, the Department also provides first responder EMT-Defibrillator training services, hazardous materials response and several technical rescue services. At any hour of the day, City of Batavia firefighters can be found at the City's fire station cleaning and maintaining the City's investment in emergency apparatus, conducting training exercises, assisting citizens and/or visitors, performing preplans, conducting public education classes, commercial fire safety inspections and multi-dwelling inspections, or a number of other activities that enhance the public’s safety. 

For any questions related to the Community Connect program, please reach out to Jeff Whitcombe, Lieutenant at 585-345-6375 or jwhitcombe@batavianewyork.com

Press Release:

Every year, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) partners with local communities to hold Child Passenger Safety Week, which runs this year from September 15 - 21. The annual safety week ends with National Seat Check Saturday, a day for parents and caregivers to receive free instruction on how to correctly install and use the right car seats for their children. 

The City of Batavia Fire Department announced today that certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians will be offering free car seat safety checks on Saturday, September 21 beginning at 10 a.m. at City of Batavia Headquarters. Technicians will check car seats, let caregivers know if their children are in the right seats for their ages and sizes, and show them how to install the right seats correctly.

Unfortunately, many parents are overconfident about their car seats. They think they’re protecting their kids, but almost half of car seats are either the wrong seat for the child’s age and size, or the seats are installed incorrectly. That puts children at risk. According to NHTSA, motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death for children. 

Every day in 2022, an average of three children 14 and younger were killed in crashes, and another 429 were injured. We know parents love their kids, so they’ll do everything in their power to protect them. An easy way to do that is to double-check their car seats — it’s worth making sure.

According to NHTSA, more than a third (39%) of children 14 and younger who died in crashes in 2022 in cars, pickups, vans, and SUVs were unbuckled. 

The safety agency wants caregivers to know that it’s never safe to ride unbuckled in a passenger vehicle — no matter how short the trip or how big the vehicle. More than half (52%) of the child passengers 14 and younger killed in pickup trucks in 2022 were unrestrained — more than any other vehicle category. Bigger vehicles don’t protect child passengers, but car seats, booster seats, and seat belts do.

When it comes to child passengers, there is a right seat for every age and developmental stage — from infants to teens. Whether it’s a rear-facing car seat, a forward-facing car seat installed with a tether, a booster seat, or a seat belt, a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician can put parents’ minds at ease by discussing correct car seat selection and showing them how to correctly install that seat in their vehicle. 

Children should stay in each seat and position until they outgrow those limits, and it’s important for all children under 13 to ride in the back seat.

If Saturday’s times don’t work for your schedule, but you’d still like to have your car seats checked, contact the City of Batavia Fire Department at 585-345-6375 to schedule an appointment.

NHTSA.gov also has free resources available to caregivers. Learn about the different car seat types, read NHTSA’s research-based recommendations, and find and compare car seats.

It’s also important for caregivers to register their car seats with the manufacturer so they can be notified in the event of a recall. Download NHTSA’s SaferCar app, which allows users to save their vehicle, car seat, and tire info in a virtual garage. If any of the saved equipment is included in a safety recall, the app will send a notification.

For more information on child car seat safety, as well as how to find other car seat check events, go to
www.nhtsa.gov/therightseat.

Or Contact Car Seat Program Coordinator Lt. Bob Tedford at 585-345-6375.

Due to the very nature of their work, which involves traumatic incidents and injuries, police officers and firefighters have a higher likelihood of developing addictions to opioids as a result of stress and mental health issues, Lynda Battaglia says.

And as director of Genesee County’s Mental Health Department, Battaglia wants to alleviate those employees’ stressors in any way possible — beginning right alongside of them.

"We think of the physicality of their jobs. The extra gear and uniform and what they have to carry, what they have to do, physically, they're more susceptible to potential injury as well as acute or chronic pain, oftentimes, which is treated with opioids,” Battaglia said during this week’s City Council meeting. “On top of that, we have their continued and repeated exposure to traumatic events every day that they are working. They're responding to calls that are unpredictable. They have very high stress jobs. We couple mental health with the physical demands of the job, coupled with, you know, the potential for high risk. These disciplines are at higher risk for developing dual diagnosis, which is mental health and opioid addiction.

"So by us getting ahead of the curve and developing this program and doing check-ins, it will allow for firefighters and officers to just be able to share what's on their mind, that they can get that out instead of keeping it in. To keep it in it just grows, and that's when real problems start to be created,” she said. “So we need to address it more in the moment. I'll have specific and certified counselors assigned to this program that are culturally competent, that they understand the work that these two professions do in these two departments.” 

Mental health is becoming a larger issue for public safety officers across the country, Batavia Police Chief Shawn Heubusch said. It’s part of the city’s police and fire pilot wellness program for embedded services in both departments. Services will be paid for with $18,000 from an Opioid Abatement Fund through Genesee County. 

Bi-annual mental health check-ins will be scheduled every six months with licensed mental health professionals, with a focus on assessing mental health and providing support. There will be ride-alongs at least once a year to offer opportunities for clinicians to accompany officers and firefighters during their actual working shifts, plus periodic wellness workshops, which will be open to all officers, firefighters and their families, and crisis intervention as needed. 

“So a lot of the programs that we're looking at doing are, they're not groundbreaking, but they're simple and to the point. We're going to look at some mental health check-ins with our officers and our firefighters. They'll be scheduled on a regular basis. Obviously, we're in August now, so probably one before the end of the year, and then, evaluate the program moving forward right along,” he said. “So we'll have clinicians right along with the officers and with the firefighters on staff to get a better understanding of their jobs and what some of the stressors are and try to assist them with whatever that may be. A lot of it will be breaking down barriers between public safety individuals and mental health. That's the biggest thing we have  to overcome. 

“So we're pretty excited about the program. We've been talking about it for a long time, doing everything that we can support our officers and our public safety employees in the city,” he said. “We think this is a huge step forward, and I want to thank Linda for the opportunity to partner with us also.” 

City Council President Eugene Jankowski Jr., a former police officer and retired lieutenant, added that’s “another step in a positive direction, it’s a positive thing to address this.”

Heubusch emphasized that he was not looking for any direct feedback from the clinician sessions spent with officers; there wouldn’t be any reports issued to him, and the police union has not opposed this plan, he said.

“It’s just getting the officers, firefighters, accustomed to that person that's with them, and then breaking down the barriers, having some conversation. It's not a fitness for duty type thing, or anything like that. That is really just having a support mechanism for our staff and an outlet at some point in time,” he said. “One of the biggest things that is climbing in our field is suicide, and unfortunately, officers are seeing that there's no other out for them so we want to do everything we can to wrap services around them if they need it. If something comes up where there is a need for further services or treatment, those are discussions that we'll have.”

These sessions were not going to be considered formal therapy, Battaglia said, just an opportunity for employees to talk and share with the mental health professionals. 

Press Release:

The City of Batavia Fire Department would like to announce that Firefighter Craig Huntoon will be promoted to the rank of Lieutenant effective June 12.

Firefighter Huntoon has served the residents of the City of Batavia since 2019. Prior to that, he was an Aircraft Rescue Firefighter in the Marine Corps. 

He has continually displayed a great deal of fire service knowledge and leadership ability. He has been and will continue to be an asset in his new role as Lieutenant for the 4th Platoon.

Press Release:

The City of Batavia Fire Department will be flushing and testing fire hydrants on Tuesday, May 7 through Thursday May 9 from approximately 9 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. in the general area of North of Main Street and West of Bank Street. 

Homes and businesses nearby will be affected. These tests may result in a temporary discoloration of water in that area. As in the past, please do not attempt to wash any clothing if your water appears discolored.

If you do experience a discoloration of your water, run cold water for about 5 minutes or until clear. This annual testing is essential to maintain the communities class III Insurance Services Office (ISO) public protection classification, and to assure that fire hydrants are operating efficiently for fire protection purposes.

Along with maintaining the fire rating, the test monitors the health of the city's water system, identifies weak areas in the system, and removes material that settle in the water lines. Checking each hydrant improves fire department personnel knowledge of the hydrant locations.

If you have any questions, or should notice a hydrant in need of repair, please contact the fire department at 585-345-6375.

Press Release:

The City of Batavia Fire Department will be flushing fire hydrants from Monday, April 29 through Thursday, May 2 from approximately 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the general area south of East Main Street and East of Jackson Street. Homes and businesses nearby will be affected.

These tests may result in a temporary discoloration of water in that area. As in the past, please do not attempt to wash any clothing if your water appears discolored. If you do experience a discoloration of your water, run cold water for about five minutes or until clear. 

This annual testing is essential to maintain the communities' Class III Insurance Services Office (ISO) public protection classification and to assure that fire hydrants are operating efficiently for fire protection purposes. 

Along with maintaining the fire rating, the test monitors the health of the city's water system, identifies weak areas in the system, and removes material that settles in the water lines. Checking each hydrant improves fire department personnel's knowledge of the hydrant locations.

If you have any questions or should notice a hydrant in need of repair, please contact the Fire Department at 585-345-6375.

Press Release:

On Sunday, February 18, 2024, the City of Batavia Fire Department responded to a reported house fire at 14 McKinley Ave. in the City of Batavia. Initial fire units arrived on-scene four minutes after the initial dispatch, reporting heavy fire from the front door of the residence, and requested a second alarm.

Crews stretched a hose line and made entry into the building for fire attack and searched for any occupants as other crews were securing a water source on McKinley. Crews quickly reported that the initial fire hydrant was inoperable and immediately began to look for another one in the area. While this water disruption was only for a brief amount of time, the high winds caused the fire to grow extremely fast resulting in the order to evacuate fire crews from the building and fight the fire defensively.

All residents were able to exit the structure prior to fire department arrival. One adult resident was transported by ambulance to Strong Memorial hospital suffering from smoke inhalation and burns to the lower legs. The house consisted of an upper and lower apartment, suffered significant fire damage and is considered a total loss, displacing seven people.

Fire investigators were able to determine the origin to be a downstairs bedroom in the center of the residence, in the area of a mattress. The cause is unknown.

The City of Batavia Fire Department checks the nearly 600 fire hydrants in the city annually. This consists of checking for proper operation, pressure, and greasing the caps. If a hydrant is deemed to be damaged or out of service, it is reported to the Water Department. The Water Department responds promptly and works very hard to ensure these hydrants are operational.

While the damage to the hydrant on McKinley is unknown, it could have been from a wide variety of causes. The Water Department was notified of this hydrant being out of service and since that time is now operational and in service. Currently the City has only one fire hydrant out of service, and crews are working to get that hydrant in service. It is important to note that even with multiple crews checking, and correcting hydrant issues as they arise, things can happen that are out of our control and unknown.

If anyone sees an issue with a hydrant, I urge you to contact the Fire Department so it can be checked and fixed.

The City of Batavia Fire Department was assisted by the City of Batavia Police, Water
Department, Codes Department and DPW, as well as the Genesee County Emergency Dispatch Center, the Town of Batavia Fire Department, the Elba Fire Department, Oakfield Fire Department, Stafford Fire Department, Leroy Fire Department, Mercy EMS, Genesee County Office of Emergency Management, Bergen Deputy Chief Garrett Dean, National Fuel, National Grid and the Salvation Army. Special thanks to Assistant City Manager Erik Fix and DPW Director Brett Frank for responding to assist and provide refreshments for responders.

Wednesday’s city budget session was fairly short and sweet compared to a recent meeting — as City Fire Chief Josh Graham laid out his department's stats and recent insurance rating for a subdued City Council — and the group continued its way through a proposed $37 million financial plan at City Hall.

Graham explained his $4,696,860 2025 proposed budget, an increase of $286,583 from the 2024 adopted budget. 

Of the 2,653 incidents to occur in 2023, nearly 68 percent of the call volume involved emergency medical services, Graham said. The department has experienced a 57.5 percent increase in call volume over the last 13 years, from 2010 to 2023, with the same number of 36 firefighters, he said, and six out of eight officers are eligible for retirement or will be within the next two years.

As for personnel, he told council to keep in mind that there may be two firefighters “that we have to push through the academy,” and retirement costs added an extra $140,000 to the budget.

Three new members joined the department in 2023, and it requested mutual aid a dozen times that year, three times less than called upon for mutual aid, responding 15 times.

He pointed out the length of careers for the entire team, with a fairly even split among those firefighters at two years and less, three to 10 years and 11 years or more.

“So if you wanted to look at the actual numbers from 2010, all the way up to 2023, you can pretty much see the line that goes across there, with 2020 being that dip during COVID. Obviously, the run numbers went down the next page just shows the career lengths, which I thought was kind of interesting because we're right at about one-third, one-third and one-third,” he said. “We're pretty green for our fire department, but because we have such a stellar staff of officers and those mid-level senior firefighters, it all worked out pretty much 33 percent right across the board.”

So what does the city fire department do?
Emergency medical services, fire suppression, motor vehicle accidents, hazmat, ice and swift water, rope and confined space rescues; firefighter assist and search team; fire prevention and fire extinguisher training; building inspection/code enforcement; car seat checks and installations; community service events/standby; emergency medical technician and related training; fire investigations; smoke and carbon monoxide detector installations. 

August was the busiest month in 2023, at 249 calls, with May and November tying for the lowest calls of 193. Firefighters apparently could get some sleep between 3 to 4 a.m., since that was the least busy time, at 44 calls, but not at 10 a.m., when activity reached its peak at 163 calls, still lingering at 161 calls between 11 a.m. and noon. 

The department responded to 63 structure fires, 80 motor vehicle accidents, 351 alarms, 85 hazardous conditions, 108 service calls, and 1,804 needs for emergency medical services.

The department arrived on scene within six minutes, 90 percent of the time, with an average response of less than four minutes. A response time of 10 to 11 minutes occurred in 19 percent of the calls, while nearly half of them were between three and five minutes. 

His wish list includes a replacement of portable radios and pagers, which would cost $200,000 if purchased all at once. However, he suggested an $8,700 increase to the communications budget line to purchase or fix those pieces of equipment. Pagers are used to notify off-duty staff for recall, and the radios were last purchased with a grant through the county around 2015-16, he said. 

“We were hoping that there would be another grant and we could start replacing the radios, but that's not coming to fruition. So in order to replace the entirety of our radios, you're looking at just short of $200,000. So this is an attempt to try to start cycling those out, as opposed to replacing them all at the same time,” Graham said. “They are just aging out. They may be broken … so if they do break, and the radio costs, you know, $2,000 to fix it, but it's $4,000 for a radio, do you pay the $2,000 to fix it? Or do you get the three newer versions for $4,000?”

He said that video lottery terminal funds could be used to replace 10 portable radios, “and will get us well on our way to replacing them.”

The department already received its Christmas present: a nearly $800,000 fire engine that, with assistance from grant funds, will gradually be paid off over the next two decades in debt service payments. It’s that apparatus and all else owned by Batavia, and the number of staff that went into account for its public classification insurance ranking of “03,” which means the city is “considered highly protected,” Graham said.

Per a letter sent to the city, this ranking is important to communities and fire departments because, as the rating improves, those communities “may get lower insurance prices.” 

When asked by a council member how a department earns a “2” or a “1,” Graham said the top number is extremely hard to get, and it takes “high dollar things to improve the three rating,” he said.

There are 31,867 departments at a four or worse, he said.

City police and firefighters responded to a two-car accident around 7:15 p.m. Thursday at the intersection of North Street and Vine Street. Police reported that a dark blue Chevrolet sedan was heading east on North Street and was almost through the intersection when it collided with a light blue Bronco SUV, which had been traveling north on Vine Street. The driver of the Bronco reportedly suffered a minor arm injury and was transported from the scene by ambulance. Photo by Mike Pettinella.

Press Release:

Every year the City of Batavia Fire Department spreads the word in town, and throughout our schools and community about fire prevention. 

Fire Prevention Week is observed each year during the week of Oct. 9 in commemoration of the Great Chicago Fire, which began on Oct. 8, 1871. This horrific fire killed more than 250 people and destroyed more than 17,400 structures leaving more than 100,000 people homeless.

This year the City of Batavia Fire Department is teaming up with the National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®) — The official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week for more than 100 years — to promote this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign, “Cooking Safety Starts with YOU! Pay attention to fire prevention” as the theme for Fire Prevention Week™, Oct. 8-14. 

This year’s focus on cooking safety works to educate the public about simple but important steps they can take to help reduce the risk of fire when cooking at home, keeping themselves and those around them safe.
Did you know that cooking fires are the leading cause of home fire and home fire injuries?

According to NFPA, cooking is the leading cause of a home fire, with nearly half (49 percent) of all home fires involving cooking equipment, cooking is also the leading cause of home fire injuries. Unattended cooking is the leading cause of home cooking fires and related deaths.

These numbers tell us that more public awareness is needed around when and where cooking hazards exist, along with ways to prevent them. This year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign “Cooking Safety Starts with You! Pay attention to fire prevention”, the City of Batavia Fire Department will work to promote tips, guidelines, and recommendations that can help significantly reduce the risk of having a cooking fire.

The City of Batavia Fire Department encourages all residents to embrace the 2023 Fire Prevention Week theme.

“Cooking Safety starts with YOU! Pay attention to fire prevention”.

The City of Batavia Fire Department wants to share the following cooking safety messages that support this year’s theme.

• Always keep a close eye on what you are cooking. For foods with longer cooking times, such as those simmering or baking, set a timer to help monitor them carefully.
• Clear the cooking area of combustible items and keep anything that can burn, such as dish towels, oven mitts, food packaging, and paper towels away from the cooking area.
• Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove. Keep a lid nearby when cooking. If a small grease fire starts, slide the lid over the pan and turn off the burner.
• Create a “kid and pet-free zone” of at least three feet around the cooking area and anywhere else hot food or drink is prepared or carried.

As the biggest annual campaign at NFPA, Fire Prevention Week works to educate people about the leading risks to home fires and ways they can better protect themselves and their loved ones. Local fire departments play a key role in bringing Fire Prevention Week to life in their communities each year and spreading basic but critical fire safety messages.

To learn more about Fire Prevention Week, its 100th anniversary, and this year’s theme, “Cooking Safety starts with YOU! Pay attention to fire prevention.” visit www.nfpa.org/fpw.

The City of Batavia Fire Department is hosting a series of events in support of this year’s Fire Prevention Week; including stops at Batavia schools, housing units, and the library.

Press Release:

The City of Batavia Fire Department will be flow-testing fire hydrants on Thursday, Oct. 5 from approximately 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. This will affect the entire city. Homes and businesses nearby will be affected.  These tests may result in a temporary discoloration of water in that area.  As in the past, please do not attempt to wash any clothing if your water appears discolored.  If you do experience a discoloration of your water, run cold water for about 5 minutes or until clear.

This annual testing is essential to maintain the community class III Insurance Services Office (ISO) public protection classification and to assure that fire hydrants are operating efficiently for fire protection purposes. Along with maintaining the fire rating, the test monitors the health of the city's water system, identifies weak areas in the system, and removes material that settles in the water lines. Checking each hydrant improves fire department personnel's knowledge of the hydrant locations.

If you have any questions or should notice a hydrant in need of repair, please contact the fire department at 585-345-6375.

Press Release:

The City of Batavia Fire Department will be flushing fire hydrants on Tuesday, August 29, and Wednesday, August 30 from approximately 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. in the general area of South of E. Main St. and West of Jackson St.  

Homes and businesses nearby will be affected.  These tests may result in a temporary discoloration of water in that area.  As in the past, please do not attempt to wash any clothing if your water appears discolored.  If you do experience a discoloration of your water, run cold water for about 5 minutes or until clear.

This annual testing is essential to maintain the communities' class III Insurance Services Office (ISO) public protection classification and to assure that fire hydrants are operating efficiently for fire protection purposes. 

Along with maintaining the fire rating, the test monitors the health of the city's water system, identifies weak areas in the system, and removes material that settles in the water lines. Checking each hydrant improves fire department personnel's knowledge of the hydrant locations.

If you have any questions or should notice a hydrant in need of repair, please contact the fire department at 585-345-6375.

Press Release:

The City of Batavia Fire Department will be flushing fire hydrants on Thursday from approximately 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the general area of South of E. Main St. and East of Jackson St. 

Homes and businesses nearby will be affected. These tests may result in a temporary discoloration of water in that area.  As in the past, please do not attempt to wash any clothing if your water appears discolored.  If you do experience a discoloration of your water, run cold water for about 5 minutes or until clear.

This annual testing is essential to maintain the communities class III Insurance Services Office (ISO) public protection classification, and to assure that fire hydrants are operating efficiently for fire protection purposes. Along with maintaining the fire rating, the test monitors the health of the city's water system, identifies weak areas in the system, and removes material that settle in the water lines. 

Checking each hydrant improves fire department personnel knowledge of the hydrant locations.

If you have any questions, or should notice a hydrant in need of repair, please contact the fire department at 585-345-6375.

Press Release:

The City of Batavia Fire Department is proud to announce our new Fire Department Chaplain, Deacon Dave Erhart of Le Roy.

Deacon Dave comes to us with an impressive resume, including 40 years of fire service experience with the Le Roy Fire Department as both a firefighter and Chaplain. He is currently serving as a Deacon with Our Lady of Mercy Church in Le Roy.

He received Fire Chaplain training at the New York State Fire Academy in Montour Falls and is a member of the New York State Order of Chaplains.

Fire Chaplains provide a valuable service to the Fire Department members and their families. We look forward to this partnership and are fortunate to have a local resource available with such experience.