Some recent changes at the Clinton Fire Department made a big difference during two weekend fires. The Odeon and a home on Chancy street in Clinton caught on fire just minutes apart. Firefighters tell us, thanks to recent changes in the department they were able to get the fires under control sooner and even save one person's life.
"The more people you can have, the more work you can get done and the less strain it's going to take on each individual," said Lt. Mike McQuistion, Clinton Fire Department.
McQuistion says thanks to a new automatic aid system, when there is a confirmed structure fire the Camanche or Fulton fire department gets called into action at the same time as the Clinton fire department.
"Big difference between arriving on scene with 6 personnel and arriving with 12 personnel," McQuistion said.
McQuistion says the night of the Odeon fire and the Chancy street house fire, the Camanche fire department was called right away.
"With the mutual aid I wouldn't have been able to call them until I got on scene and determined what was going on, so having automatic aid saved probably ten minutes." McQuistion says it's not only the automatic aid system that was put to the test this weekend.
He says the new addition to the Chancy fire department also proved to be a lifesaver. He says in the past there were only two people at that station and one truck. However, there are now four people plus another truck and ambulance.
"That allowed us to put two people into that house on Chancy immediately and that is clearly what saved this person's life."
He says both changes to the fire department not only help keep the public safer, but the firefighters as well.
"Our job has an inherent risk, but the less people you have there, the more risk each person has to take."
Firefighters have determined the cause of Chancy street house fire. They say a candle got knocked over and caught materials on the floor on fire. The person inside at the time is in critical condition.
Meanwhile, the cause the of the Odeon fire is still unknown. Firefighters say they are still securing the site and hope to start their actual investigation by Wednesday.
