Page 9
The Shoreline
August, 2000
Pine Knoll Shores
Fire Department
The Fire Department had
nine calls during the month of June. Two calls involved
structure fires, the major one being a second floor room
at the Crystal Coast Resort resulting in approximately
$30,000 damage. The Atlantic Beach Fire Department
provided mutual assistance on this call. An additional
195 hours of training occurred during the month. The
most extensive training was a six-hour course on
Incident Command attended by twelve personnel.
On June 10, the Fire Department had a picnic, with the
help of EMS volunteers, at Brock Basin. It was also
attended by on-duty Police Department members. The
weather was great as well as the camaraderie amongst
the groups.
Properly located and properly operating smoke detectors
are important in providing you with early warning of a
fire, particularly when you are sleeping. As a minimum,
smoke detectors should be located in the hallway
outside each bedroom and in a hallway outside the
kitchen. The detectors outside bedrooms should be
close enough to the rooms so they can be heard when
the bedroom doors are closed. Areas outside your living
space that might be considered for locating detectors
are your attic and garage. Detectors should be mounted
on ceilings; however, if only wall mounting is practical,
they should be mounted on the wall as close to the
ceiling as possible.
Smoke detectors can be powered by battery or by your
home's electrical power circuits. Detectors powered by
your power circuits are extremely reliable except if a
power failure occurs. If your detectors are powered by
battery, change the batteries twice a year at the time
when you adjust your clocks for the change between
daylight savings and standard time. This will ensure your
batteries have sufficient power to activate an alarm.
There is a detector, the most reliable type of all, that is
powered by the home's electrical power and has
batteries as well for back up. All types of powered
detectors have a button on them that you can push that
will activate the detector with a noise signal to show you
that the detector has power to it. Some detectors have
test buttons that also simulate smoke or test for
sensitivity. This tests the detector for its ability to sense
smoke and sound an alarm. Most detectors do not have
this capability; therefore, to insure your detector will
sound the alarm if a fire occurs, safely burn incense or
a piece of rope or string in an ashtray in the vicinity of
the detector to see if it sounds an alarm. Purchased
cans of aerosol spray (canned smoke) that simulate
smoke can also be used for testing. Testing the
detector's ability to sense smoke and sound the alarm is
recommended as frequently as once per month. Check
the manufacturer instructions with your smoke detector
for the recommended procedure for your particular
situation.
Smoke detectors have proven invaluable in saving lives.
Take care of your detectors to insure they'll take care of
you in the event of an unwanted fire emergency.
Submitted by: Robert Middlesteadt
NORTHCAROLINA
AQUARIUMS
The Aquarium recently opened another new exhibit in
the viewing gallery. This one features the diminutive sea
horse. These fanciful and fascinating animals are a
favorite of visitors.
Surprisingly, sea horses are related to mackerel, salmon
and tuna, and unlike fish, which have scales, sea horses
are equipped with a highly modified skeleton that forms
rigid "armor plating." In addition to their unusual
appearance, sea horses have a most unique
reproduction process - it is the male that carries and
gives birth to the 200 or so young!
The Aquarium continues to have many programs for
youngsters this summer. If you have a young angler in
the family, sign him or her up for "Fishing Just for Kids"
on Aug. 2 or 10. There's also "Breakfast With the
Animals," "Snorkeling for Beginners," and "Sea Wizards,"
"Sea Squirts" and "Aquatic Explorers." All these
programs are designed with young folks in mind. Check
the Aquarium's summer calendar for dates, times and
registration information.
"Creature Feature Fridays" are ongoing through Aug. 11.
These special days feature films, games, discovery
stations and live animal programs focusing on specific
animals. August 4 is Shark Day and Aug. 11 is Reptile
Day.
For a complete listing of summer activities, stop by and
pick up a calendar, or call 247-4003 to request a
calendar by mail. You can also get a complete listing of
activities on our Web site at www.ncaquariums.com.
The Aquarium is also recruiting volunteers, especially for
weekends and evenings. If you have a few hours to
spare and enjoy people and marine life, call Volunteer
Coordinator Marlene Anderson at 247-4003, ext. 134.