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Fire & Emergency Careers, And Fire Safety Info/Questions Answered by Expert Frank Billington
| Subject | Date Asked |
| Smoke detectors and cigarettes | 5/5/2011 |
| Q: we recently got tenants and we are worried, they are smoking in our apartment. We want to buy an ... A: Residual cigarette smoke seeping through cracks around a door is extremely unlikely to activate a ... | |
| Smoke detectors and cigarettes | 5/5/2011 |
| Q: we recently got tenants and we are worried, they are smoking in our apartment. We want to buy an ... A: If I understand correctly, you have tenants in an adjacent unit, and you are concerned that they are ... | |
| Firefighter Q? | 12/1/2010 |
| Q: I'm 15 years old and live across the street from a fire station i have been inspired to become a ... A: Like you, I grew up next to a fire station. There are so many different paths to the career that it ... | |
| Fire resistance of sealants | 10/28/2010 |
| Q: I am remodeling a room with a fireplace (a metal box inside the wood frame). I had to seal around ... A: I have to apologize, but this is somewhat outside my area of expertise. I am not familiar with ... | |
| FIREMAN MAXIMUM AGE REQUIREMENT? | 8/25/2010 |
| Q: My husband is looking to become a fireman and he's 45 years old. Is there a maximum age requirement ... A: Although many departments will hire someone at 45 or even beyond, there is no way for me to be able ... | |
| Time off for Volunteer fireman | 7/21/2010 |
| Q: We have a volunteer working at our facility and he has told us the anytime he wants to go to a fire ... A: It is not quite that simple. The employee also has obligations, and cannot simply leave at any time ... | |
| Life as a Firefighter | 4/11/2010 |
| Q: and I am very interested in becoming a firefighter ( wish I had decided at the age of 11 like you ... A: The answers to these questions vary widely from one firefighter to another. You would do well to ... | |
| Fire Alarms triggered by wind | 12/13/2009 |
| Q: We bought a new house 4 years ago which was wired with ionization alarms throughout. We have had ... A: Do you know which alarm(s) are actually being triggered? It is quite possible that they were ... | |
| Fire Depatment Employment | 11/24/2009 |
| Q: Can I work for a firehouse wit an adult Class 3 felony. the felony is Attempted possession of a ... A: Generally, a felony record will preclude you from working for most fire protection agencies, ... | |
| alarm in apt building - have to exit always? | 10/31/2009 |
| Q: your in the US and I'm in BC,canada but I'd at least like to get your take on if generally speaking ... A: What you saw is all too common. After a while, for frequent and known false alarms, it takes longer ... | |
| alarm in apt building - have to exit always? | 10/31/2009 |
| Q: your in the US and I'm in BC,canada but I'd at least like to get your take on if generally speaking ... A: I am not personally aware of any "law", per se, that requires evacuation of a building only at the ... | |
| Fire in Oven | 9/5/2009 |
| Q: This morning there was a small fire on the floor of the oven caused by some residue from previous ... A: First, congrats on having an extinguisher handy. So many people are unprepared, it is always nice ... | |
| escape ladders | 8/26/2009 |
| Q: my son moved into the fourth floor very old apartment building. he has two smaller windows. there ... A: Is the section of roofing beneath his window large enough to escape onto, so that he could for ... | |
| DOD FIREFIGHTER | 7/24/2009 |
| Q: I'am 28 and considering a career in the fire department. i served 8 years in the marine corps and 2 ... A: This is outside of my area of expertise, but a short web search turned up some results perhaps worth ... | |
| degree | 6/8/2009 |
| Q: I am at unf trying to figure out a degree that would further me along in becoming a firefighter, ... A: I am not familiar with fire and medic schools in any of the places you mentioned moving from or to. ... | |
| degree | 6/2/2009 |
| Q: I am at unf trying to figure out a degree that would further me along in becoming a firefighter, ... A: Regarding desired degrees, you will probably get more use from management/administration degrees ... | |
| Fire Behaviour | 2/2/2009 |
| Q: What is the measurement used to measure the fire point or flash point? A Flash Point or Fire Point ... A: The Fire Point and Flash Point of individual materials is completely unrelated to the point that ... | |
| Wind & Smoke Detectors | 1/17/2009 |
| Q: We have a hard-wired smoke detector at the bottom of our stairs leading to our family room adjacent ... A: I would not consider it normal for a simple gust of air to set off a smoke detector. There are two ... | |
| Felony | 10/21/2008 |
| Q: I'm 20 years old will be 21 in January. Back in 2007 I was dumb enough to burglarize an apartment ... A: You asked two questions: 1. "can a felony like mine be expunged?" That is a legal question outside ... | |
| Interview | 10/1/2008 |
| Q: Billington Since I am taking a CPR class at JCCC, this class is requiring me to have an interview ... A: I am going to respectfully decline your request. The purpose for your interview is to speak in ... | |
| Fire safety | 9/21/2008 |
| Q: We have a 2nd story bedroom window that is a couple of feet above a decorative roof line. I am ... A: Since I cannot see the physical arrangement of your window, the roof line in question, and what is ... | |
| ABC Fire Extinquisher used in Electric Oven - Dangers? | 9/14/2008 |
| Q: I saw a post about a year ago addressing this issue, but am still not sure. I had a grease fire in ... A: If it is still in powder form, water and soap combined with any normal housecleaning scrubber you ... | |
| paramedic/ems | 8/20/2008 |
| Q: Im thinking of pursuing a career as a paramedic/ems reason for this is because my brother passed and ... A: My main area of expertise is in firefighting and fire safety, not so much in paramedic careers. ... | |
| volunteer firefighting | 7/20/2008 |
| Q: Mr. Billington, I am fire I & II/EMT certified, and I have experience as working as an EMT. It is ... A: Yes, volunteer FDs are everywhere, and most are also EMS providers and would be happy to have you. ... | |
| Early Morning Smoke Detector Chirping | 5/22/2008 |
| Q: We have multiple smoke detectors in our house that are hard-wired together and also have battery ... A: Ambient temperatures do in fact have an effect on batteries. When fully charged it doesn't make ... | |
| Red Cards | 4/14/2008 |
| Q: WE HAVE ALL FIREFIGHTERS AT FORT HUACHUCA AS WILD LAND FIREFIGHTERS AND HAVE BEEN CERTIFIED FOR ... A: I am not acquainted with the certification process for State of Arizona wildland firefighters, ... | |
| Employment | 3/10/2008 |
| Q: Do you give advice for personnel seeking professional employment status in the fire serivce, out of ... A: Hmmmm, I know a J. Mayr out of Washington State... but since he just got a paid gig I suspect that ... | |
| how do I get out? | 2/29/2008 |
| Q: I rent a room that has no windows or walls to the outside of the house, I was wondering what my ... A: I need a little more information to try to help and answer your question. Can you tell me more ... | |
| am i too old | 2/8/2008 |
| Q: I'm 36 years old and barley starting my college career. I picked fire tech. My question is this. Am ... A: My first thought is, no, 36 is not too old. However, there are some departments with age limits for ... | |
| Hello | 11/27/2007 |
| Q: Frank, I'm not sure whether or not you remember me - we had exchanged emails a LONG time ago when ... A: yes I do remember, thanks so much for writing and providing a little follow-up, it is nice to get a ... | |
| ABC Fire Extinquisher used in Electric Oven - Dangers? | 9/23/2007 |
| Q: I had a small fire in my electric oven & used an ABC fire extinquisher on it to put it out. We ... A: I have consulted with some other firefighters with more knowledge than I have on this topic. All ... | |
| ABC Fire Extinquisher used in Electric Oven - Dangers? | 9/22/2007 |
| Q: I had a small fire in my electric oven & used an ABC fire extinquisher on it to put it out. We ... A: The powder from ABC extinguishers can indeed be hazardous in moderate amounts and through prolonged ... | |
| fire escape plan | 9/21/2007 |
| Q: My daughter's preschool just had a safety day, and it had me really thinking that we need an escape ... A: Good questions, and good for you for thinking about it before the emergency occurs. You are exactly ... | |
| ayuda | 8/9/2007 |
| Q: I work 25 years as a fire fighter and I am now retired, I am working for a safety company and I am ... A: Greetings. You have more years than I do in the service, so I doubt that I am qualified to answer ... | |
| CO2 Fire Extinguishers | 7/10/2007 |
| Q: I am wondering if it is safe to use the CO2 from a fire extinguisher in the kitchen for cooking ... A: I don't know that my answer will be "expert" on this particular topic, but I will take a shot at it. ... | |
| fire | 7/9/2007 |
| Q: i would like to be a fireman when i am older what qualifications do u need to be a fireman?reply ... A: The answer to this question varies widely depending upon the agency you wish to work for. In some ... | |
| fire man | 6/20/2007 |
| Q: what quaifications do u need to became a fire man, g.c.s.e.s, a levels ect.... A: The answer to this question varies widely dpending upon the agency you wish to work for. In some ... | |
| Volunterr firefighters | 5/30/2007 |
| Q: What are the laws for lighting on volunteer firefighter vehicles on there way to a scene and once ... A: Assuming you are writing from the USA, the answer to this question varies by state, county and ... | |
| Safety Helmets | 3/1/2007 |
| Q: I've read that during a lot of tornados head injuries are a major cause of death. One website ... A: This is outside of my area of expertise, as I am not a helmet expert nor a tornado survival expert. ... | |
| stovetop safety | 10/16/2006 |
| Q: i was wondering if it is safe to use tin foil to line the stainless steel plates underneath my coil ... A: Should be no problem. Electricity always travels the path of least resistance. The design ... | |
| Fire Extinguisher usage | 1/9/2006 |
| Q: Last night, I discharged a small household fire extinguisher into the broiler area of my oven ... A: Cheryl, I am not completely familiar with the dry chemical compounds used in kitchen extinguishers, ... | |
| Fire Extinguisher usage | 1/9/2006 |
| Q: Last night, I discharged a small household fire extinguisher into the broiler area of my oven ... A: Cheryl, You didn't say so specifically but it sounds like you have a gas oven and possibly used an ... | |
| college | 12/14/2005 |
| Q: hey, I am 12 years old and am sooo interested in firefighting!~! j/w if like how long do you have to ... A: How long you have to stay in college depends on how fast you work to get the certifications and ... | |
| Fire Safety; Deadbolt Locks | 9/23/2005 |
| Q: My client is a homeowners association which is having problems with vandals hopping the pool fence ... A: Kelly, I do not know of any specific experts in Southern California. The best place to start in ... | |
| proyect | 6/8/2005 |
| Q: I am fireman in Venezuela and I am in charge of creating a depertment responsible for training ... A: Good day! To answer your example question, we have a dedicated maintenance officer who is ... | |
| fire due to bad wires | 6/1/2004 |
| Q: On May first in 2004. My neighbours lost thier three grandkids in a house fire. It has been a ... A: I am sorry for what your neighborhood is going through, as a father of four, it breaks my heart to ... | |
| Escape ladder | 7/29/2003 |
| Q: I have an unusual situation in my flat. The smoke detector is by the front door, but if I am in ... A: James, interesting situation. The first thing that comes to my mind is that if you take pictures ... | |
Fire & Emergency Careers, And Fire Safety Info
Answers by Expert:
Frank Billington
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
Let me help you determine the most effective place to install your smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, fire extinguishers, and other home fire safety equipment. I can give you tips on home fire and safety inspection. So often the poor placement and care of life safety tools results in loss of life and property that could so easily be avoided. As a firefighter since 1993, I am intimately familiar with fire behavior, and steps you can take to protect yourself and your family.
Experience
I have been in firefighting since 1993. I determined to become a firefighter at the age of 11, and achieved that goal. But God and my family come first.
Education/Credentials
FFI, Training Officer, and a lot of folders containing over fifteen years of continuing education course completion certificates.
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