Remember to use Electrical Cords Correctly
 
By Battalion Chief Mark Oeltgen
August 9, 2017
 

Crews were summoned to a business in town for an activated fire alarm. The first in company found a smoke haze in the building. Continued search of the area that had the activated smoke detector lead crews to find the power strip shown in the pictures. This was being used to power a commercial refrigerator unit. This electrical draw caused to cord to short out and melt. This cord did not have its own fuse/ circuit breaker. Pictures show the cord from the refrigerator melted into the power strip. Read the usage instructions when purchasing electrical equipment, and don't exceed power usage recommendations. If in doubt about electrical capacities of an item, contact the manufacturer or a qualified electrician.

 
Units: Engine 9, Engine 39, and Battalion 9
 
Mutual Aid: Arlington Hts Engine 2