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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1994-02-02, Page 6PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2,1994. Wood can be safe, effective heating method By Bonnie Gropp How safe is wood heat? According to Blyth Fire Chief Paul Josling with proper installa­ tion, maintenance and use, wood­ stoves and furnaces can be as safe as any other source of home heat­ ing. Mr. Josling, who is also the building inspector for the villages of Blyth and Brussels and the townships of Morris and Turn berry, says that from what he has seen at fires and during investigations after, 80 percent of the woodstove fires resulted due to poor installa­ tion. Only qualified servicepeople should ever install wood furnaces, and woodstoves installed by the owners should be inspected by someone who is Wood Energy Technical Training (WETT) certi­ fied, Mr. Josling says. Most fire departments have at least one per­ son with the certification. While there is a cost Mr. Josling reminds that it is the far cheaper alternative in the long run. One of the most common instal­ lation mistakes, Mr. Josling says, is putting the stove or stove pipe too close to the walls. Stoves should be four feet away from any com­ bustible material, even the wood pile. "It's very rare for a fire to start in this way, but the potential is there," he said. The stove should Board hopes for solution Continued from page 1. with the Ontario Medical Association would come up with a funding formula to cover the extra hours that rural physicians need to put in to ensure continuous ER coverage. Dr. Shubat, president of the medical staff noted that a particular area of concern was the coverage from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. when few patients require the Emergency Department, but the physician is required to be available throughout the night and still run his office the next day. He stressed that there is a shortage of doctors in the area and even with the stipend provided there will continue to be a need to attract new physicians to the area to work in the ED and join other local physicians in their practice. The public can expect to continue to receive treatment in the emergency department, but are OPP find stolen property On Jan. 18 members of the Goderich Ontario Provincial Police and Goderich Police Service executed two search warrants at residences within the town of Goderich. As a result of the search warrants and the earlier recovery of a stolen car, a quantity of stolen property from area break and enters was recovered. In a press release issued by Detective Const. J. Phillips it was stated that information obtained through Huron County Crime Stoppers and the Goderich OPP Crime Unit was instrumental in solving the numerous thefts and break and enters, which included a number of vehicles and snow vehicle thefts from Goderich and surrounding area. Chad Graham and Kenneth Kerr, both 19 years of age and both of Goderich were arrested and appeared in court on Jan. 24 and were further remanded in custody. also be placed on a non-com- bustible pad. The problem occurs through a process known as pyrolysis. Con­ stant heating and cooling of the wood will, over a long period of time, drop its ignition temperature from 400-600°F to 250°F, by breaking down the chemical com­ position of the wood. "At this point the wood in your walls can break into open flame," says Mr. Josling. Mr. Josling also advises that con­ crete not be a choice as a chimney connection as it's a conductor and will carry heat from the smoke pipe to the wood studs. Chimney fires can be another problem when using wood as a heat source, usually because the chim­ ney has not be cleaned. Mr. Josling says they should be cleaned or checked once a month. The latter can be done easily by the home­ owner. "You just open out the clean out and look up with a mirror," says Mr. Josling. The proper brush to clean out the chimney is important too, he says. While a steel brush can be used on a conventional masonary chimney plastic must be used on the newer stainless steel ones. Mr. Josling says that as a general rule with properly dried wood, a hot temperature in the chimney will not be the problem. It is a slow, asked to call ahead to find out when the physician will be there. Normal scheduled times will be established daily for clinics. This will allow physicians to be more efficient in their service to the community. Emergencies will be seen at any time of the day or night. In an open letter to the Ministry of Health on Jan. 29 a committee representing all the hospitals in Huron and Perth Counties had expressed their dismay at the lack of progress made by the Ministry in resolving this problem. This letter followed one written by Mr. Fortune on Dec. 23, advising the Ministry of Health of the need to address the problem. On Jan. 27 the board received a letter from Ruth Grier advising that the Deputy Ministry of Health had Health Min. to study staffing Small hospitals which treat under 500 people per week in the emer­ gency room are having difficulty providing the proper service. The members of the Huron-Perth Hospital Liaison Committee for­ warded a letter to Minister of Health Ruth Grier recently, in an effort to voice their concerns about the payment of doctors who work in rural hospital emergency wards. In response, Mrs. Grier staled, "As Minister of Health, my first con­ cern is to make sure people in this province get the care they need and that includes emergency care in their area." A press release stated that emergency on-call services are funded on a fee-for-service basis, at present. Rural doctors are not receiving as much payment as those who work in busy urban hospitals because of the fewer people per week treated in the emergency department. There are 50 small/rural hospitals which handle less than 300 emer­ gency cases per week and another 30 which see between 300 and 500 The doctors must still be available to provide 24-hour emergency ser- vi“. . . ' ... „ The payment issue has made it difficult for the small hospitals. Some doctors work very little or not at all during off-shift hours while others provide full coverage but are seeking additional payment. Mrs. Grier says the Ministry set up a task force in November, consist­ ing of the Ministry, the Ontario Medical Association (OMA) and the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA), to develop practical solutions for the problem. She has also instructed Deputy Health Minister Margaret Motterhead to meet with the executive of the OMA and OHA to discuss the issues and encourages doctors and hospital to continue "talking past any set deadline." Other districts have found solutions to the problem by hiring out-of- town doctors to cover the emergency room, adjusting the budget to sup­ plement the doctors’ fee-for-service income and by paying doctors on an alternative fixed-payment basis rather than by fee-for-service. Mrs. Grier says, "With help from everyone involved, a solution can soon be found." ;' smoldering fire which will result in a buildup of creosote. So when the weather starts to warm use an alter­ nate heating method, he said. Chimneys should be sized to the woodstove or appliance. Mr. Josling says he has seen stoves with six inch collars going into a 12 inch chimney. In the building code these sizes are strictly laid out and should be adhered to, he says. While Mr. Josling says that a fire is usually less damaging if the chimney is on the outside of the building, they can be more of a concern in another way. With today's home being sealed tighter through better insulating methods the stoves aren't having to bum as hot, so the chimney is not as hot, thus there is more creosote devel­ oping. Should you have a chimney fire at your home, Mr. Josling says the chimney should be checked by a heating professional or by someone with WETT certification before you use it again. Fires are a devastating experi­ ence, but Mr. Josling maintains that there is no reason to believe that you are more suspectible to one if you use wood heat. "If it's properly installed, properly cared for and the wood is properly dried and burnt you have a safe and effective way to heat your home," he says. been asked to meet with the chief executives of the OMA and OHA to expedite the process of developing practical solutions. This letter also asked both sides to be patient a little while longer. The board and physicians feel this interim solution will give the Minister the time she had asked for to create a rural hospital solution for the province, which can be implemented at Wingham on 30 days notice. Hospital CEO Lloyd Koch explained that funding for the first two months of this agreement will come from the small surplus expected in the 93/94 operating budget, and a deficit budget will be submitted for 94/95 if the Ministry has not provided for province-wide solution by April 1. Keep the fires burning k good fire will seldom cause problems. The low smoldering ones will result in a buildup of creasote which lead to chimney fires. Wood is an effective method of home heating, but safe only when the appliance is properly installed, properly cared for and the wood properly dried and burnt. Klopp glad to see program Continued from page 1 one of the first to join the program. Mr. Klopp says he has been working on this idea for 12 years and is glad to see it finally being Pamphlet available Continued from page 4 A pamphlet entitled "The Ideal Doghouse for Ontario's Outdoor Dogs," is available free from most animal shelters, or may be obtained by sending a stamped, self­ addressed envelope to: Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, 16640 Yonge Street, Newmarket, Ontario L3Y 4V8. IS OUR BUSINESS • Colour Printing • Posters • Letterheads • Envelopes • Business Cards WE CAN DO IT ALL! A COMPLETE PRINTING. SERVICE 4 PRINTING INC. BLYTH 523-9211 implemented. Several local organizations aided in the development of the program. They include the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food, participat­ ing credit unions, caisse populaires, the Federation of Women Farmers, Christian Farmers and other farm organizations throughout Ontario. Any information required about the program can be obtained from the local credit union. 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