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Citizens and business owners of Williamsport!
We are less than a month away from The Little League World Series! Our fair City of Williamsport will enjoy quite the rush of tourism during the whole month of August. I'd like to offer a gentle reminder that now is the time to ensure all sprinkler systems, fire alarms, smoke detectors and other fire related safety systems have been inspected and are functioning as intended. It is time to put fresh batteries in exit and emergency lighting and ensure all exit doors are operating effectively. Remember to adhere to your occupancy limit and avoid overcrowding. Take time to clear paths of safe egress and fix other items on your building's "to do list." Maybe fix a loose handrail? Broken window? Replace a fire extinguisher? Safety and warning signs placed?
Murphy's Law states that "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong" and most likely at the most inopportune time. Perhaps it is a good time to gather your staff and have a "think-tank" safety meeting. "What could go wrong here? How can we prevent those issues?" After years of our area hosting the Little League World Series I would bet that your establishment is more aware of the issues you will encounter than I am. I would go so far as to offer these same suggestions to business owners for all of Lycoming County and the surrounding areas that will see an increase in visitors.
The Little League World Series introduces a large number of foreigners who may or may not speak English. As you may soon be servicing customers who are innocently at the whim of these language barriers you may want to consider looking into the use of translator apps on your mobile device. Some of these apps allow for you or your new foreign friend to have almost instant translations processed by just selecting the language and speaking into your device. This can be a lot of fun, will leave a positive impression on our city's guests and may be able to help them communicate in the event of an emergency.
We at the Williamsport Bureau of Fire wish you all a safe end to the summer and remain yours, in service, should you require further guidance on best practices for safety in your home and business.
Stephen Yonkin is the Williamsport Bureau of Fire's fire marshal.