Chenango County Bureau of Fire

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Open Burn Regulations

Effective March 16th through May 14th, any and all open burns are prohibited.

This includes any and all types of burning of debris and wood.  Due to the lack of snow and moisture this winter there are many areas of standing, dead grass which will be easily ignited as a result of a spark or ember.  The spring winds will cause these areas to excessively dry out.   The burn conditions will remain high until the grass begins to grow and turn green. 

What are the regulations on open burning in New York State?

Effective October 14, 2009, all open burning is prohibited in New York, except as follows:

  • Barbecue grills, maple sugar arches and similar outdoor cooking devices, using only propane, charcoal, or untreated wood

  • Small cooking and camp fires, using only untreated wood

  • On-site burning of limbs and branches is allowed between May 15th and the following March 15th in any town with a total population less than 20,000

  • On-site burning of organic agricultural wastes, but not pesticides, plastics or other non-organic material, on certain agricultural lands

  • Liquid petroleum fueled smudge pots to prevent frost damage to crops

  • Ceremonial or celebratory bonfires

  • Disposal of a flag or religious items

  • Burning on an emergency basis of explosive or other dangerous or contraband by police, etc.

  • Prescribed burns performed according to state regulations

  • Fire training with some restrictions on the use of acquired structures

  • Individual open fires to control plant and animal disease outbreaks as approved by DEC upon the request by the Commissioner of Agriculture and Markets

  • Open fires as necessary to control invasive plant and insect species

 

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Sale of Unapproved Fire Extinguishers in New York State

 It has come to the Chenango County Bureau of Fire's attention through the NYS Office of Fire Prevention and Control that fire extinguishers, that do not meet the requirements of General Business Law section 391-j, are being offered for sale in New York State through various retail establishments.

 The sale of fire extinguishers in the State of New York is governed by the General Business Law, section 391-j which provides that is unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to sell or offer for sale, fire extinguishers unless the fire extinguishers offered for sale:

Meet the current National Fire Protection Association standards for fire extinguishers of the model offered for sale and are labeled as having met such standards;

  •  Have been tested and approved by Underwriters Laboratory, Factory Mutual or other nationally accredited or accepted testing laboratory and are labeled as having been tested and approved; and
  • Have labeling securely affixed containing the following information:
  • Operating instructions;
  • The class or rating identifying kinds of fires which the particular extinguisher is suitable to be used on. This information shall be presented by use of the appropriate letter rating and pictorial marking representations; and
  • Are accompanied with an instructional manual that has information detailing operational use, basic fire safety information, information on how and where to have the extinguisher serviced or recharged by an authorized dealer or refers the customer to his local fire department and any information pertaining to checking the extinguisher's contents for operational use by the owner.

The sale of unapproved fire extinguishers in New York, such as the Tundra, manufactured by BRK Brands and marketed by First Alert, is unlawful. A knowing violation is punishable by a civil penalty not to exceed five hundred dollars for a first violation and ten thousand dollars for each successive violation.

 Fire officials are encouraged to share this information with retailers in their jurisdiction in an effort to prevent the sale of this prohibited product through awareness and education.

 

If you have further questions, please contact Chief Paul D. Martin of the Bureau of Fire Prevention at (518) 474-6746.

 

A PDF of this Safety Alert is posted under the "Safety Alerts" tab for your convenience to aid in distribution the all agencies and organizations in your region or jurisdiction.

 

Chenango County Fire & EMS Emailing System

The Chenango County Bureau of Fire has developed a mass emailing system where the Chenango County Emergency Responders may sign up and be kept up to date on State, County and Local Training Announcements, Events, other important safety information including "The Monitor" .  If you are interested in receiving these emails, please click on the link below and sign up. 

** This program is for Active Emergency Respnders only.  All postings and applications will be monitored.***

Chenango County Fire / EMS email sign up

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The County of Chenango is a beautiful, rural agricultural community with numerous rolling hills and valleys. The Chenango County Bureau of Fire is dedicated to the safety and professional training of all 21 Fire and 22 EMS and First Responder agencies operating within Chenango County.

The members of these agencies are very dedicated individuals, most of whom volunteer their time and services to our community. These many dedicated women and men participate in countless hours of training and preparedness activities in the event of an emergency or disaster strikes within their jurisdiction.

We are very proud of all these individuals who are committed to our county and community. Without our volunteers and professional members the lives and property of our residences would be in grave jeopardy. I encourage you to contact your local Fire Department or Emergency Squad to learn more on how you can become involved or assist your local Emergency Services Agency.

The Chenango County Bureau of Fire is made up of many different divisons and responsibilities.  Each of the 11 Deputy Coordinators has an assignment and oversees these programs.  We have a Deputy Coordinator responsible for Administering the State and County Fire Training Program, Supervising the Fire Investigation Team which consists of 12 Certified Fire Investigators, other Deputy Coordinators oversee the Emergency Medical Services including providing EMS Training for our County Responders, Supervisor for Fire Prevention, Supervisor for Special Teams which include our County Search and Rescue Team, High Angle Team, Dive Team and County Hazmat Team and finally a Deputy Coordinator which helps to oversee our County's Communications System and working with each department to cooperatively  purchase and standardize our agencies radio equipment.

We welcome you to tour our web site to learn more about our agency and the many divisions within the Chenango County Bureau of Fire.