Dear All,

Last month IFD responded to an unprecedented number of working, occupied residence fires in a single month.  The fact that really hits hard is that 100% of those fires were preventable!  I know that none of us ever wants to experience a fire in our home.  Winter seems to be the time that many more fires occur.  Please be extra careful when using a fireplace, candles, cooking while you have guests (as sometimes you can be distracted or have others around stoves and pots or pans can get bumped), and overloading circuits.  Check your smoke alarms and make sure they are working.  The fire departments do give out smoke alarms for those who need them, so if you or anyone you know does need one, contact your nearest fire station.  Also, if you have any unoccupied houses or buildings in your neighborhood and you see people around them, call 911 and report it.  Many times people will be in vacant houses and will start fires and these structures have no electricity or heat.  You do not want a fire starting in any of those either, as it could spread very quickly before reported.

I have attached some Safety Tips from IFD.  Please do take time to read these.  Share them with your friends, relatives, co-workers, and neighbors.  You may print them off and post them for others to see.  Let’s all be proactive with this so that we do not have any of these tragedies in our area.

Sincerely,

Janice McHenry
City-County Councillor District 6