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BEWARE OF ICE! During the winter months, it can be tempting to venture out onto frozen waterways, but we urge caution and remind residents that no ice is 100% safe ice. You should always consider ice potentially dangerous, as it’s impossible to judge ice conditions by appearance or thickness alone. Many factors, including water depth, the size of the body of water, water chemistry, currents, snow cover, age of ice, and local weather conditions, will impact ice strength. 

One significant risk factor associated with winter ice activities is falling through the ice, which can lead to fatal and non-fatal winter drownings.

If you see someone in danger, remember the phrase “Preach-Reach-Throw-Go.”

 Preach: If possible, call 911 and let the victim know help is on the way. Reassure the victim and keep them calm.

 Reach: If it is safe to reach the victim from shore, extend a sturdy object for the victim to grab.

 Throw: If it is safe to do so, toss the end of a rope or a flotation device to the victim.

 Go: If a situation becomes too dangerous, go find help. Untrained rescuers can often become victims.

Avoid walking or driving on ice-bound bodies of water — ice thickness can be deceiving. Stay safe!

The holiday season is upon us, with Thanksgiving later this week. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires, with more than three times the daily average for such incidents. Christmas Day and Eve ranked second and third, nearly twice the daily average. 

According to the NFPA, cooking causes over half (52%) of all reported house fires and nearly two out of every five (36%) home fire injuries. It is also a leading cause of home fire deaths (17%).

For tips on how to safely hold your holiday festivities, visit the NFPA: https://tinyurl.com/NFPA-Thanksgiving

Today, we honor veterans everywhere and thank them for their service, including the members of our department who have admirably served. We are eternally grateful for their bravery, strength, and resilience. Their dedication to our country does not go unnoticed, and we wish to recognize their commitment to protecting the United States and its values.

Daylight Saving Time (DST) ends Sunday, Nov. 3 at 2 a.m. and clocks will move back one hour. 

Properly installed and maintained smoke alarms are vital in reducing deaths and injuries caused by fire. They give everyone in the home an early warning and time to escape.

Be prepared, turn your clocks back one hour, and check your smoke and CO alarms. 

For more information about smoke/CO alarm safety, visit the National Fire Protection Agency’s website

The night of Oct. 31 is quickly approaching. Children will be out trick-or-treating, and everyone should take precautions to keep Halloween a safe event. From wearing appropriate attire to checking your children’s candy to driving safely, everyone plays a role on this holiday.

Young children should always be accompanied by responsible adults and parents and guardians should set clear rules and expectations for older children who are going out alone. If you’re out driving on Halloween night, please take extra precautions and give yourself extra time to get wherever you’re going.

For tips about costumes, candy and more from the Food and Drug Administration, visit: https://tinyurl.com/HalloweenFDA

For tips about Halloween driving safety from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, visit: https://tinyurl.com/HalloweenNHTSA

National First Responders Day honors all the men and women who respond to emergencies to ensure the public’s safety — paramedics, EMTs, firefighters, police officers, and 911 operators. These workers sacrifice their time and risk their personal safety to protect citizens, and National First Responders Day is an opportunity to recognize their bravery and heroism. On behalf of the entire department, we extend our appreciation and support to the first responders working to keep our community safe.

Welcome back to school! 🏫✏️🍎

A new school year means kids will be out walking and biking to school, buses will be out on the roadways, and drivers should be more cautious when driving through our community.

Parents, please talk to your children before the new school year starts about getting safely to and from school, including the importance of looking up from their phones. Also, we ask drivers to please slow down and be attentive.

For more important tips about back-to-school safety for walkers, bike riders, bus riders, and drivers check out this information from the National Safety Council: https://tinyurl.com/yc79kvnf