Seasons Greetings from your Theodore Dawes Fire Rescue Department
I trust that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday, and you were able to spend some quality time with your loved ones. It seems as though in just the blink of an eye Christmas is upon us. Everyone starts to pick up the pace as they scramble and search for those perfect gifts and holiday party scheduling. In the fire service, particularly on the administrative side, it has been my experience that the pace seems to slow down. Maybe it’s just me or is it some strange phenomenon that settles upon the administrative side of this service? I wonder are there any other businesses or people who seem to have this strange feeling. Regardless, it’s business as usual here at the TDFR. As we speed towards the Christmas Holiday and the end of another trip around the sun, we ask that you keep some things in mind to ensure
you and your family have a safe and joyous holiday season.
In the rush and scramble that I mentioned above, please do not forget the stove. Very often during this time, people will inadvertently forget that they put a pot on the stove or left something in the oven. Many times, during the holiday season fire departments across the
country are summoned to kitchen fires and the culprit was food on the stove that was forgotten. So please, slow down just a little and remember the stove. A cold or late meal is easier to deal with than a fire destroyed home. We also would like to remind you that if you have a live Christmas tree in your home to keep it watered. Those trees can dry out very quickly and will burn very hot and fast should it find an ignition source. I can still recall from early in my career, one of the first fires I ever made was on a Christmas morning. Instead of waking to gifts from Santa, that family was alerted at three in the morning by smoke alarms. They were lucky to get out alive. Lastly, if you plan to be some of the millions who will be traveling this season, please be safe. Be sure that everyone is buckled in and avoid driving distractions like that cell phone. Don’t wreck your holiday season.
As I close this last Tailboard Talk for 2022, we here at your Theodore Dawes Fire Rescue Department would like to wish each and every one of you a safe and happy Holiday Season.
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND GOD BLESS
Franklin Byrd, Fire Chief