Keep the wreaths red!
During this holiday season, the Sycamore Fire Department will be continuing the
annual firehouse tradition of the Red Wreath Program. Both fire stations 1 & 2 will be displaying a wreath on the front of the buildings starting Thanksgiving Day, and ending on January 2, 2018. The wreath is a challenge to Sycamore residents to keep the lights red. Should a fire occur in Sycamore that involves a holiday related activity, a bulb in the wreath will be changed from red to white. The purpose of this challenge is to remind everyone that the happiness of the holiday season can be changed in an instant by a fire.
The Sycamore Fire Department is pleased to announce that in 2016, there were no reported incidents of holiday-related fires! We encourage everyone to enjoy this time of year with family, but remember common sense and awareness of fire threats can keep the wreaths red!
On Thanksgiving Day, wreaths will be also placed at all three DeKalb Fire Stations and will be displayed through January 1, 2018.
The wreaths have all red bulbs in them when they are put up, and when there is an emergency fire incident related to the holiday season, the firefighters will change a red bulb to a white bulb for each incident. The goal for the community is to keep the wreaths red.
Last year, the wreaths were displayed for 38 days and no fire incidents were directly related to the holiday season. During that 38 day period, the DeKalb Fire Department responded to 625 requests for emergency services, including 15 fires.
A few quick reminders for a safe holiday season from the Sycamore Fire Department include:
- Please keep hydrants clear and accessible to the fire department. Please do not place anything around the hydrants, such as garbage cans, snow, etc. that could interfere with a quick response from the fire department during an emergency.
- If you insist on using a turkey fryer, do them outdoors where there are no objects nearby that could catch fire. Use extreme caution, as personal injury could still occur.
- Inspect all of your illuminated decorations to make sure they are in safe working order. Some things to check for are; frayed wires or open light sockets. Please only use exterior approved cords outdoors. Extension cords should not be run under throw rugs or carpet.
- Keep live Christmas trees watered. If your tree is beginning to dry out, please limit the use of Christmas lights. Always turn illuminated decorations off prior to leaving your house.
- Make sure your fireplace is in good working condition and your chimney is free of obstructions or creosote build-up. Remember, do not burn garbage in the fireplace such as gift wrap or mail.
- Blow out candles when you leave the room or go to bed. Keep at least 12 inches of space between the candles and any objects.
- As always, make sure your smoke detectors are all in working order. If you did not change your batteries when you changed your clocks for daylight savings time, change them now.
A few more reminders from the DeKalb Fire Department
- Keep the use of extension cords to a minimum
- If extension cords must be used, make sure they are free of cracked or split insulation, have appropriate grounding plugs in place
- Keep all electrical wiring out of walkways or places where they may become pinched or
worn - Read the packaging for all lights to be sure you are not overloading your electrical circuits
- Check the electrical wiring often for possible problems
- Do not use candles on or near combustible decorations Do not leave burning candles unattended
Please observe the red wreaths at the fire stations and “Help us keep the Wreaths Red!”
If you have any questions about the Red Wreath Program or would like any information about fire safety, please contact the DeKalb Fire Department at 748-8460. For more information on holiday safety, please contact the Sycamore Fire Department at (815) 895-4514, or visit them on Facebook at City of Sycamore Fire Department for occasional postings.
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