Postpone Outdoor Burning

Due to projected high winds and low humidity, the National Weather Service in Lincoln has issued a Fire Weather Watch for Monday Apil 9th. Fires can easily grow out of control in minutes during these conditions. Fires in March burned nearly 400 acres at Sand Ridge State Forest in Mason County and dozens of acres of park land at Lincoln Trail State Park in Clark County. Last November, nearly 1,500 acres of heavily wooded hunting ground burned in a wildfire at Pere Marquette State Park in Jersey County.

Avoid outdoor burning when winds are above 5 mph and/or when the humidity is below 50 percent. Burn only in protected areas with no combustible materials within 10 feed around for small fires. If your controlled burn looks like it is getting out of control, call 911! It is much better to call for help than to lose property or even lives to an uncontrolled fire.

Scholarship Information

Each year, the Randolph Township Fire Department awards at least one scholarship to a Heyworth High School senior or recent alumni. The scholarship is made possible through fundraising, donations, and memorials. The 2012 scholarship applications are now being accepted.

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Time Change = Battery Change

The Randolph Township Fire Department would like to remind you that with the time change on March 11th comes another important change for the year. It’s a great time for you to change the battery in your smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors. Fresh batteries allow smoke and CO alarms to alert families of a fire or a buildup of deadly carbon monoxide.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates there was a yearly average of  386,300 residential fires resulting in nearly 2,400 deaths between 2006 and 2008. Two-thirds of fire deaths occur in homes where there are no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms. It’s great that you have detectors in your home, but not so great if you don’t change the batteries at least once every year.

You should test your detectors every month to make sure they work.  Place smoke detectors on every level of your home, outside bedrooms and inside each bedroom. CO detectors should be placed on every level of your home.

For more information about smoke detector installation and maintenance, visit the National Fire Protection Association’s website. Also, here’s a short video with more information including details on installing smoke detectors in the proper locations:

New Rescue Equipment

The new rescue equipment has arrived. This equipment was purchased with donations from the community. Over $20,000 was donated to purchase a new scene light unit, portable generator, hydraulic cutters, hydraulic power pack, ropes, and vehicle stabilization tools. At this year’s Pancake and Sausage Day, we displayed the new equipment and lit up the cafeteria with the scene light.

Thanks for your support!

Thank you to everyone that attended the 2012 Pancake and Sausage Day! We had over 700 people come by for some good food and great conversation. This year we added to our raffle prizes – and we’re happy to report that the raffle was a great success.

Your donations help us support local clubs and activities, and provide funds for our scholarship program.