We're in the Most Dangerous Time of the Year
There's a holiday song that says, "it's the most wonderful time of the year." For those of us involved in the fire service profession, this is the most dangerous time of the year. In November and December, the region's fire departments have been very busy handling a number of structure fires. If you check out the Minnesota State Fire Marshal's publication "Fire In Minnesota," you will also see that statistically this is the time when we face our greatest challenges. With the winter season here, our heating systems get taxed to their limits. We also face severe winter weather events while folks are out on the roads and highways. Sadly, we lose a number of people in preventable accidents. While the fire service tries to be proactive instead of reactive, we really need to emphasize the importance of fire prevention and safe driving techniques at this dangerous time. Education programs are critical in getting the word out. We need to take every opportunity to inform the public about these dangers. It would also be good to get our news media involved to promote our cause. We must use every resource available. We can make this a less dangerous time for everyone. It's a challenge that we can't ignore.