pIn 1980 the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association adopted a new program called Keep the Wreath Red. This program was founded by the Naperville IL Fire Department in 1954. Keep the Wreath Red has become an annual event with fire departments participating all across Illinois. This program is designed to focus an awareness of safety while decorating our homes for the holidays.How the programs works is quite simple the local fire department places a wreath on the front of their building and lights it with a string of red lights. The wreaths remain lit twenty-four hours a day throughout the holiday season. Whenever a fire occurs that is a result of holiday decorations a white bulb replaces a red bulb on the wreath. This serves as a constant reminder to practice safety while installing and displaying holiday decorations.Some suggestions to help make this holiday season safer arepp- Keep the use of extension cords to a minimumpp- If extension cords must be used make sure they are free of cracked or split insulation and have appropriate grounding plugs in placepp- Keep all electrical wiring out of walkways or places where they may become pinched or wornpp- Read the packaging for all lights to be sure you are not overloading your electrical circuits- Check the electrical wiring often for possible problemspp- Do not use candles on or near combustible decorations- Do not leave burning candles unattendedppBeach Park Fire Protection District December 2014p

pIn addition to replacing the smoke detector batteries every six months or so you should also consider replacing the entire smoke detector 5 to 7 years. brstrongSmoke detectors beep or chirp not just when they needed a new battery but also when the smoke detector needed to be replacedstrong.brbrSmoke Detectors….. Lets go through a quick checklist of things you can do to try to figure out why your smoke detector is chirping regularlybrbrstrong1. Is there SmokestrongnbspIf there is smoke get out of the house. If there is no smoke go to step 2brbrstrong2. Check the BatteriesstrongnbspObviously this is the first thing to check and replace. Dont use rechargeable or cheapy batteries here. All the smoke detectors Ive ever seen want alkaline batteries. I dont usually splurge for name brand batteries but I do for my smoke detectors. Use a new fresh pack from the store. Really. It does make a difference.brbrstrong3. Check the Expiration DatestrongnbspAs you just read smoke detectors and other devices like them usually have expiration dates. Even if youre off by a year or so youre probably better off replacing the whole unit ahead of schedule.brbrstrong4. Clean It OutstrongnbspYes smoke detectors usually mount on the ceiling or in high places but that doesnt mean they are immune from dust collection cobwebs or even nesting bugs and spiders. When you have your smoke detector down you can try blowing it out with a can of compressed air.brbrstrong5. Read the ManualstrongnbspDont still have the manual You can find most online now if you use Google and search for the brand of the smoke detector as well as the model. Still cant find it Go to step 6.brbrstrong6. Call the ManufacturerstrongnbspThis is sort of a last resort and they will likely tell you to do some of the same things that are listed here. That being said they might have some other tricks or they might know if a particular batch of smoke detectors had any issues or recalls.brbrstrongIf you need any assistance please call the fire station at 847-662-2642.strongbrbrnbspp