It's Fire Prevention Week. Protect your Family from Fire!
Windsor Heights Fire Department Reinforces Newer Smoke Alarm Recommendations during Fire Prevention Week, October 9-15, 2011

What's the best way to protect your family from fire? Be ahead of the game, of course. With more than 360,000 home fires reported in the United States in 2009, according to the nonprofit National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), your best defense is a good offense. That's why the Windsor Heights Fire Department is teaming up with NFPA during the October 9-15, 2011, to let our community know: "It's Fire Prevention Week. Protect your Family from Fire!" This year's campaign focuses on preventing the leading causes of home fires -- cooking, heating and electrical equipment, as well as candles and smoking materials. Additionally, it urges people to protect their homes and families with life-saving technology and planning.

"In 2009, 2,565 people died in home fires. Nearly all of these deaths could have been prevented by taking a few simple precautions like having working smoke alarms and a home fire escape plan, keeping things that can burn away from the stove and always turning off space heaters before going to bed," says Firefighter/Engineer Rob Mateer of the Windsor Heights Fire Department. "Fire is a dangerous opponent, but by anticipating the hazards, you are much less likely to be one of the nearly 13,000 people injured in home fires each year."

The Windsor Heights Fire Department offers the following tips for protecting your home and family from fire: 

• Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, grilling, or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove.
• Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment, like the furnace, fireplace, wood stove, or portable space heater.
• Have a three-foot "kid-free zone" around open fires and space heaters.
• Replace or repair damaged or loose electrical cords.
• If you smoke, smoke outside.
• Use deep, wide ashtrays on a sturdy table.
• Blow out all candles when you leave the room or go to bed. Avoid the use of candles in the bedroom and other areas where people may fall asleep.

"While preventing home fires in Windsor Heights is always a top priority, it is not possible to prevent them all," Fire Marshal Jason Cutsforth continued. "Windsor Heights' residents need to provide the best protection to keep their homes and families safe in the event of a fire. This can be achieved by developing an escape plan which you practice regularly and equipping homes with life-saving technologies like smoke alarms and home fire sprinklers."

The following tips will help keep your family safe if there is a fire in your home:

• Install smoke alarms inside each bedroom, outside each sleeping area, and on every level of the home (including the basement).
• Interconnect all smoke alarms in the home so when one sounds, they all sound.
• Test smoke alarms at least monthly and replace all smoke alarms when they are 10 years old or sooner if they do not respond when tested.
• Make sure everyone in your home knows how to respond if the smoke alarm sounds.
• Pull together everyone in your household and make a plan. Walk through your home and inspect all possible ways out.  Households with children should consider drawing a floor plan of your home, marking two ways out of each room, including windows and doors.
• If you are building or remodeling your home, consider installing home fire sprinklers.

The Windsor Heights Fire Department will be speaking to children in local schools during Fire Prevention Week to promote "It's Fire Prevention Week. Protect your Family from Fire!" Through these educational, family-oriented activities, students will learn and share with family about the power of prevention and available technologies to protect their own families from fire.

To find out more about Fire Prevention Week programs and activities in Windsor Heights, please contact the Windsor Heights Fire Department at 515-279-9450. To learn more about "It's Fire Prevention Week. Protect your Family from Fire!" visit NFPA's website at www.firepreventionweek.org.

Beggar's Night

Children will make the rounds to go trick or treating this year on Sunday, October 30, from 6:00- 8:00 pm. Turn your porch light on if you want to host little visitors and if you are out driving please take special care during this time.

City Council Election

The city council election is on Tuesday, November 8th. Windsor Heights has three voting districts designated as WH1, WH2, and WH3. WH1 residents vote at the Windsor Lutheran Church, 1240 66th Street. WH2 residents vote at City Hall, 1133 66th St. WH3 residents vote at the Walnut Creek Community Church, 900 64th St. Election time is a popular time for temporary and civic signs. Many people choose to participate in the process by showing their support through such a sign.

Temporary signs for non-profit civic campaigns or events are permitted in any zoning district. Please note, however, the maximum size sign is 10 square feet when located in a residential district. When placing the sign in your yard, choose a place that will not obstruct the clear view of vehicles and pedestrians. The signs may not be placed in the City's right-of-way. If you have any questions or need information on how to register or where to vote, please call City Hall at 279-3662.

The Windsor Heights Chamber of Commerce will host a Windsor Heights City Council Candidate Forum. The event will be held at the Community and Events Center at Colby Park, Monday, October 24th from 6-7:30 p.m. This year there are two seats up for election. The Chamber will follow a simple question and answer format, to allow as much citizen involvement as possible. Citizens can ask a question of either a specific candidate or all candidates; they will each have a set time to respond. For additional questions please email; windsorheightschamber@live.com or contact Barb Niccum, Windsor Heights Chamber Executive Director, at 279-3662.

Miss Wonderland

Have you wanted to enter a pageant but did not know how to get started? Are you a pageant contestant who loves the thrill of your moment in the spotlight? Miss Wonderland is the pageant for you! On December 1, the City special events committee will hold the first annual Miss Wonderland Pageant. If you have never been in a pageant before or would like to polish your skills, there will also be a pageant primer class offered by a local pageant coach on November 30. For more information, visit www.windsorhieghts.org about age categories, fees and registration.