Governor Declares Fire Prevention Week in Massachusetts

STOW, Mass. —Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey has declared Oct. 6-12 as Fire Prevention Week in Massachusetts, joining in the nation's longest-running public health observance and urging residents to install, test, and maintain smoke alarms on every level of their homes.

Fire Prevention Week is observed each year during the week of Oct. 9 in commemoration of the Great Chicago Fire, which began on October 8, 1871. This year's theme is "Smoke Alarms: Make Them Work for You."

"Smoke alarms are your first line of defense against a fire at home," said State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine, who noted that only about half of the 31 residential fire deaths in Massachusetts last year took place in homes without working smoke alarms.

Smoke alarm safety tips:

• Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, including in each bedroom and the hallway outside each bedroom so you're protected as you sleep.
• Test your alarms each month to be sure they're working properly.
• If your alarms take alkaline batteries, replace the batteries twice a year when you change your clocks. If your alarm is "chirping," it's time to replace the batteries.
• Replace smoke alarms after 10 years. The manufacturing date is printed on the back.
• When purchasing a new alarm, choose one from a well-known national brand with a hush feature and a sealed, long-life battery.

Because people aged 65 and older are most vulnerable to a fire at home, State Fire Marshal Davine asked residents to check with older relatives, friends, and neighbors to see if they need help installing, testing, or maintaining their alarms. He said that many local fire departments may be able to assist older residents with smoke and carbon monoxide alarm installation through the Department of Fire Services' annual Senior SAFE grants.

The National Fire Protection Association has sponsored Fire Prevention Week since 1922. In 1925, President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed it a national observance. During Fire Prevention Week, fire service leaders and many others provide lifesaving public education in an effort to decrease fires and the associated deaths, injuries, and property loss.

The Department of Fire Services promotes fire safety all year long and will emphasize smoke alarm safety throughout the week on its social media pages. For tips you can use any time, visit the DFS Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms web page and view public service announcements on the DFS YouTube channel.

Pittsfield City Council Weighs in on 'Crisis' in Public Schools

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
08:59PM / Monday, December 23, 2024

A half-dozen people addressed the City Council from the floor of Monday's meeting, including Valerie Anderson, right.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — After expressing anger and outrage and making numerous calls for accountability and transparency, the 11 members of the City Council on Monday voted to support the School Committee in seeking an independent investigation into allegations of misconduct by staff members at Pittsfield High School that have come to light in recent weeks.

 

At the close of a month that has seen three PHS administrators put on administrative leave, including one who was arrested on drug trafficking charges, the revelation that the district is facing a civil lawsuit over inappropriate conduct by a former teacher and that a staff member who left earlier in the year is also under investigation at his current workplace, the majority of the council felt compelled to speak up about the situation.

 

"While the City Council does not have jurisdiction over the schools … we have a duty to raise our voices and amplify your concerns and ensure this crisis is met with the urgency it demands," Ward 5 Councilor Patrick Kavey said.

 

About two dozen community members attended the special meeting of the council, which had a single agenda item.

 

Four of the councilors precipitated the meeting with a motion that the council join the School Committee in its search for an investigation and that the council, "be included in the delivery of any disclosures, interim reports or findings submitted to the city."

 

Last week, the School Committee decided to launch that investigation. On Monday, City Council President Peter White said the School Committee has a meeting scheduled for Dec. 30 to authorize its chair to enter negotiations with the Springfield law firm of Bulkley, Richardson and Gelinas to conduct that probe.

 

Ward 7 Councilor Rhonda Serre, the principal author of the motion of support, was one of several members who noted that the investigation process will take time, and she, like Kavey, acknowledged that the council has no power over the public schools beyond its approval of the annual district budget.