Page 22 - Clear Lake Mirror Reporter E-Edition 9-30-2015

Keep your
family safe:
Check your
smoke alarms

It’s about location,
location, location

Join the CLFD for fire prevention week, breakfast This year, the Clear Lake Fire Department
will again be helping the National Fire Protection
To kick off this year’s National Fire Pre- Proceeds from this year’s fund raising Annual VmDiosBCeelmpruspleerenaaberartkpveretfermaeLasdrrseaeotFbdknfmiyetrtaehenaedl Association during National Fire Prevention
vention Week the Clear Lake Fire Depart- pancake breakfast will include education aavTnamfatyiiircotleCkahrfbbeinelgrteliesedhanarotafgkerroLrofeoraamfoskttrthehee Week. Department members will be teaching
ment will be hosting its 17th annual pancake programs within the schools, equipment and Sunday, Oct. 4 theme “Hear the Beep Where You Sleep.”
breakfast Sunday, Oct. 4, at the Clear Lake tools needed for the diverse requirements of at the accfchooatirC1mlindc2aokprdasfeeadutrntneulsfteoiulsietrsindwft$dhib5eteyhr “Help us sound the alarm to everyone in
fire station. Serving will begin early at 7 a.m. fire and rescue operations in our fire district, our community,” asks CLFD Public Information
and continue until 1 p.m. with plenty of hot and projects designed to get out in the Clear Lake Fire Station Officer Billy Krefft. “Half of all house fire deaths
griddled pancakes from their famous secret community and make response and service 711 2nd Ave. N. result from fires reported between 11 p.m. and
recipe made right in front of you by the fire- better for all. 7 a.m. when most people are asleep. Keep your
men. Breakfast will also include delicious sau- “We welcome everyone to attend and Serving starts at family safe with a working smoke alarm in every
sage links, coffee, milk, and orange juice. show their support, get a tour of the new fire 7:00 A.M. bedroom. Smoke alarms save lives!”
Tickets are available from any Clear Lake station, fire museum, see the apparatus, and The CLFD responds to many potential
firefighter or at the door the morning of the interact with all of our staff,” said Fire Chief and continues until hazardous events each year.
breakfast. Cost for the tickets is $5 for adults Doug Meyers. 1:00 P.M. “We find smoke detectors with dead batteries
with children under 12 free if accompanied Those interested in serving as a volunteer, and even no batteries,” says Krefft. “That’s just
by an adult. are encouraged to visit with department asking for trouble.”
Firefighters and emergency medical staff members during breakfast and they can show Fire Prevention Week serves as a good
will be available to answer questions about you how. reminder to make October your smoke alarm’s
the services offered by the department as well birthday and give it what it wants— a new battery.
meet the citizens they proudly serve. During Fire Prevention Week Oct. 4-10 the
CLFD will be visiting many area schools.
FPW history:The ‘Case of the Cow’ “It is important to those of every age to think
about this message so we can all make our homes a
Fire Prevention Week was established to commemorate the Great Chicago Fire, the tragic safer place,” added Krefft.
1871 conflagration that killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more All persons are invited to contact the Clear
than 17,400 structures and burned more than 2,000 acres. The fire began on October 8, but Lake Fire Department if you have any questions
continued into and did most of its damage on October 9, 1871.According to popular legend, regarding your smoke detector or carbon monoxide
the fire broke out after a cow - belonging to Mrs. Catherine O’Leary - kicked over a lamp, detectors, their placement, or potential hazards in
setting first the barn, then the whole city on fire. Recent research by Chicago historian Robert your home or business. They are eager to help.
Cromie has helped to debunk this version of events. When it comes to smoke alarms, it’s about
Like any good story, the ‘case of the cow’ has some truth to it. The great fire almost ‘location, location, location.’ The key message of
certainly started near the barn where Mrs. O’Leary kept her five milking cows. But there is no this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign is to
proof that O’Leary was in the barn when the fire broke out - or that a jumpy cow sparked the install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside
blaze. Mrs. O’Leary herself swore that she’d been in bed early that night, and that the cows were each separate sleeping area, and on every level of
also tucked in for the evening Plenty of theories have been offered. Some blamed the blaze on your home, including the basement. Larger homes
a couple of neighborhood boys who were near the barn sneaking cigarettes. Others believed may need more alarms.
that a neighbor of the O’Leary’s may have started the fire. Some even speculated that a fiery Visit NFPA’s website, www.nfpa.org, for all
meteorite may have fallen to earth, starting several fires that day - in Michigan and Wisconsin, of the information you need to make sure your
as well as in Chicago. home smoke alarms are properly installed and
maintained.

Forever 904 N. 8th St.,
Tan Clear Lake

313 B, 8th St. 641-357-8370
Clear Lake
1315 S. 8th St., Clear Lake COLLETTE BIEBER 357-2577 206 US Hwy. 18 W., Clear Lake • 357-2600
357-3570 641-357-8746
Lake Theatre 1214 South Shore Dr., 641-357-4343
Oak Hills Dano Morf, Director WWW.rumorzneighborhoodhideaway.com
Par 30 Public 4 N. 4th St., Clear Lake
Golf Course Ward-Van Slyke Colonial Chapel 357-2414
101 N. 4th St., Clear Lake, IA 50428 • 641-357-2193
518 27th Ave. S., Clear Lake
357-2216