With the potential for heavy rainfall, flooding, and damaging wind gusts, the safety of our attendees, volunteers, and participating public safety agencies must come first.

The event is postponed, NOT canceled!

We are working with our participating agencies to establish a new date and will announce it as soon as possible.

We sincerely appreciate the support of our community, sponsors, and participating ... (Full Story & Photos)

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We’ve spent this week talking about preventing fires, charging devices safely, maintaining smoke alarms, planning your escape, and making small changes around your home that can make a big difference.

Now come spend the last day of Fire Prevention Week with the people who help keep Clay County safe!

🎉 THE CLAY COUNTY PUBLIC SAFETY EXPO IS TODAY! 🎉

📅 TODAY — Saturday, October 10
⏰ 10:00 ... (Full Story)

It’s about preventing one in the first place.

Take five minutes today and look around your home:

🍳 Is someone staying in the kitchen while food is cooking?

🔌 Are extension cords being used as permanent wiring?

🔥 Are space heaters at least three feet away from anything that can burn?

🧺 Is the lint being cleaned from your dryer?

🕯️ Are candles kept away from children, pets, curtains, and ... (Full Story & Photos)

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A smoke alarm can warn you about a fire.

An escape plan tells you what happens next.

Every family should have a home fire escape plan — and everyone in the house should know it.

🚪 Know at least two ways out when possible.

🪟 Make sure doors and windows used for escape open easily and aren’t blocked.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Make sure children understand the plan.

♿ Consider anyone who may need assistance ... (Full Story & Photos)

That’s where smoke alarms come in.

Take a few minutes today to walk through your home and check yours.

🏠 Make sure you have smoke alarms throughout your home, including inside sleeping rooms, outside sleeping areas, and on every level.

🔊 Test your alarms regularly.

🔋 Replace batteries when needed unless your alarm uses a sealed long-life battery.

📅 Check the manufacture date. Smoke alarms ... (Full Story & Photos)

Knowing what to look for can help you recognize a problem before it becomes an emergency.

⚠️ Watch for:

• A battery or device becoming unusually hot
• Swelling or a change in shape
• An unusual smell
• Leaking
• Popping, hissing, or other unusual sounds
• Smoke

If something doesn’t look, smell, or sound right — stop using it.

Never continue charging a battery that appears damaged, and don’t ... (Full Story & Photos)

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Take a second and think about it.

Your phone. Your tablet. Your laptop. Power tools. Kids’ toys. Wireless headphones. Battery packs. E-bikes and scooters.

Lithium-ion batteries have become part of everyday life, which is exactly why this year’s Fire Prevention Week theme is:

🔥 “Charge into Fire Safety: Safe Charging Is a Superpower.”

Lithium-ion batteries store a tremendous amount of energy ... (Full Story & Photos)

Fire Prevention Week has a history stretching back more than a century. It is observed in October in remembrance of the Great Chicago Fire, which began on October 8, 1871. The devastating fire killed more than 250 people, left approximately 100,000 people without homes, and destroyed more than 17,400 structures.

The National Fire Protection Association began observing Fire Prevention Week in 1922, ... (Full Story & Photos)

Clay County EMS staffs two ambulances to serve our community, and with two patients requiring care, all of the county’s available EMS transport resources were committed to a single incident.

But this picture also shows what makes a small community work.

Our friends at the Clay County Sheriff’s Office stepped up in force to help wherever they could. Many of our deputies either started their public-safety ... (Full Story & Photos)

Cooler morning temperatures and stable air conditions can cause smoke to remain closer to the ground and disperse more slowly, making it appear heavier and more widespread.

There is no cause for alarm and no emergency at the ball fields.... (Full Story)