Safe Communities Corner

The 4th of July is synonymous with fireworks. Whether you are the kind of person who is packing up the family for a late night display of pyrotechnics and pretty colors or the person who would rather hunker down in your home and hope that your neighbor hasn’t bought out the nearest seasonal pop-up tent, there is no question that this part of the holiday celebration isn’t going away anytime soon. Unfortunately, neither are the injuries caused by them. Since 2008, the number of emergency room visits due to firework related injuries has increased every year. Between 2023 and 2024…

A  young mother of two small children pauses in her Fort Dodge home as she's preparing lunch for the afternoon. The slight smell of hot plastic raises some concern but, almost as soon as the scent hits her nose, she dismisses it thinking that a small piece of plastic from the packaging must have ended up in the oven. Within just minutes she's rushing her worried children out the door as smoke starts rising to the ceiling. A neighbor calls the fire department after noticing the back porch of the home, just feet away from the kitchen, in flames. Old…

Having a fire extinguisher on hand is one of the best defenses in protecting your home from a significant amount of damage in the event of a fire. If you watched the video we posted last week, you could see just how precious minutes are when it comes to responding to a fire. Having a portable fire extinguisher on hand could mean the difference between a little burn mark on a couch and the total loss of a home. It's estimated that 80% of fire incidents can be handled with the kind of fire extinguisher available to the public. If…

Last week we touched on how to prevent fires in your home and important items to have on hand to alert you to a fire quickly and to contain a small fire. Trying to contain a fire yourself, however, is not always a good idea. We were able to sit down with Fort Dodge Fire Chief Matt Price this week and he stressed the importance of getting out of your home and calling 911 before a fire gets out of hand.Most homes are full of synthetic materials. These materials are particularly concerning should a fire start near them. Click here…

When it comes to fires, you want to "hope for the best, but plan for the worst."  75% of housefires are preventable with some simple steps. To safeguard your home from fires, first and foremost, you want to make sure that you have functioning smoke and carbon monoxide detectors on each floor of the house. Along with regularly checking these devices, check appliance cords to ensure they are in good working order and not overloaded. When cooking it is important to not leave your culinary masterpiece unattended. Make sure that the cooking surfaces are clean and free of clutter, especially…

The idea behind Mental Health Awareness Month is to take away some of the stigma that exists when we talk about mental health. The stigma centers, not just around people with mental health issues and the impact it can have on individuals and communities, but also on being able to admit when help is needed to get through a challenging time in life, one which might have a significant impact on long term mental health.While some of us cannot imagine why someone would have an issue talking to a therapist or licensed professional, there are others who still see it…

There is a very wide spectrum when it comes to mental health issues. Under the umbrella of mental health you can see anything from schizophrenia to seasonal depression. We are by no means medical professionals, so let me say, first and foremost, that if you or someone you love is dealing with a severe mental illness, please seek professional help.That said, many of us, at some point in our lives, deal with things like depression or anxiety. We all deal with it in a variety of ways, some healthy and some, not so much. How we chose to cope when…

Did you know that half of the global population will experience mental illness at some point in their lives? May is dedicated to mental health awareness in the hopes of overcoming the stigma and to encourage those who suffer with it to step forward and get the help they need.The vast majority of mental health issues are anxiety and depression, accounting for 66% of illnesses. 1 in 20 adults in the United States suffer from serious mental illnesses. These are defined as severe mental behavioral, or emotional disorders that significantly impair a person's ability to function in daily life. While…