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This is the time of the year when considerable attention is focused on youngsters dressed as ghosts, goblins and witches riding broomsticks, reliving the longstanding traditions of neighborhood trick-or-treating and costumed Halloween parties.
However, what deserves much more attention during this first full month of autumn is fire safety, which includes what to do and what not to do when confronted with a fire emergency.
The start of a new heating season oftentimes brings blazes resulting from a number of causes including failure to have had furnaces or other heating devices properly maintained.
Meanwhile, October, designated as Fire Prevention Month, rightfully is the month filled with urgings and public service announcements highlighting the importance of having working smoke detectors in homes, businesses and other venues.
Detectors are a low-cost tool for saving lives and properties.
Then there is the issue of fire service manpower. In conjunction with Fire Prevention Month, fire departments large and small are sponsoring activities geared toward encouraging men and women, young and not so young, to donate time and efforts to, and on behalf of, the departments.
Not all volunteers need to be trained specifically to battle fires. There are numerous other duties within departments that require work at the fire station itself. There's a role for everyone.
The bottom line is that many volunteer fire departments in our region -- indeed, all across our Ohio Valley -- currently are coping with serious manpower shortages.
As part of Fire Prevention Month, a number of programs already have been held in schools to acquaint children with fire prevention, as well as how to respond to a fire in progress.
No Fire Prevention Month should pass without every department focusing on manpower needs, as well as fire prevention itself.