I hope you enjoyed both days of Spring this year and now it seems that the heat is quickly settling upon us and with it brings all of the issues we provide reminders about. Among those we include: Pool Safety, Hydration and Overheating issues for both you and your pets, Grilling Safety, Fireworks Safety as well as paying special attention to the pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists sharing the road with you as you drive. We have numerous links on our website at www.Plainfieldfpd.com that will take you to refreshers about all of the above issues and more.
Here’s a reminder about one of the dangers surrounding our celebration on the 4th of July: Though fireworks that explode are generally illegal in Illinois there are many lawful “fireworks” that don’t explode, but that doesn’t mean they’re safe. We all enjoy the fireworks and encourage you to watch them in shows put on by licensed professionals over this holiday. An unfortunate fact is that our children are the too-frequent victims of fireworks “accidents” and just as one important reminder, sparklers burn at 1800° Fahrenheit! For more fireworks safety tips please check our website for links.
In May the Plainfield Volunteer Fire Department with the support of the Plainfield Fire Protection District presented four, $500 John D. Eichelberger college scholarships to deserving students in District 202. With the many applications our review committee had a very difficult time selecting only four. This annual scholarship program is named in honor of our first career chief at the Fire District, John D. Eichelberger and is funded directly through the efforts of the volunteer organization.
Our district recently held the annual appreciation dinner where we recognize members who have made significant contributions to our mission over the past year. What we feel to be one of our most significant awards is our Member of the Year. This is a peer-driven and nominated award given to a deserving co-worker. Due to the substantial requirements, this recognition is not given every year as there may not be anyone who achieved the level of commitment and performance this award demands. However this year our 2017 Member of Year – Lt. Charles Kraft has an article inside about his accomplishments.
Our 2017 Annual Report is now completed and available on our website and at various locations throughout the fire district. This effort was led by Lt. Brian Joseph this year and we think you’ll enjoy reading some of the details of your fire district about which you may not be aware.
Our Board of Fire Commissioners has scheduled a test for new applicants on August 25th. Applications will be available mid-July for the process. This test is to establish a hiring list should the need arise within the Fire District over the next two years. Please help spread the word and check the website for further details and necessary qualifications to challenge the exam.
I hope to see you at our next quarterly “Chat with the Chiefs” which is tentatively scheduled for July 25th at the Plainfield Police Department. Hopefully your schedule permits your attendance and keep an eye out for updates about this gathering.
As always,
Be careful out there…
David S. Riddle, Chief