Santa visit all the good little girls and boys at the Garland Fire Station. City Council members Scott LeMay and Anita Goebel pause for pictures with St. Nick, too!
Randall Reed’s Prestige Ford had a great time with 
the Garland Fire Department this past Saturday as they celebrated the season with Breakfast with Santa Clause and Mrs. Clause hosted by the Kiwanis and Citizens Fire Club.
Tons of family and kids from our community came out for a delicious breakfast, firetruck and firehouse tours of the Central Fire Station on Austin St. Families enjoyed fun festivities, music, and of course, photos with good ole’ St. Nick.
The Garland Fire Department also took the opportunity to remind neighbors of key safety issues as the temperature outside drops.
Seasonal Safety Reminder
Many may not realize is that turning up the heat can increase the risk of home heating fires. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) says half of all home-heating fires occur during the winter months. On average, NFPA research shows that heating equipment is involved in more than 62,550 reported U.S. home structure fires per year, with associated loss of more than 516 civilian deaths, more than 1,595 civilian injuries and roughly $924 million in direct property damage per year.
“While these numbers are frightening, nearly all of these fires are preventable,” said Kristi Shepherd, Garland Fire Department Public Educator. “We can reduce the number of home heating fires in our community be taking some simple precautions and using heating equipment properly.”
• Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside sleeping area and on every level of the home. Interconnect all smoke alarms throughout the home so that when one sounds, they all sound. Test smoke alarms at least once a month.
• Be sure your home has both photoelectric and ionization smoke alarms or combination ionization and photoelectric alarms, also known as dual sensor smoke alarms.
• Practice your home fire escape drill.
• Have the chimney inspected each year by a qualified professional and cleaned if necessary.
• Use a sturdy fireplace screen.
• Allow ashes to cool before disposing. Dispose of ashes in a metal container.
• Space heaters need space. Keep all things that can burn, such as paper, bedding or furniture, at least 3 feet away from heating equipment.
• Turn portable heaters off when you go to bed or leave the room.
• Plug power cords into outlets with sufficient capacity and ever into an extension cord.
• Inspect for cracked or broken plugs or loose connections. Replace before using.
• Install and maintain a carbon monoxide alarm in a central location outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home.
• Never use an oven to heat your home.
For more information about local fire safety, contact the Garland Fire Marshal’s Office at 972-781-7148. If you’re in need of fuel assistance, contact the National Energy Assistance Referral Line at 866-674-6327 or visit www.energynear.org. To learn more about Randall Reed’s Prestige Ford, visit www.PrestigeGarland.com.