Safety Corner

Covid-19 (Coronavirus) info has been moved to the main tabs above

March 2020

It is finally becoming spring and with that we will likely experience storms. Living in the Midwest brings its own set of challenges with changing weather conditions, from falling leaves, slick road conditions, to the rains and storms of spring and summer. April traditionally marks the beginning of “Tornado Season” in Indiana, while tornadoes can happen at any time. Although the weather is usually most favorable for their development in the spring and summer months.

A Funnel Cloud is a violently rotating column of air that has not yet made contact with the ground.

A Tornado is defined as a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with the ground, speeds may be anywhere from 60 mph to over 300 mph in the most destructive storms.

Just some reminders for residents to be aware of:

Severe Weather Watch- means conditions are favorable for the development of severe weather in and around the watch area.

Severe Weather Warning- means that severe weather is occurring or is expected to impact the warned area.

Actions to take:

Stay calm
Be aware of changing weather conditions
Don’t be afraid to take cover early

If a Tornado Warning is issued for your area or you witness a tornado:

Seek shelter in the lowest level of your home, below ground such as in a basement is usually best.
If in a mobile home have an action plan; such as evacuating to a neighbor’s house or consider a storm shelter or place of safety and ensure the family is aware of its location.

Actions to take to be ready for severe weather:

Have a plan and practice it with your family, also make friends aware of your shelter location should you become trapped in your shelter by debris.
Have your shelter stocked with some food, water, flashlights, and a portable radio or weather alert radio to stay informed of conditions.
Consider purchasing a cell phone battery pack to ensure phones will have charge when needed during an event.
Educate yourself and your family, consider taking offered weather spotter classes, research on www.noaa.gov to better understand what to look for and other common risks associated with severe weather.

If you see severe weather happening and it is safe to do so report it to the authorities by calling 911, otherwise call from within your place of shelter and safety.

Jackson Township Fire Department is proud to announce that they have been selected by the Indiana State Fire Marshal’s Office to participate in the Get Alarmed program. The Get Alarmed program is a collaboration of the American Red Cross, Indiana State Fire Marshal’s Office, and the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, that allows selected departments to install 10 year smoke alarms at no cost to members of their community.

If you are in need of a smoke detector to be installed, please reach out to Jackson Fire in one of the following ways.

EMAIL: info@jacksonfire.us and provide your name, address, and phone number, with SMOKE ALARM as the subject.

CALL: 317-984-3443 and provide your information to the on duty firefighters.

WEB: go to https://www.in.gov/dhs/getalarmed.htm and click the “NEED TO GET ALARMED, MAKE A SMOKE ALARM REQUEST HERE” box.

Once submitted, the Jackson Fire Community Outreach Officer will contact you to set up a time to install your smoke alarm(s).

Jackson Fire would like to thank Shaney Dale and the Indiana State Fire Marshal’s Office for giving us this opportunity.