Downtown Fire Awareness & Prevention

With the recent fires destroying communities on the west coast, being in the midst of the holiday season (which is particularly fire risky), and having had our fair share of disastrous downtown fires in communities around Ohio, it is always a good time to talk about prevention. Fires are by their very nature destructive, when it comes to downtown, there is so much at stake when a building burns down. It could be someone’s home; lives could be at risk; and it could be a small business that has been an integral part of the community for years, that now has no way of rebuilding. Furthermore, every building in the downtown is a part of the community identity and history, when they burn a piece of that shared story is lost forever.

Chief John Donahue of Deleware, Ohio discusses the potential fire hazards with concern to downtown and what can be done to proactively prevent the devastation caused by downtown fires. This program will focus on the City of Delaware and steps that the downtown businesses, building owners and City Departments have taken to reduce the risk from fires. Delaware has experienced several downtown fires in their historic buildings. Working together, a community can take steps to reduce the risk and maintain the historic buildings.