Any junker clunkers you’d like to donate?
The Naperville Fire Department is seeking donations of used and ‘clunker’ vehicles from residents and local businesspeople. Firefighters will be able to practice critical auto extrication skills with the donated vehicles.
Auto extrication is the practice of safely removing victims from vehicles that are involved in accidents so severe that traditional entry and exit means are unusable or inadvisable. In these instances, firefighters and other rescue personnel may be required to use braces to stabilize vehicles and then the ‘Jaws of Life’ or other hydraulic or pneumatic cutting tools to sever through sections of a vehicle to remove victims. The more practice that rescue personnel receive in a simulated setting, the more prepared they will be when a true emergency occurs.
All vehicles must have titles and keys available. If a vehicle cannot be driven to the Naperville Fire Department, but is located within City limits, Fire Department staff will make arrangements to have it picked up. Donations may possibly be written off on taxes at the end of the year. Please consult your personal accountant or a tax preparation professional for more information and eligibility.
To make a donation of a vehicle, contact Ruthi Sommers at (630) 305-5900 or sommersr@naperville.il.us.
Now before I let you go, I have to ask, “Have you tested your smoke detectors lately?” I know I have covered this topic a few times in past articles, but I feel that it is important enough to cover again. Most adults believe their homes to be safe, but if smoke alarms aren’t tested regularly, knowing whether they’re in working order is uncertain – and potentially fatal.
If it is hard for you to remember to test, my recommendation is to test them on the day you were born, every month. Also, please don’t assume, because they are part of your electrical system that they work.
Don’t be the person who, when laying your head on the pillow at night, has to ask yourself, “Are my smoke detectors working?” Test your detectors today!
