Governor Declares Fire Prevention Week in Massachusetts

03:11PM / Wednesday, October 09, 2024Print Story | Email Story

STOW, Mass. —Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey has declared Oct. 6-12 as Fire Prevention Week in Massachusetts, joining in the nation's longest-running public health observance and urging residents to install, test, and maintain smoke alarms on every level of their homes.

Fire Prevention Week is observed each year during the week of Oct. 9 in commemoration of the Great Chicago Fire, which began on October 8, 1871. This year's theme is "Smoke Alarms: Make Them Work for You."

"Smoke alarms are your first line of defense against a fire at home," said State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine, who noted that only about half of the 31 residential fire deaths in Massachusetts last year took place in homes without working smoke alarms.

Smoke alarm safety tips:

Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, including in each bedroom and the hallway outside each bedroom so you're protected as you sleep.
Test your alarms each month to be sure they're working properly.
If your alarms take alkaline batteries, replace the batteries twice a year when you change your clocks. If your alarm is "chirping," it's time to replace the batteries.
Replace smoke alarms after 10 years. The manufacturing date is printed on the back.
When purchasing a new alarm, choose one from a well-known national brand with a hush feature and a sealed, long-life battery.

Because people aged 65 and older are most vulnerable to a fire at home, State Fire Marshal Davine asked residents to check with older relatives, friends, and neighbors to see if they need help installing, testing, or maintaining their alarms. He said that many local fire departments may be able to assist older residents with smoke and carbon monoxide alarm installation through the Department of Fire Services' annual Senior SAFE grants.

The National Fire Protection Association has sponsored Fire Prevention Week since 1922. In 1925, President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed it a national observance. During Fire Prevention Week, fire service leaders and many others provide lifesaving public education in an effort to decrease fires and the associated deaths, injuries, and property loss.

The Department of Fire Services promotes fire safety all year long and will emphasize smoke alarm safety throughout the week on its social media pages. For tips you can use any time, visit the DFS Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms web page and view public service announcements on the DFS YouTube channel.

Tags: fire prevention,

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Fenton: Governor's Council Must Deliver for the Berkshires

Community submissionGuest Column
10:22AM / Friday, August 28, 2026

I am a Springfield lawyer running for Governor's Council and I am asking for Berkshire County residents to support me over an incumbent from North Adams.

Here's why: Last year I learned about staffing issues in our regional courts that I could not ignore. In 2025, it was reported that four of Western Massachusetts' 11 Superior Court judgeships were vacant, all at the same time. A few weeks later, that grew to five vacancies. This meant there were only six Superior Court judges serving all of Western Mass at a time when Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin, and Hampden counties had more than 100 pending homicide cases.

Those numbers were alarming to me, so I started to engage with leaders in the community who work most closely with the court system and I came to learn that these vacancies were only the tip of the iceberg here in Berkshire County.

I learned that no Superior Court or District Court judge had been appointed from the Berkshires since the current incumbent took office. As a result, there is not a single Superior Court judge who lives in the Berkshires today, and several of the District Court judges drive in from other counties to support Berkshire courts in Pittsfield, Great Barrington, and North Adams. Court staff also informed me about severe staffing shortages at the Berkshire Clerk of Courts office resulting in other counties needing to loan staff to the Berkshires just so hardworking employees can take a brief and planned summer vacation. This is not normal. These issues are a reflection of genuine problems with the Berkshire County court system and show a lack of proactive attention from our Governor's Councilor.

Instead of focusing on regional equity, I watched as the current incumbent celebrated that she has voted against the governor's nominees more than any other councilor, without much explanation as to why. Most recently, she voted against two extremely qualified former prosecutors for the Parole Board. This was despite an in-person plea from the governor and a letter of support from all the three of the district attorney's from Western Mass. Those votes do not show independence or standing up for principles, they demonstrate naivete, and an unwillingness to work with the key stakeholders.

I had seen and heard enough. I decided to jump in the race and challenge the incumbent to address these problems head-on.

I am a partner of a regional law firm. I understand our courts and the importance of having qualified, fair and hardworking judges. And I know how important it is to have judges from the Berkshires serving the Berkshires. To achieve that, you need strong relationships with the legal community and local stakeholders. You need to know how to use the power of the Governor's Council to fight forcefully for our region. And you need to be laser focused on identifying vacancies before they occur so that they can be filled quickly with local candidates.

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