* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.
           
          [00:00:06]
DURING THE HOLIDAYS, FAMILIES ACROSS JEFFERSON PARISH GATHERED TO CELEBRATE. 
          UNFORTUNATELY, OUR FIREFIGHTERS ALSO RESPOND TO PREVENTABLE FIRES CAUSED BY FIREWORKS. 
          ON NEW YEAR'S EVE AND NEW YEAR'S DAY, THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS OF JEFFERSON PARISH RESPOND TO 35 TRASH OR GRASS AND 15 HOUSE FIRES THAT ARE BELIEVED TO BE FIREWORKS RELATED. 
          10 OF THOSE HOMES SUFFERED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE. 
          THE MOST SURPRISING PART. 
          MANY OF THOSE FIRES DID NOT START DURING THE FIREWORKS SHOW. 
          THEY STARTED AFTER EVERYONE THOUGHT THE FIREWORKS WERE OUT. 
          WE'RE GOING TO SHOW YOU EXACTLY HOW THAT HAPPENS AND HOW YOU CAN HELP PREVENT IT. 
          JUST BECAUSE OF FIREWORKS STOP BURNING, IT DOESN'T MEAN IT'S NO LONGER DANGEROUS. 
          HIDDEN NUMBERS CAN REMAIN HOT LONG AFTER THE CELEBRATION IS OVER. 
          WHAT STARTS AS A SMALL TRASH FIRE CAN QUICKLY BECOME MORE. 
          WE RESPONDED TO FIRES THAT STARTED EXACTLY LIKE THIS. 
          ONCE FIRE GETS INTO THE ATTIC, IT COULD SPREAD RAPIDLY THROUGHOUT YOUR WHOLE HOME. 
          BY THE TIME YOU CALLED 9 1 1 AND WE ARRIVED, SECONDS HAVE ALREADY MADE THE DIFFERENCE. 
          MOST OF THESE FIRES ARE COMPLETELY PREVENTABLE. 
          THE GOOD NEWS IS PREVENTING A FIRE LIKE THIS IS SIMPLE. 
          LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU CAN DO BEFORE AND AFTER FIREWORKS ARE USED. 
          NEVER THROW USED FIREWORKS DIRECTLY INTO THE TRASH PLACE USED FIREWORKS IN A METAL CONTAINER FILLED WITH WATER. 
          LET 'EM SOAK FOR SEVERAL HOURS OVERNIGHT. 
          WHENEVER POSSIBLE, KEEP THAT CONTAINER WELL AWAY FROM YOUR HOME, YOUR GARAGE, AND ANYTHING THAT COULD BURN CLEAN LEAVES AND DEBRIS FROM YOUR GUTTERS BEFORE THE HOLIDAY. 
          REMOVE COMBUSTIBLE MATERIALS AWAY FROM YOUR HOME. 
          EVEN WITH THE BEST PREPARATIONS. 
          FIRE CAN STILL HAPPEN. 
          WORKING SMOKE ALARMS GIVES YOUR FAMILY THE TIME THEY NEED TO ESCAPE SAFELY. 
          THAT IS WHY ALL OF YOUR FIRE DEPARTMENTS IN JEFFERSON PARISH HAVE PROUDLY PARTNERED WITH THE LOUISIANA STATE FIRE MARSHAL'S OFFICE. 
          THROUGH OPERATIONS SAVE A LIFE. 
          PLEASE CONTACT YOUR LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT TO HAVE FREE SMOKE ALARMS INSTALLED IN YOUR HOME. 
          WE KNOW SOMETIMES FIREWORKS ARE USED IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY. 
          OUR MESSAGE TODAY ISN'T ABOUT ENCOURAGING THE USE OF FIREWORKS. 
          IT'S ABOUT PROTECTING LIVES, PROTECTING HOMES, AND PREVENTING FIRES. 
          A FEW SIMPLE PRECAUTIONS BEFORE AND AFTER FIREWORKS ARE USED CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE. 
          ON BEHALF OF ALL OF YOUR FIRE DEPARTMENTS IN JEFFERSON PARISH, WE WISH YOU A SAFE HOLIDAY. 
          HELP US PREVENT THE NEXT FIREWORK FIRE.
* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.