As families and friends get together to celebrate the holiday season, it is important that Delawareans consider fire safety as they decorate their homes and entertain guests. During the holidays, residential fires generally increase. Following a few simple tips will help ensure your family has a happy, fire-safe holiday season.

HOLIDAY DECORATING

• Be careful with holiday decorations. Choose decorations that are flame resistant or flame retardant.
• Keep lit candles away from decorations and other things that can burn. Do not use real candles in decorations.
• Some lights are only for indoor or outdoor use, but not both. Check for proper use.
• Inspect strings of lights for exposed or frayed wires, and loose bulb connections.
• Do not overload extension cords. Never place cords under a rug.
• Use clips, not nails, to hang lights so the cords do not get damaged.

HOLIDAY ENTERTAINING

• Check your smoke alarms. Discuss your home fire escape plan with any overnight guests.
• Keep children and pets away from lit candles.
• Keep matches and lighters up high in a locked cabinet.
• Stay in the kitchen when cooking on the stove top. Keep children 3 feet away to prevent spills and burns.
• Ask smokers to smoke outside. Remind smokers to keep their smoking materials with them so young children do not touch them.
• Provide large, deep ashtrays for smokers. Wet cigarette butts with water before discarding.

PICKING THE TREE

• Choose a tree with fresh, green needles that do not fall off when touched.

PLACING THE TREE

• Before placing the tree in the stand, cut 2” from the base of the trunk.
• Make sure the tree is at least 3 feet away from any heat source, like fireplaces, radiators, candles, heat vents, or lights.
• Make sure the tree is not blocking an exit.
• Add water to the tree stand.  Be sure to add water daily.

LIGHTING THE TREE

• Use lights that are listed by a qualified testing laboratory. Some lights are only for indoor or outdoor use.
• Replace any string of lights with worn or broken cords or loose bulb connections. Read manufacturer’s instructions for number of light strands to connect.
• Never use lit candles to decorate the tree.
• Always turn off Christmas tree lights before leaving home or going to bed.

Please refer to our fact sheet on holiday safety,  DSFM Holiday Safety

Sgt. Rebecca Salmon, Delaware Natural Resources Police Environmental Crimes Unit, delivers toys for last year’s Toys for Tots campaign. Donation boxes for this year’s campaign will be in place by Nov. 3 to accept donated toys for holiday gifts to underprivileged children statewide. /DNREC photo

Officers to Collect Toy Donations for Less Fortunate Kids

With the holiday season just around the corner, the Delaware Natural Resources Police will begin collecting toys on Friday, Nov. 3. These toys will be distributed as gifts to children in local communities through the local branch of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program.

The Toys for Tots program collects new, unwrapped toys appropriate for children of all ages and distributes them as holiday presents to underprivileged kids in communities across the country. DNRP officers from each of the three units – Fish and Wildlife, Environmental Crimes Unit, and State  Parks – are once again leading this holiday effort.

Toys will be accepted through Sunday, Dec. 10 in Kent and Sussex counties and through Wednesday, Dec. 8 in New Castle County. Toys can be taken to the following drop-off locations with Toys for Tots donation boxes:

• All Delaware State Park offices statewide, including the Brandywine Zoo in Wilmington and the First State National Historical Park in New Castle County, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Delaware Natural Resources Police office in Sussex County at 23530 Campbell Circle, Georgetown, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control’s Richardson & Robbins Building, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For more information, or for the dates and locations of upcoming events where toys also can be donated, contact officers listed below from the three Delaware Natural Resources Police units:

• Andy Manning, Delaware Natural Resources Police Environmental Crimes Unit, andrew.manning@delaware.gov, 302-739-9401
• Josh Hudson, Fish and Wildlife Delaware Natural Resources Police, joshua.hudson@delaware.gov, 302-739-9913
• David Redgraves, Delaware Natural Resources Police Park Rangers, david.redgraves@delaware.gov, 302-272-3534

General information can be found at toysfortots.org. Or, the public can also go online to make monetary donations in Delaware.

About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities and educates Delawareans about the environment. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter) or LinkedIn.

Media Contacts: Joanna Wilson, Joanna.Wilson@delaware.gov; Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov

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Pictured aboard Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police Marine Patrol vessel Alpha, are Fish & Wildlife Officer Billy Adkins (in back); Environmental Crimes Unit’s Lt. John McCarty; Delaware State Parks’ Cpl. Andrew Manning and Lt. Bryan John; Fish & Wildlife Chief Drew Aydelotte and Sgt. Brooke Mitchell; ECU Officer Rebecca Schuman; Fish & Wildlife Lt. Casey Zolper; and special guest Santa Claus (Fish & Wildlife Cpl. Josh Hudson), with K-9 Officer Rosco. DNREC photo/Shauna McVey.

DOVER – After a statewide gift-giving campaign throughout the holiday season, DNREC Natural Resources Police units from Delaware State Parks, the Division of Fish & Wildlife, and the Division of Community Affairs’ Environmental Crimes Unit have delivered 585 toys to the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program in Delaware to provide gifts for less fortunate children in local communities for the holidays.

“Toys for Tots ensures that less fortunate children can awaken to presents in this season of giving, and I am proud that DNREC’s three Natural Resources Police units stepped up to make that a reality for hundreds of Delaware families,” said DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin. “Thanks to the dedication of Cpl. Andrew Manning of our Parks Natural Resources Police and all the other officers who took part in this campaign, DNREC has helped make a difference.”

The three Natural Resources Police units placed Toys for Tots donation boxes in locations statewide, including DNREC offices and state parks, to collect new, unwrapped toys suitable for boys and girls of all ages.

In Sussex County Dec. 13, DNREC Natural Resources Police officers met Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police Marine Patrol vessel Alpha at the Indian River Marina to pick up toys collected from six Sussex donation locations and deliver them to the Sussex Toys for Tots facility. They collected 315 toys, which will be among those distributed to children in 1,038 Sussex families.

A total of 270 toys collected in Kent and New Castle counties were delivered Dec. 16 to the Dover Toys for Tots facility for distribution. The Kent County facility is serving more than 1,200 children, with a waiting list.

Contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902.

DOVER, Del. – On Saturday, December 7, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Governor John Carney and First Lady Tracey Quillen Carney will host a holiday open house at Woodburn, the Governor’s Residence. Visitors will have the opportunity to meet the Governor and First Lady, tour Woodburn and Hall House, view holiday decorations, and enjoy holiday treats. The event is free and open to the public.

WHAT:       Holiday open house and tours at Woodburn.

WHO:         Governor John Carney

First Lady Tracey Quillen Carney

WHEN:       Saturday, December 7, 2019

10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. *Governor Carney will arrive around 12:00 p.m.

WHERE:     Woodburn

151 Kings Highway Southwest
Dover, DE 19901

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The Woodburn Holiday Open House is one of several events taking place in Dover on Saturday, December 7:

Saturday, December 7, 2019
“The First State”

9:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

Guided tours explore Delaware’s ratification of the U.S. Constitution and its legacy as the first state to enter the union. First Saturday in the First State program. The Old State House, 25 The Green, Dover.

Saturday, December 7, 2019
Delaware Day Awards Ceremony

10:00 a.m.

Event honors participants in the Delaware Department of State’s 18th Annual Delaware Day Fourth Grade Competition which challenges students to create displays that help illustrate and explain the U.S. Constitution and the role played by Delawareans in the writing and ratification of the nation’s founding document. Delaware Public Archives, 121 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Dover.

Saturday, December 7, 2019
“Holidays With Victor.”

9 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

Guided tours examine holiday music recorded by Victor Records accompanied by 78-rpm records played on authentic Victor Talking Machines. First Saturday in the First State program. Johnson Victrola Museum, 375 S. New St., Dover.

View more events from the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contacts:

Cynthia Cavett, Marketing Specialist & Public Information Officer

Delaware Office of Highway Safety

Cynthia.Cavett@delaware.gov

302-744-2743

DUI Initiative Running From July 3rd Through July 7th

DOVER, De. (July 1, 2019) – The Delaware Office of Highway Safety (OHS) is pleased to announce that it is reactivating its SoberLift program, in partnership with Lyft^®, for the second consecutive year over the Fourth of July holiday to Delaware’s beach resort community.

The program will begin on Wednesday, July 3, at 4 p.m. and run through Sunday, July 7, at 2 a.m., and will provide free Lyft^® vouchers* (maximum value of $15) for individuals who want a safe ride during that time period. To participate in the program, individuals need to text “SoberLift” to 99000 to redeem the discount code. It will be available in Delaware beach towns: Lewes, Rehoboth Beach, Dewey Beach, South Bethany Beach, and Fenwick Island.

“Delaware continues to see far too many tragedies caused by impaired driving especially at the beaches during the July 4^th holiday weekend, “Richard Klepner, Impaired Driving Program Manager, Office of Highway Safety. “It is critical for people to understand the negative consequences of driving under the influence, and we’re thankful to our partners for providing funding to allow Delawareans to plan ahead for a safe ride home.”

Throughout the state from 2014 to 2018, 4^th of July weekend saw 53 DUI-related crashes and five DUI-related fatalities. Reports indicate that DUI crashes occur between 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. at the Delaware beaches. This region – east of DE-1 between Dewey Beach, northern limits and Old Mill Pond Bridge – also lead the state with 46 DUI-related crashes in 2018.

Street teams will be present ahead of the holiday weekend, handing out vouchers for SoberLift codes, as well as promoting the program at local bars, restaurants, and other local businesses. Campaign sponsors include: Breakthru Beverage DE, Allstate, Grain Craft Bar + Kitchen, First State Brew Bus, Kelly’s Logan House, Washington Street Ale House/Oyster House, Wilmington Blue Rocks, Delaware Department of Insurance, Dewey Business Partnership, Bluecoast Seafood and Grill Rehoboth, The Starboard, Grain, Liquid Alchemy Brewing, Aloysius Butler & Clark (AB&C) and Deardorff.

Cynthia Cavett, Marketing Specialist and Public Information Officer for OHS adds, “We’ve said it before and we will say it again, just one impaired driver can negatively impact the lives of so many people. So while we encourage all Delawareans to have fun, make sure you make safe choices. Utilize our ridesharing program SoberLift, and Arrive Alive this holiday weekend.”

In addition, OHS is partnering with the Delaware State Police and local law enforcement for the national summer holiday campaign for Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over from July 4 – July 7, 2019, to put an end to drunk driving. In support of law enforcement’s dedication to protecting the lives of residents in their communities, you’ll see increased enforcement on the roads with zero tolerance for those who drive impaired.

*The number of daily codes, available between 4 p.m. and 2 a.m., will be limited.

You can follow the Delaware Office of Highway Safety by clicking on:

Delaware Office of Highway Safety Web Site

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

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About the Delaware Office of Highway Safety
The Office of Highway Safety (OHS) is committed to improving the safety of Delaware’s motoring public by focusing on behavioral traffic safety issues such as impaired driving, seat belt use, speeding, child passenger safety, pedestrian and bicycle safety, motorcycle safety, and teen driving issues. FAQs can be found at ArriveAliveDE.com.