Fire safety in Newton goes beyond emergency response, with prevention and education playing a major role in reducing risk throughout the community.
Fire Marshal Jacob Halferty said part of his job focuses on public outreach and helping residents understand how to prevent emergencies before they happen, particularly through school visits and community education. Halferty tells KRLS News fire prevention and education are a significant part of his responsibilities.
“I do a lot of our prevention and education. October is a big month for that, that’s Fire Safety Month, getting with kids. Recently, we had a big push for installing a bunch of smoke and CO alarms.”
Halferty said prevention efforts help reduce emergencies and provide early warning when dangerous situations do occur. He said working directly with residents also strengthens overall community safety, and the fire department will continue focusing on education and prevention year-round as part of its mission to keep Newton residents safe.