POLICE BEAT

With the holiday season already upon us and in particular for all of the new residents who have joined us, I would again like to pass on some recommendations about personal safety that I believe are particularly important at this time of year. 

Unfortunately, there is a certain element of our society that prefers to support their holiday season at the expense of others. Please keep your car doors locked both while driving and parked and don’t roll your windows down for strangers. Be particularly wary when stopped at traffic lights and when entering and exiting your vehicle in a parking lot. If you are struck from behind in what appears to be a minor rear-end accident, pull over in a well lit, populated area to investigate. While shopping, try to keep all packages and gifts out of sight in your vehicle, preferably locked in the trunk. Try to enter and exit stores (particularly malls) around other groups of shoppers. We tend to see an increase in burglaries this time of year so please remain diligent in your efforts to keep your homes and vehicles secure. If installed, set your alarm, even if you are only leaving for a short time. Successful burglaries to homes equipped with a good alarm system, that is kept armed, are very rare. Well-positioned outdoor lighting can also be a successful deterrent. 

Please remember that we provide a complete Home Security Survey service that is free of charge to any resident of the Town of Indialantic. To schedule a Home Security Survey or if you would like to know about any of the other services provided by the police department, call 723-7788 or email communityofficer@indialantic.com . You can also find important information by going to the Town’s web site at www.indialantic.com and following the link to the main police page.

Thank you for your continued support and have a safe and happy holiday season! 

Troy W. Morris, Chief of Police

Cliff Notes:

With the market being what it is today there is a lot of competition to  get a contract for construction work.  Please do a background check on contractors before you hire them.  Call Contractor Licensing of Brevard County at 633-2058 - or the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation - www.myflorida.com\dbpr to check the license status.  It will save you time and money in the long run.

Cliff Stokes, Building Official

 INDIALANTIC FIRE RESCUE

It is that time of year when we look forward to the holidays and festive times with family and friends. As we associate with people, either shopping or at parties, we are exposed to many viruses during the cooler months. Among the most common exposure is the flu virus. In the United States more than 200,000 people are hospitalized with the flu each year and nearly 36,000 people die from complications from the flu. Five to twenty percent of the population will suffer flu symptoms each year. Prevention is easy, each year obtain a flu shot. If you are over the age of fifty or have other health problems, it is even more important to have an annual flu shot. The Indialantic Fire Department is trying to make it easier to obtain one and less expensive. Our professional paramedics are some of the best in the county in administering flu vaccine. Most agencies and commercial companies are offering the flu vaccine for $30.00 or more. Our price from the Volunteer Firefighters Association is only $20.00 or a $10.00 savings and can be applied to your Medicare benefit. Stop by the station at 216 Fourth Avenue, Indialantic for your lifesaving flu shot today before the virus spreads throughout Brevard County. 

Please pay close attention to fire safety when setting out Christmas trees and ornaments. Be aware of where you put candles and be certain to blow them out when you leave home. Be sure your smoke detector is operating and your live tree is well hydrated. A good test for that is to bend the needles, they should be soft and pliable. If they snap it is time to remove the tree from the home. It only takes seconds for a Christmas tree to be consumed by fire when it is dry. Turn off all ornamental lighting before retiring or leaving the house. Don’t burn candles near a live tree or paper ornaments or close to curtains and be sure not to leave them unattended. Our citizens are important to us. You are a valued asset to the Town of Indialantic. We want everyone to stay safe this year and we would prefer not to run emergency calls during the holidays. Happy Holidays from the Indialantic Fire Rescue Department.

Chief Macdonald