Theodore Dawes Fire Rescue

09/03/2026

C Shift to the Rescue!

Not every rescue involves smoke and flames.

C Shift responded today to help this four-legged resident who had managed to get herself stuck underneath a backyard shed. She had squeezed through a small opening and gotten far enough underneath that our crew couldn’t initially reach her.

With a little patience, some encouragement, and plenty of sweet talking, they were able to get her to work her way close enough to grab hold. Once she was within reach, the crew grabbed a couple of paws and her collar and carefully pulled her to freedom.

Judging by the smile — and the immediate case of the zoomies afterward — we’d say she was pretty happy to be out. 😂🐕💨

Sometimes the smallest calls make for the best ones.

Great job, C Shift!

09/03/2026

August's call volume numbers for Theodore Dawes Fire Rescue are in.

Last month, TDFR responded to 435 total calls. They were:
Fires - 18
EMS - 390
Hazardous Condition - 5
Service Call - 7
Good Intent - 2
False Alarms - 13

Fire calls break down as follows;
Structure Fires - 6
Mobile Home Fires - 4
Brush/Grass Fires - 2
Trash Fires - 5
Special outside fire - 1

As always, Theodore Dawes Fire Rescue is honored to serve the members of our community.

09/02/2026

A little bit of a facelift around the station 1!!!

We want to send a huge thank you to Rawls Asphalt for generously donating the recent seal coating of our parking lot. Their support gave the entire property a much-needed refresh and made a tremendous difference in how the station looks.

We also want to thank Coastal Markings LLC for coming behind them and doing an outstanding job striping the lot and putting the finishing touches on everything.

As a fire department, we’re fortunate to have local businesses that are willing to step up and support us. Contributions like this allow us to put more of our resources where they belong—toward serving our community and keeping our crews ready to respond.

To everyone at Rawls Asphalt and Coastal Markings, thank you for investing in TDFR and the community we all call home. We truly appreciate it!

08/31/2026

🔌 Did you know more than 3,000 home fires originate with extension cords each year?

Planning a project or simply need a little extra power around your home? Make sure you’re using the right extension cord for the job.

✅ Choose a cord rated for the intended use and electrical load.
✅ Inspect cords for damage before using them.
✅ Keep cords away from heat and water.
🚫 Never plug one extension cord into another.
🚫 Don’t use extension cords as a permanent wiring solution.

A few simple steps can help keep your next project safe! 🔥🏠

Learn more here: https://www.esfi.org

08/30/2026

Proud to work alongside the men and women of Mobile County EMS every day!

We’re more than an ambulance.

Mobile County EMS is a 911 response system serving communities across more than 1,400 square miles of Mobile County. From Dauphin Island and Bayou La Batre to Semmes, Citronelle, Saraland, Prichard and communities throughout the county outside the City of Mobile, our crews are ready to respond when help is needed.

Our role goes beyond emergency response, too. MCEMS also provides continuing education, ALS and BLS classes for medics, nurses, doctors and members of the general public.

What we do not provide are pre-arranged transports to locations other than the emergency room. Our focus is emergency care, 911 response and helping strengthen emergency medical education throughout our community.

We’re proud to be one of the largest 911 services in the Gulf Coast region and even prouder to serve the people who call Mobile County home.

08/30/2026

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) provides guidelines to ensure children are in the correct car seat for their age and size, which involves progressing through rear-facing, forward-facing, and booster seats based on height and weight limits, keeping children in the back seat until at least age 12, and ensuring the seat is installed correctly in the vehicle. You can find detailed information and recommendations on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (.gov) website.

https://www.nhtsa.gov/campaign/right-seat

08/27/2026

Teach children to call 911 in an emergency. Make sure they can distinguish between emergency and non-emergency situations and that they know how to dial 9-1-1.
(You can find more great fire safety tips at National Association of State Fire Marshals)

08/26/2026

🔥 **CHARGE SMART. STAY SAFE.** 🔋

Phones, tablets, power tools, scooters, e-bikes, and even children’s toys often use lithium-ion batteries. We rely on them every day, but a damaged battery or improper charger can quickly become a serious fire hazard.

A few simple precautions can help keep your home and family safe:

• Always use the charger made for the device.
• Charge devices on a hard, open surface—not on a bed, couch, or under a pillow.
• Never charge an e-bike or scooter where it could block your way out.
• Stop using any battery that becomes unusually hot, swells, leaks, smells strange, or makes popping or hissing noises.
• Never place lithium-ion batteries in your household garbage. Take them to an approved battery-recycling location.

If a battery begins smoking or catches fire, get everyone out, stay out, and call 911. Do not try to carry the device outside.

A little attention while charging can prevent a small device from becoming a big emergency.

08/25/2026

A few nights ago, one of our firefighters had a close call at home, and the suspected culprit has four paws. 🔥

Around 9 pm, while our firefighter was in the shower, a family member walked through the kitchen and noticed it was unusually hot. Upon further investigation, they found a back burner turned on HIGH.

Our best guess is the family cat decided to jump down from his favorite napping spot on top of the refrigerator. Apparently, his exit route took him across the stove k***s. Based on the amount of heat in the room, we believe the burner had been heating for 20–30 minutes.

Thankfully, only an empty pan was on the stove and no fire started.

This is a great reminder that your stovetop is not extra counter space. Dish towels, paper towels, plastic utensils, grocery bags, boxes, and other items can quickly become fuel for a fire if a burner is accidentally turned on.

And if you have curious kids—or apparently very talented pets—consider stove k**b covers or removing the k***s when the stove isn't in use.

🔥 Keep your stovetop clear.
🐾 Know what your pets can get into.
✅ Consider removing the k***s or purchasing child-safe k**b locks.
🚒 Sometimes fire prevention starts with outsmarting the cat (or dog).

Picture of the culprit in the comments. 😼

08/24/2026

We've had a lot of lightning and thunderstorms lately…

⚡ DID YOU KNOW? ⚡

A typical lightning bolt can carry around 300 MILLION VOLTS of electricity—and some severe strikes can reach 1 BILLION VOLTS.

To put that into perspective, the average outlet in your home supplies just 120 volts.

A few more incredible facts about lightning:

⚡ Average voltage: 300 million volts
⚡ Extreme strikes: Up to 1 billion volts
⚡ Average current: Around 30,000 amps
🔥 Temperature: Around 50,000°F—roughly five times hotter than the surface of the sun.

Lightning is incredible to watch, but thunderstorms are nothing to take lightly.

⛈️ WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS!

During an electrical storm:

• If you can hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning. Get inside a substantial building or a hard-topped vehicle.

• Stay away from windows, doors, porches, and open garages.

• Avoid plumbing and running water. Lightning can travel through a building’s plumbing system.

• Avoid using corded electrical equipment and stay away from anything plugged into an outlet.

• If you’re caught outside, stay away from open fields, hilltops, isolated trees, fences, utility poles, bodies of water, and other tall or conductive objects.

• Never shelter under a tree. While it may seem like protection from the rain, trees are common targets for lightning.

• Wait at least 30 minutes after the last sound of thunder before returning to outdoor activities.

⚠️ After the storm, stay alert. Watch for downed power lines, damaged utility poles, fallen trees, electrical arcing, and standing water near electrical equipment. Never approach or drive over a downed power line. Always assume it is energized and keep others away.

Severe weather can develop quickly. Pay attention to weather alerts, have a safe place in mind, and don’t wait until the storm is directly overhead to seek shelter.

A little rain might get you wet. Lightning can kill you. When thunder starts, get inside and stay there until the storm has safely passed.