Governor Healey Proclaims Oct. 5-11 Fire Prevention Week

STOW—Governor Maura Healey has declared Oct. 5-11, 2025, as Fire Prevention Week in Massachusetts, joining the nation's longest-running public health and safety observance and promoting this year's theme, "Charge into Fire Safety: Lithium-Ion Batteries in Your Home."

"This year's Fire Prevention Week theme promotes the safe use, charging, and disposal of the lithium-ion batteries that power countless consumer devices in homes across the Commonwealth," Governor Healey wrote in a proclamation.

"Lithium-ion batteries can pack a large amount of power into a very small device," said State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine. "This means that damaged or defective batteries can fail rapidly and violently. A lithium-ion battery fire can release sparks, flames, burning cells, and toxic, flammable gases. I want to thank Governor Healey for bringing attention to the steps we can all take to protect ourselves and our loved ones."

This year's Fire Prevention Week theme educates residents on buying, charging, and recycling lithium-ion batteries safely to prevent fires and explosions. The Massachusetts Department of Fire Services and the National Fire Protection Association, which coordinates Fire Prevention Week each year, offer these battery safety tips:

• When buying lithium-ion batteries or devices that use them, choose products that are listed by an independent testing laboratory. Look for a certification mark from an independent lab such as UL or Intertek/ETL. This means the product meets important safety standards.
• Charge devices safely. Follow the manufacturer's instructions and use the cords and charging equipment that came with the product. Buy new chargers from the manufacturer or one that the manufacturer has approved. Charge your device on a hard surface. Don't overcharge your device, and unplug it or remove the battery when it's fully charged. 
• Recycle batteries responsibly. Don't throw lithium-ion batteries in household trash or recycling bins. Batteries crushed or damaged in a compactor truck or transfer station could start a fire that becomes difficult to control. Instead, recycle your device or battery at a safe battery recycling location. Take them to a household hazardous waste collection event in your community or visit www.call2recycle.org for a recycling spot near you. 

In late 2023, the Department of Fire Services launched a data collection tool to help officials track the extent of fires, explosions, and other lithium-ion battery incidents. This investigative checklist is used by the State Police Fire & Explosion Investigation Unit, and local fire investigators are encouraged to use it as well. While previous reporting through the Massachusetts Fire Incident Reporting System suggested about 20 lithium-ion battery fires per year, the new tool identified that many in its first two months. About 135 lithium-ion battery fires were reported in Massachusetts last year, and even that number is believed to be a significant undercount.

DFS also held a lithium-ion battery symposium in 2023, bringing subject matter experts together with fire service leaders to discuss hazards, strategies, investigations, medical concerns, and other aspects of the lithium-ion battery issue that firefighters are confronting across the country and around the world. 

You can learn more about lithium-ion battery safety at the Department of Fire Services' website.

Toys for Tots Bringing Presents to Thousands of Kids This Year

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
12:21PM / Friday, December 05, 2025

Volunteers organize toys by age and gender in the House of Corrections storage facility. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Plenty of toys are on their way to children this holiday season thanks to Toys for Tots.

Christopher Keegan has coordinated the local toy drive for the Berkshire Chapter of the Marine Corps Reserve since 2015 and said he has seen the need rise every year, last year helping more than 6,000 kids.

"This is 11 years I've been doing it, and the need has gone up every year. It's gone up every year, and I anticipate it going up even more this year," Keegan said.

On Thursday, the Berkshire County House of Corrections storage facility was overflowing with toys making it the county's very own Santa's workshop. 

Keegan said Berkshire County always shows up with toys or donations. 

"This county is outstanding when it comes to charity. They rally around stuff. They're very giving, they're very generous, and they've been tremendous in this effort, the toys for pride effort, since I've been doing it, our goal is to honor every request, and we've always reached that goal," he said.

Keegan's team is about 20 to 25 volunteers who sort out toys based on age and gender. This week, the crew started collecting from the 230 or so boxes set out around the county on Oct. 1.

"The two age groups that are probably more difficult — there's a newborn to 2s, boys and girls, and 11 to 14, boys and girls. Those are the two challenging ages where we need to focus our attention on a little bit more," he said.

Toys For Tots has about 30 participating schools and agencies that sign up families and individuals who need help putting gifts under the tree. Keegan takes requests right up until the last minute on Christmas.

"We can go out shopping for Christmas. I had sent my daughter out Christmas Eve morning. Hey, we need X amount of toys and stuff, but the requests are still rolling in from individuals, and I don't say no, we'll make it work however we can," he said.

Community members help to raise money or bring in unopened and unused toys. Capeless Elementary student Thomas St. John recently raised $1,000 selling hot chocolate and used the money to buy toys for the drive.

"It's amazing how much it's grown and how broad it is, how many people who were involved," Keegan said.

On Saturday, Live 95.9 personalities Bryan Slater and Marjo Catalano of "Slater and Marjo in the Morning" will host a Toys for Tots challenge at The Hot Dog Ranch and Proprietor's Lodge. Keegan said they have been very supportive of the drive and that they were able to collect more than 3,000 toys for the drive last year.

Volunteer Debbie Melle has been volunteering with Toys for Tots in the county for about five years and said people really showed up to give this year.

"I absolutely love it. It's what we always say. It's organized chaos, but it's rewarding. And what I actually this year, I'm so surprised, because the amount that the community has given us, and you can see that when you see these pictures, that you've taken, this is probably the most toys we've ever gotten," she said. "So I don't know if people just feel like this is a time to give and they're just going above and beyond, but I'm blown away. This year we can barely walk down the aisles for how much, how many toys are here. It's wonderful."