A wreath displayed at Fire Station No. 1 is no ordinary holiday trimming.
The decoration is part of a program by the Chapel Hill Fire Department seeking to reduce residential fires throughout the town during the holiday season.
The wreath, which was hung Nov. 25, displays green lights. For every residential fire in Chapel Hill, a red bulb will replace a green one.
The department’s goal is to “Keep the Wreath Green” all season long.
“It serves as a reminder to the citizens and folks that pass by that we are not exempt from residential fires in Chapel Hill,” said Fire Marshal Matt Lawrence, who currently oversees the program established in 2003.
The fire department has also implemented another fire safety awareness attempt through tree tagging, which involves placing tags on Christmas trees and holiday decorations for sale that provide directions for proper care and protection from fires.
Lawrence said the idea came from his previous station in Burlington.
He said both programs seek to focus on the hazards that are associated with the holiday season.
“There’s a lot of distractions this time of year so folks are doing things they don’t normally do to prepare for the holidays,” Lawrence said. “We are hopeful that we don’t have any issues and that everyone has a fire-safe holiday.”