Author: Venkata Sridhar Panchagnula

Decorations are a joy for many during the holiday season, but it's crucial to be aware of potential fire hazards and to follow the manufacturer's instructions. Follow these helpful tips to make the holidays safe and enjoyable: Choose flame-resistant or flame-retardant decorations. Inspect and discard damaged holiday wiring before use. Test your smoke alarms and share your fire escape plan with guests. Keep matches and lighters away from children. Be sure to water real trees daily. Visit GwinnettSafety411.com for more safety tips.

Residents can now drop off unwanted medications like half-used prescriptions, expired pills, and forgotten cough syrups at NarcX collection boxes located at every Gwinnett police precinct and at police headquarters for free. Between 8:00am and 4:00pm, Monday through Friday, residents can safely drop off pills, tablets, capsules, and liquids with no questions asked. In partnership with the Council on Alcohol and Drugs, this initiative helps prevent dangers like accidental ingestion, prescription medication misuse, and environmental contamination.

Have some hard-to-recycle items? Rain or shine, you can bring them to America Recycles Day on Saturday, November 8 from 9:00am to noon at the Gwinnett County Fairgrounds in Lawrenceville.Volunteers will remove items placed in disposable containers from the trunk or back seat of your vehicle. Recycling electronics is free except for projection/console TVs ($35), computer monitors ($15), and printers ($5). For a full list of acceptable items, visit GCSolidWaste.com or call 770.822.7141.

You’re invited to join us on Veterans Day, Tuesday, November 11, as we honor those who served our country. The day will begin with our annual Veterans Day Ceremony from 11:00am to noon at the Fallen Heroes Memorial, located on the grounds of the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center in Lawrenceville. Immediately following the ceremony at the same location, all are invited to Chairwoman Nicole Love Hendrickson’s Gwinnett County Stand Down. This event is scheduled to run from approximately noon until 2:00pm. Preregistration for this event is encouraged. To conclude the day, the Gwinnett Veterans Memorial Museum — located within the Gwinnett Historic Courthouse at…

Close Before You Doze! During a fire, smoke and flames can spread through a home in minutes while you sleep. A closed bedroom door can block heat, slow smoke, and give you precious extra time to escape, if fire strikes.One small step before bed could save your life.