Madison Fire Chief Bruce Jordan
Please do not text and drive, drink and drive or drive sleepy, tired or distracted by any other reasons. Using hands-free devices help when traveling, but the safest choice is to pull off the road to use a phone.
Please always wear a seatbelt and ensure everyone in the vehicle uses theirs. Use car seats for younger children and make sure they are fastened and secured correctly in the vehicle.
Seatbelts are designed to keep occupants inside the vehicle when an accident occurs. If the vehicle rolls over or collides with another vehicle or object and a person is ejected or thrown from a vehicle, there is a greater chance of serious injury or death.
If personally involved in a vehicle accident or witness an accident, please call 911 and report the accident as soon as possible.
If involved in a vehicle accident, please stay in the vehicle until responders arrive. It is safer staying in the vehicle unless you are in a high-traffic/speed area such as I-10, I-75, etc. If on an interstate and not injured and can do so safely, get out of the vehicle and move away from the vehicle and traffic lanes.
Contrary to what is shown in movies, most vehicles typically do not explode or erupt into a fireball when they are involved in an accident.
Safety is the priority if anyone chooses to take action at an accident scene, take a few seconds and look around the scene before doing or touching anything. Look for any downed power lines near or touching any vehicle, fuel or oil leaking, strong smell of fuel (gasoline, diesel, and LP gas) can all be hazardous. If something doesn’t look safe don’t act, wait until trained personnel arrive.
A person in a vehicle that has power lines down on it is safer inside the vehicle than outside as long as they avoid touching any metal inside the car or try to get out of the vehicle.
Airbags that have not deployed inside a wrecked vehicle can be hazardous to the occupants as well as any bystanders who may be near them.
If you are a bystander and witness an accident, do not remove an injured person from any vehicle unless it is on fire or they are not breathing.
Please call 911 and report all details to the dispatcher.
Important items to report are the location of the accident (street, intersection, mile marker, landmarks, etc.), any injuries and type, how many vehicles is involved and if it is in the roadway.
Any group(s) that would like to have someone come out and speak about smoke alarms or any other fire safety topics, please contact Chief Bruce Jordan (850) 253-5117 or email at bruce.jordan@cityofmadisonfl.com.