Last Friday, residents were evacuated from the City of St. Charles after a fire started at a local food processor and threatened to ignite tanks of anhydrous ammonia. City officials called for the evacuation because leaked anhydrous ammonia poses serious health risks, such as chemical burns and possible death.
Firefighters battled the flames until the early hours of Saturday morning, and successfully prevented significant chemical leakage. Public safety officials also assisted residents with evacuating the city in a safe manner.
Often it is only in times of crisis that we realize the importance of fully staffing our fire and police departments and adequately funding related costs, such as equipment purchases and vehicle maintenance. In order to provide top quality public safety and fire protection at an affordable price to property taxpayers, cities need LGA. Thank LGA applauds the St. Charles police and fire departments, and others who assisted in this effort, for handling this emergency in a professional manner and for protecting the city’s residents.