National Fire Prevention Week Marks 100th Year
National Fire Prevention Week Marks 100th Year
National Fire Prevention Week will be observed across the country next week, October 9 to 15, and it’s an excellent time for families to review fire prevention, fire safety and escape plans. This year’s campaign, “Fire won’t wait. Plan your escape™”, works to educate everyone about simple but important actions they can take to keep themselves and those around them safe from home fires.
According to the National Fire Protection Association website, nfpa.org, today’s homes burn faster than ever. People may have as little as two minutes to safely escape a home fire when the smoke alarm sounds. The ability to get out of a home during a fire depends on an early warning from smoke alarms and advance planning.
The website states, “It is important for everyone to plan and practice a home fire escape. Everyone needs to be prepared in advance, so that they know what to do when the smoke alarm sounds. Given that every home is different, every home fire escape plan will also be different.”
Experts recommend that families have a plan for everyone in the home. Children, older adults, and people with disabilities may need assistance to wake up and get out.
“Smoke alarms sense smoke well before you can, alerting you to danger,” the site says. It is recommended that smoke alarms be in every bedroom, outside of the sleeping areas (like a hallway), and on each level (including the basement) of the home. It is not recommended to put smoke alarms in kitchens or bathrooms.
When choosing an alarm, look for one that is listed with a testing laboratory, meaning it has met certain standards for protection. For the best protection, use combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms that are interconnected throughout the home. These can be installed by a qualified electrician so that when one sounds, they all sound. This ensures the residents can hear the alarm no matter where in the home the alarm originates.
Since 1922, the NFPA has sponsored the public observance of Fire Prevention Week. In 1925, President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed Fire Prevention Week a national observance, making it the longest-running public health observance in our country. During Fire Prevention Week, children, adults, and teachers learn how to stay safe in case of a fire. Firefighters provide lifesaving public education in an effort to drastically decrease casualties caused by fires.
Fire Prevention Week is observed each year during the week of October 9, commemorating the Great Chicago Fire, which began on October 8, 1871, and caused devastating damage. It reportedly killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures, and burned more than 2,000 acres of land.
