Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware. Fire can happen anywhere
Look
Look for places fire could start. Take a good and thorough look around your home. Identify potential fire hazards and take care of them.
Listen
Listen for the sound of the smoke alarm. You could only have minutes to escape safely once the smoke alarm sounds. Go to your designated outside meeting place, which should be a safe distance from the home and where everyone should know to meet.
Learn
Learn two ways out of every room and make sure all doors and windows leading outside open easily and are free of clutter.
Since 1922, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has sponsored the public observance of Fire Prevention Week. In 1925, then 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 9th in commemoration of the Great Chicago Fire, which began on October 8, 1871 and cause devastating damage killing over 250 people. This catastrophe left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures and buildings and burned more than 2,000 acres of land.
During the case of a fire, a few seconds can mean the difference between a safe escape and a tragedy. Fire safety education isn’t just for school children. Adults, pets and the elderly are also at risk in fires making it very important for every member of the community to make sure they understand how to stay safe in case of a fire. Fire Prevention Week is a good time to review and refresh your exit strategy and to identify potential fire hazards around your home.
Children under 5 and adults over 65 are at the highest risk for injury or death in a fire. The risk of a nonfatal fire injury is highest for those between 20 and 49. This shows that fire safety education is necessary for everyone to learn and be up to date on. Additional risk factors include race, socio-economic status, education level and geographic location.
Because the number of fires has significantly been reduced, there has been a lack of training and awareness of home fire prevention. The main goal of Fire Prevention Week is to bring awareness to the risk of death in case of a fire and provide educational resources to people of all ages, races and socioeconomic status to ensure that everyone is kept safe.
For more information and additional tips on fire safety, you can also contact your local fire department.
Article Adapted From https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Campaigns/Fire-Prevention-Week/About
