National Fire Prevention Week
Since 1922, the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) has sponsored the public observance of Fire Prevention Week which is October 7th-13th this year. This year’s theme is:
Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware. Fire can happen anywhere.TM
This year’s campaign works to educate people about three basic but essential steps to take to reduce the likelihood of having a fire and how to escape safely in the event of one:
LOOK
Look for places fire could start. Take a good look around you. Identify potential fire hazards and take care of them.
LISTEN
Listen for the sound of the smoke alarm. You could have only minutes to escape safely once the smoke alarm sounds. During an evacuation due to a fire alarm, everyone should know to go to a predesignated meeting place outside which should be a safe distance from the home or building.
LEARN
Learn two ways out of every room. Make sure all doors and windows leading outside open easily and are free of clutter.
Fire safety should be practiced year-round but now is a good time to remind yourself and others how to be proactive. NFPA has as a variety of activities, lessons, videos, games, and apps to go along with Fire Prevention Week via their website at https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Campaigns/Fire-Prevention-Week. To get the conversation started, NFPA offers great educational material and safety tips to combat their startling fire facts. Take a moment to review these resources with your family, friends, and coworkers. If you have school-age children, consider sending a copy to their teacher as well to help spread the word about fire safety. With everyone’s help, we can all make the world a little safer!
