“Stay Fire Smart! Don’t Get Burned” is the theme for Fire Prevention Week 2009. NFPA’s annual week long awareness week focuses on burn awareness and prevention, as well as keeping homes safe from the leading causes of home fires.
Fire Prevention Week was established to commemorate the Great Chicago Fire, the tragic 1871 conflagration that killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures, and burned more than 2,000 acres. The fire began on October 8, but continued into and did most of its damage on October 9, 1871.
On the 40th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire, the Fire Marshals Assn. of North America (today known as the International Fire Marshals Association), decided that the anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire should henceforth be observed not with festivities, but in a way that would keep the public informed about the importance of fire prevention. In 1920, President Woodrow Wilson issued the first National Fire Prevention Day proclamation, and since 1922, Fire Prevention Week has been observed on the Sunday through Saturday period in which October 9 falls.
Fire prevention programs and educational events are available across the country during this campaign. Be sure to visit your local Fire Department during Fire Prevention Week. Fire Departments across the country will be hosting free Open Houses designed to welcome the public and give local citizens the opportunity to meet their local firefighters, ask questions, get a hands on look inside the station, trucks as well as learn more about the various aspects of the fire service.
Please educate yourself on Kitchen, Electrical and Bath Safety – focusing on Burn Prevention! Know the dangers of fire and the importance of sprinklers, smoke alarms and candle/cooking/smoking safety now – practice your escape routes in the event of a fire. Before winter arrives, check your home for new batteries in your smoke alarms! Don’t forget to practice safety and have fun this fall!
Source: NFPA, The National Fire Protection Association – The authority on fire, electrical and burn safety. (To learn more about fire Prevention Week visit: Eight decades of Fire Prevention.)
Tags: burn safety, Chicago Fire, electrical, fire safety, kitchen, nfpa, smoke alarms, Sprinklers
