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With October as national Fire Prevention Month,
fire departments across the country run their own campaigns about
preventing home fires and fire safety. Whether through an open house
at the fire department or at the shopping mall, each office will
promote that year’s national safety theme during a local fire
prevention week.
In 2008, the prevention theme focused on the home
fires, especially those caused by cooking, electrical problems
and smoking in the home. Since cooking is among the top causes
of home fires, the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA)
offers many tips on staying safe. You can download several safety
signs about cooking from their website that are colorful and informative.
School-age kids often go on field trips to the
fire department where staff will spend some time teaching the
kids about fire safety. Drills are often used to help them act
out what they should do if someone’s clothing catches fire
or they may learn the importance of a family escape plan among
other things.
During this week, adults may have the opportunity
to take a free class on how to properly use a fire extinguisher
on small fires. Knowing what to look for during regular home fire
extinguisher inspections may also be included.
As these activities are part of a national campaign
for the prevention of fires, major manufacturers of safety products
may also run their own promotions. While Kidde is well-known for
its fire extinguisher line, in 2008, the company donated 1000
carbon monoxide alarms in California to promote awareness of the
dangers of this silent killer. Several years ago, First Alert,
who also makes a residential carbon monoxide alarm, sponsored
a pilot program in New York to provide free smoke detectors and
batteries on all fire trucks. The purpose was to distribute the
detectors or provide batteries to homes where there were no alarms
or where they were non-operational.
Prevention is often the first safety lesson when
learning about any type of emergency preparedness. Most home fires
are accidental, rather than intentional. Carelessness, not arson,
is the main culprit. Being safe at home takes some time. We need
time to create a family safety plan, make time to practice escape
drills and time to buy the necessary fire safety equipment. But
isn’t investing a little bit of time worth keeping you and
yours safe?
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