NFPA announces theme for Fire Prevention Week 2011

"Protect Your Family From Fire"

News releases By: National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)

May 31, 2011 – The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) announces the theme for Fire Prevention Week - "Protect Your Family From Fire." Fire Prevention Week will be held October 9-15, 2011. NFPA has sponsored the fire prevention campaign since 1922, spreading awareness of the dangers of fires and inspiring individuals to prevent the deaths, injuries, and destruction they cause. This year’s theme focuses on how to protect your family from fire by planning ahead and integrating simple things into your everyday life.

Fires in the home take a great toll on life and property each year. During the five-year-period from 2005-2009, NFPA estimates that U.S. fire departments responded to an average of 373,900 reported home structure fires per year. These fires caused an estimated average of 2,650 civilian deaths, 12,890 civilian injuries, and $7.1 billion in direct property damage per year. Smoking materials remain the leading cause of home fire deaths, while cooking equipment is the leading cause of home structure fires and home fire injuries.

Installing systems such as smoke alarms and residential fire sprinklers, as well as identifying potential hazards, can reduce the risk of home fires and property loss, injury, or death due to fire. Nearly two-thirds of home structure fire deaths occur in homes where there was no smoke alarm, or where smoke alarms were present but failed to operate.

NFPA has taken the lead in public fire safety outreach by serving as the official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week for 89 years. The annual public awareness and safety commemoration, which is proclaimed by the President of the United States each year, is observed by fire departments in the U.S. and Canada to mark the anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. According to the National Archives and Records Administration’s Library Information Center, Fire Prevention Week is the longest running public health and safety observance on record.

Visit the Fire Prevention Week website for safety tips, statistical information, and more. The materials are available for use by fire departments, teachers, families and anyone interested in learning or teaching about fire safety.

About the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
NFPA is a worldwide leader in fire, electrical, building, and life safety. The mission of the international nonprofit organization founded in 1896 is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating consensus codes and standards, research, training, and education.

“Beep! Beep! Beep! Smoke Alarms: A sound you can live with.”

This week, Oct. 3-9 is Fire Prevention Week and the 2010 theme is “Beep! Beep! Beep! Smoke Alarms: A sound you can live with.”

There’s nothing more important than to have an early notification of a fire, especially if it’s in the home. This year’s fire prevention & fire safety issue that is being highlighted is the importance of having working, operational smoke detectors.

In 2009, fire departments in the United States responded to an estimated 1,348,500 fires. These fires resulted in 3,010 civilian fire fatalities. About 80 percent of the fatalities occurred in the home between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. There was a civilian fire death every 175 minutes and a civilian fire injury every 31 minutes in 2009. In addition, there were 17,050 civilian fire injuries and an estimated $12,531,000,000 in direct property loss. These statistics are alarming to say the least.

There is a simple list of steps or guidelines that could possibly save you or your loved ones in the event of a fire in the home. By taking a little time out with your family to go over and practice these procedures will ensure that everyone knows what to do if or when a smoke alarm is sounded. The early notification of a fire gives you the needed time to escape with smoke alarms which are credited for saving approximately 8,000 lives each year, Stoll said.

Placement of smoke alarms:

•Should occur in every level of the home, along the exit paths and in the sleeping areas.

Installation of smoke alarm:

•Follow the manufacturer’s guidelines.

•Ceiling mounted alarms should not be installed near air vents or ceiling fans.

•If detectors are wall mounted, install between 2 and 4 inches below the ceiling on the wall to avoid the dead air space.

•Test smoke alarms monthly, and change alkaline batteries twice a year. Lithium batteries may last up to 10 years.

•Mark the detector with the date installed.

Here are some additional items in that simple list of steps or guidelines that should be gone over with along with smoke alarms in the home.

Escape planning:

•Plan and discuss with your family two ways out of every sleeping area in your home.

•Secondary escape routes from the sleeping areas may include windows.

•Insure bedroom windows open easily for quick use. During a fire, never hesitate to break a window if it will not open. Throw a blanket over the window ledge to help prevent cuts.

•Encourage residents to sleep with their bedroom doors closed. This prevents the room from filling with heat and smoke as quickly.

•Check the doors for heat before opening. If the door is hot, don’t open it. You must use the secondary escape route.

•If there is smoke in the room, crawl low near the floor to reach your exit.

•Have a designated meeting place outside your home where everyone can meet after exiting.

•Never go back inside a burning home.

Things that may be needed:

•ABC fire extinguisher for kitchen and garage.

•Escape ladder for upper levels of the home.

•Quality power strips and extension cords.

•New smoke detectors to replace ones five to 10 years old

•Artificial battery operated candles to replace the open flame candles in our youths’ bedrooms.

•Carbon monoxide detectors.

Help make sure that every home has the appropriate amount of working detectors to keep your family, your community, and co-workers safe from fire. It is encourage that you practice these fire prevention & fire safety steps with your family, and if you need further assistance contact your local community fire department with any questions you may have.