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.
During the week the Mendham Fire Department will post daily safety tips and videos to our social media profiles. On Wednesday we will visit our schools to remind students and teachers about Fire Safety.
Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware. Fire can happen anywhere.™
The Mendham Fire Department is working in coordination with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the official sponsor of the Fire Prevention Week for more than 90 years, to reinforce those potentially life-saving messages. This year’s FPW campaign, “Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware. Fire can happen anywhere,” 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 for places fire could start. Take a good look around your home. Identify potential fire hazards and take care of them.
Listen for the sound of the smoke alarm. You could have only minutes to escape safely once the smoke alarm sounds. Go to your outside meeting place, which should be a safe distance from the home and where everyone should know to meet.
Learn two ways out of every room and make sure all doors and windows leading outside open easily and are free of clutter.
Safety Tips
- “Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware – fire can happen anywhere!” That’s the theme for #FirePreventionWeek, October 7-13, 2018.
- Look for places home fires can start and minimize those risks: Keep cooking areas clear of clutter, keep anything that can burn well away from heat sources, and make sure electrical outlets aren’t overloaded.
- Listen for the sound of the smoke alarm. If you hear it, take it seriously – whether you’re at home or any other location!
- Make sure you have adequate smoke alarm protection! You should have at least one smoke alarm on every level of your home, in each bedroom and near all sleeping areas. Test smoke alarms once a month to make sure they’re working!
- Learn what to do if the smoke alarm sounds: make a home escape plan with all members of your household, then practice it together at least twice a year.
- Use this home escape planning grid to map out a floor plan of your home. Make sure it includes the location of all smoke alarms; two exits from every room; a path from each exit to the outside; and an outdoor meeting place where everyone will meet upon exiting.[Download Grid]
- Make situational awareness a habit. Always look for two exits from the location or building you’re in, and identify the quickest path to the outside in the event of an emergency.
- In a fire situation, once you get outside, stay outside! Call 911 or the local emergency number immediately from your cell phone or a neighbor’s phone.
- Create different fire scenarios for practicing your home fire escape plan like blocking some exits and conducting a fire drill in the dark. Develop a plan for each situation.
- If there are members of your household who need assistance escaping a fire situation, make sure your home escape plans account for their needs.
For more information, visit: firepreventionweek.org
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