South Burlington Fire Department - Fire Prevention Day 10/04/2014

Fire Prevention Week – Help Us Sound The Alarm That Working Smoke Alarms Save Lives!!

Senior Fire Fighter/Paramedic Bradley Dattilio

Fire Prevention Education Coordinator – SBFD

            When was the last time you tested the smoke alarms in your home?  Was it last week?  Last month?  A year ago? 

            If you’re like many people, you may not even remember.  Smoke alarms have become such a common feature of U.S. households that they’re often taken for granted, and aren’t tested and maintained as they should.

Working smoke alarms are a critical fire safety tool that can mean the difference between life and death in a home fire. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), smoke alarms can cut the chance of dying in a home fire in half. Meanwhile, NFPA data shows that home fires killed more than 2,300 people in 2012; many of these deaths could have been prevented with the proper smoke alarm protection.

            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 and destroyed more than 17,400 structures.  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 Week is the longest running public health and safety observance on record.

            This year’s campaign, “Smoke Alarms Save Lives:  Test Yours Every Month,” aims to better educate the public about the true value of working smoke alarms.  In support of these efforts, the South Burlington Fire Department will be hosting our annual Fire Prevention Day campaign on Saturday, October 4^th at Station 1 across from the South Burlington High School.  This event will kick-off a busy week as we will be providing fire safety education in all of the community elementary schools.  Please join us for a fun afternoon of Fire & EMS education, live kitchen fire demonstrations, free hot dogs, and many more fun activities for the whole family.  We look forward to seeing you on October 4^th!  Please follow our regular safety tips, activities, and incident log on Facebook (www.Facebook.com/SouthBurlingtonFireDepartment) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/soburlfireL3671).