The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) today announced the theme for Fire Prevention Week 2007: “It’s Fire Prevention Week – Practice Your Escape Plan.” This year’s theme for Fire Prevention Week, taking place October 7 through 13, focuses on how to plan and practice escape from a home if a fire occurs. NFPA has been the sponsor for Fire Prevention Week (FPW) for more than 80 years.
In 2005, U.S. fire departments responded to 1.6 million fires and 24% of these were home fires. Home fires killed 3,030 people that year – roughly 8 people every day – yet only 23% of households have actually developed and practiced a home fire escape plan.
It’s not enough just to have a home fire escape plan in place; everyone in the home must also practice the plan. Visit FPW’s official Web site to learn more about how to escape a home fire.
The public is invited to practice their escape plan by participating in The Great American Fire Drill. During the month of October, NFPA and its mascot Sparky the Fire Dog® are urging people to “Practice Your Escape Plan.” People participating in The Great American Fire Drill will be able to sign up and be counted at Sparky’s Web site. Information will be available this summer on how to download an “I Did the Drill” certificate.
It is important to be prepared to escape from a fire if one occurs, but it is equally important to prevent fires from happening in the first place. NFPA suggests taking steps to avoid fires by making sure your home and activities that take place there are as safe as possible. The leading causes of home fires are cooking, smoking, heating, electrical equipment, and intentionally set fires. Cooking leads to the most fires and injuries while fires caused by smoking leads to the most deaths. Visit the Fire Prevention Week Web site for more statistics about fires and useful safety tips on how to prevent them.
NFPA has taken the lead in public fire safety outreach by serving as the official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week for 85 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.
NFPA has been a worldwide leader in providing fire, electrical, building, and life safety to the public since 1896. The mission of the international nonprofit organization 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.