Lakewood, NJ – The following information is provided by the Board of Fire Commissioners of Lakewood Fire District No. 1, in conjunction with Fire Chief Jonathan Yahr, Fire Prevention Specialist Sima Clapman, and the members of the Lakewood Fire Department.
In conjunction with Fire Prevention Week, The Lakewood Fire Department is hosting Fire Prevention Day on Sunday, October 13, 2024, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. This event will be held at Red Square which is in downtown Lakewood at 3rd Street and Clifton Avenue. There will be interactive Fire Service demonstrations, Apparatus demonstrations, and Gift Bags with Fire Safety information.
The history of Fire Prevention Week has its roots in the Great Chicago Fire, which began on October 8, 1871, but lasted 27 hours and incurred the most damage the following day. It remains one of the best-known fire disasters in the world. As a result, October 9, 1871, is the date most often connected with this tragic conflagration. In the end, the Great Chicago Fire killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures and burned more than 2000 acres. While the origin of the fire has never been determined, there has been much speculation over how it began. One popular legend was that Mrs. Catherine O’Leary was milking her cow when the animal kicked over a lamp, setting O’Leary’s barn on fire and starting the spectacular blaze. It is a less well-known fact that on the same day of the Great Chicago Fire, the Peshtigo Fire roared through Northern Wisconsin, killing 1,152 people, and burning more than a million acres.
On the Great Chicago Fire’s 40th anniversary, the former Fire Marshals Association of North America (now the International Fire Marshals Association, or IFMA) sponsored the first National Fire Prevention Day, advocating an annual observance as a way to keep the public informed about the importance of fire prevention. In 1920, President Woodrow Wilson issued the first National Fire Prevention Day proclamation, and since 1922, National Fire Prevention Week has been observed on the Sunday-through-Saturday period in which October 9th falls. In addition, the President of the United States has signed a proclamation pronouncing a national observance during that week every year since 1925 making Fire Prevention Week the oldest safety commemoration.
Dedicated to raising public awareness about the dangers of fire and how to prevent it, the National Fire Prevention Association, or NFPA is the official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week.
According to NFPA, smoke alarms reduce the risk of dying in a home fire by more than half (54 percent). Meanwhile, roughly three out of five fire deaths happen in homes with either no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
“Smoke alarms serve as the first line of defense in a home fire, but they need to be working in order to protect people,” said Lorraine Carli, vice president of outreach and advocacy at NFPA. “This year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign helps better educate the public about simple but critical steps they can take to make sure their homes have smoke alarms in all the needed locations and that they’re working properly.”
The Lakewood Fire Department encourages all residents to actively support the 2024 Fire Prevention Week theme, “Smoke alarms: Make them work for you!” “Working smoke alarms can make a life-saving difference in a home fire, giving people the time to get out safely,” said Fire Prevention Specialist, Sima Clapman. “This year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign is a great way to remind everyone about these messages and to act on them.”
The Lakewood Fire Department offers these key smoke alarm safety tips and guidelines:
- Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area (like a hallway), and on each level (including the basement) of the home.
- Make sure smoke alarms meet the needs of all family members, including those with sensory or physical disabilities.
- Test smoke alarms at least once a month by pushing the test button.
- Replace all smoke alarms when they are 10 years old.
To learn more about Fire Prevention Week and this year’s theme, “Smoke alarms: Make them work for you!” visit www.fpw.org. Additional Fire Prevention Week resources for children, caregivers, and educators can be found at www.sparky.org and www.sparkyschoolhouse.org. Additional Fire Safety Information for parents, children and educators can be found on our website.
