Fire Prevention Week 2009

Fire Prevention Week has been officially recognized in North America for almost 85 years. First proclaimed by U.S. President Calvin Coolidge in 1925, the week beginning on the first Sunday of October was instituted to commemorate those lost in some of the United States' most notorious fires. The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 was a major source of inspiration for this particular event, as were others, like the Peshtigo Fire, also in 1871, and the Iroquois Theater Fire of 1903.

Canada adopted Fire Prevention Week just a few years later. Today dozens of industrialized countries "celebrate" Fire Prevention Week. Each country has its own unique reasons for doing so, including honoring fallen fire fighters and remembering citizens who have perished in fires.

One thing that all of these nations' celebrations have in common is a desire to educate the public on the dangers of fire. Every country which recognizes the first full week of October as Fire Prevention Week focuses to some degree on education and awareness, particularly with young children.

Across North America, events like fire station open houses allow members of the public to observe firsthand what firefighters do on a daily basis. They are exposed to fire fighting equipment, vehicles, uniforms and fire stations themselves. Events like these give people, particularly children, an up close view of the serious work of fire fighters and the responsibility of all citizens to be fire smart.

In fact, the theme for Fire Prevention Week 2009 is "Stay Fire Smart! Don't Get Burned." Educational efforts for this year's events will focus on short lessons about preventing fires in the home, including advice about how to recognize fire dangers in unexpected places in the home.

Of course, one of the key lessons that members of the public are reminded of during every year's Fire Prevention Week is that of regular smoke alarm testing. The National Fire Protection Association, the Red Cross and other advocacy groups recommend testing of home smoke alarms once per month. This simple act can prevent hundreds of fire-related deaths in the home annually.

In North America, the National Fire Protection Association (or NFPA) is the national administrator of Fire Prevention Week in North America. It helps to determine each year's theme and develop related curriculum and educational materials.

Home Fire Prevention - Simple Steps to Follow

By Ryan J. Smith

It is estimated that over 300,000 home fires occur annually.
Although a fire alarm plays a key role in fire survival, it
would still be more beneficial to prevent a fire from ever
starting. Home fires can be prevented, provided that
precautionary measures in your common household practices are
followed.

While you cannot predict what type of fire you will experience,
it’s always better to minimize hazards by conscientiously
following some easy steps to prevent home fires resulting from
the three leading causes – cooking, cooling and heating
equipment, and electrical wiring.

Steps to prevent cooking fire

As home fires are mostly caused by cooking equipment,
prevention should focus on this aspect by strictly following
these safety practices:

• Do not disable your smoke alarm. Position it someplace where
its sound won’t be a constant nuisance of false alarms, but
where it can still adequately detect small fires occurring in
the kitchen.

• Do not forget to watch the food being cooked as most of the
fires originating from the kitchen are due to unattended
cooking.

• Set a timer so you will not forget that you’re cooking
something should you need to leave the kitchen.

• If you have kids, keep them away from any appliance when
you’re cooking. Restrict them from playing in the kitchen
especially near the stove.

• Avoid wearing loose fitting sleeves or clothing while cooking
as these can easily catch flame.

• Avoid storing any items behind the stove so you won’t have to
reach over it should you need to get anything.

• Keep pot and pan handles directed inward to avoid
accidentally pulling or knocking them off the stove.

Preventing fires from cooling and heating equipment

The next most common origin of residential fire is caused by
heating and cooling equipment. Home heating equipment pertains
to central heating units, space heaters that can be moved or
firmly stationed, fireplaces, and heat conduction systems.

Below are useful steps to follow in preventing fires from this
type of equipment:

• Have your heating, cooling and water devices checked yearly
by a qualified technician to ensure that they are functioning
well.

• Ensure that your fireplace chimney is regularly checked and
cleaned. Have it swept at least once a year.

• Never leave a portable heating device on unattended or while
you are asleep. These air heating devices are designed only as
temporary adjunctive heaters and should be operated only when
someone can attend to them.

Use only portable heating devices that have been sealed by a
nationally accredited testing group. These devices have
undergone sufficient testing in terms of safety requirements,
and their manufacturers have provided vital use and care details
to their users.

Preventing fires due to electrical wiring and lighting

Faulty wiring and lighting comprise the third leading cause of
home fires. Many of these electrical fires are due to faulty
outlets and old wiring that are malfunctioning. Other fire
causes include frayed appliance cords and busted safety plugs.

To prevent fires resulting from electrical cords and lighting,
you should:

• Discard any cracked or stiff electrical cords. Old, overused
and flexed cord insulation is usually damaged.

• Check for tattered or loose wires in electrical cords as
these can cause fires. Have these cords replaced right away.

• Avoid using extension cords for long periods. Be sure to
install additional outlets when needed.

•Keep flammable items away from light bulbs (particularly
halogen types) as these can get extremely hot and set nearby
combustibles on fire.

• Never cover a lampshade with a piece of clothing or towels.
Lamps without cover should not be used in cases where they might
fall down onto a bed or sofa.

• Check for the right wattage specified for a certain fixture
and use it only. High wattage bulbs can lead to the overheating
of the fixture which can trigger a fire.

About the Author: Visit
http://www.ResidentialFireSprinklers.com - Your Source for Home
Fire Protection. In 2008 Ryan retired from the senior management
team of an industry leading fire protection company in North
America to focus on improving home fire protection. Blog
http://www.ResidentialFireSprinklers.com/bl

Source: iSnare

Permanent Link:
Home Fire Prevention