Fire Prevention Month
Admittedly, I am biased having an October birthday however, the Autumn is still is a fan favorite for many people. The cooler weather, fall colors, multiple sports seasons etc... provide so many opportunities to enjoy life. That said, October to a firefighter also represents Fire Prevention Week which is a nationwide acknowledgement of fire protection and prevention techniques. Some fire departments have events scheduled for the entire month.
Originally started in 1925, Fire Prevention Week it was to commemorate the Great Chicago Fire in 1911. President Calvin Coolidge noted that in the previous year 15,000 people died from fires in the United States calling the loss of life “startling” and “for the greater part of it could and ought to be prevented”
Today the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) takes the lead and chooses a theme each year providing resources and lesson plans. The 2025 theme is “Charge into safety: Lithium-Ion Batteries in Your Home.” Go to https://www.nfpa.org/en/events/fire-prevention-week to view and order these resources.
When designing a lesson plan or event for fire prevention the activities can be divided in multiple ways depending on the audience. Use the following chart to classify by age group:
-Infant: Focus on educating the parents on fire prevention and home safety
-Age 2 - PreK: What can burn; Firefighters are Friends*; Matches and Lighters Smoke Detectors/alarms
-Kindergarten: Know your address and Phone Number Calling 911; Stop, Drop and Roll; Get Low and Go
-School Age: Have a home escape plan; Burn Prevention; First Aid Fire Drills
*Always have a firefighter dress in front of the kids so they can see and know there is a real person under all that gear. If a firefighter enters the room already dressed in full gear it WILL scare the kids!
Fire Departments can also divide fire prevention activities into three basic categories that can be further modified taking into account the above-mentioned age groups. Start with “Prevention” and move on to “Prepare” and finally “Protect”. Here are some tips for each category:
Prevention
- Never Play with Fire – If you see matches/lighters or other dangerous materials, don’t touch it and notify an Adult immediately.
- Only use candles with adults and don’t leave the room with a candle burning.
- Never play around the stove, microwave or other hot surfaces. Never put paper, rags,
- pot holders, oven mitts and towels on the top of the stove or in the microwave.
- Never play with things that can burn you like heaters, irons and fireplaces.
- If someone gets burned, tell an adult right away.
Prepare
- Make a Fire Escape Plan with your family including a meeting place outside and away from any danger.
- Make sure you know how to open window locks and doors
- Know 2 Ways out of Every Room
- Learn the Sound of Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms
- Make sure you have a smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector in every floor of your
- home and in or near every bedroom.
- When at a friend’s house (or any unfamiliar place) always become familiar with the
- exits, escape plan and meeting place.
Protect
- If You see or are in smoke, stay low and get outside. The air near the floor is easier to breath and you can also see better to escape faster.
- If you are in a Fire, Get Out and Stay Out
- If your clothes catch fire, STOP, DROP and ROLL
- If you see a Firefighter, make lots of noise and make sure they see you
5. Never Return to a fire to Save Your Pets – Tell a firefighter or an adult about any pets
6. Call 911 to report a fire – make sure you are safe first. Tell the person your name, the location of the building that is on fire and the nearest cross streets.
Although the primary goal of fire prevention week is to reduce any incidents of fire that clearly isn’t the only goal. It’s also about bolstering a positive relationship between your fire department and the community they serve. That is where the real fire prevention happens.
Think about this for a second. If your department simply sends out mailers with fire prevention tips then in all honesty, not only will that not have the fire prevention impact but is a huge disservice to that community. Seriously, what happens to mailers as part of the daily pile of mail? Those mailers will likely get thrown in “round filing cabinet” and your department will have missed a golden opportunity to connect with the community.
In contrast, a child coming home with a homework assignment from the fire department to create an escape plan will all but guarantee a safety plan is put in place. What about an apparatus rolling through residential neighborhoods talking about fire prevention with all the adults and children as they tour a firetruck?
Fire prevention in terms of reducing incidents is most effective when combined with personal contact with members of your community. Yes, an Open House is great but an Open House combined with a block party is where the meaningful interactions take place; where your fire prevention message will have a much larger impact.
Other than fire prevention a secondary goal is recruitment and retention. Fire department programs – especially in middle and high schools should also focus on recruitment into Explorer and Junior Firefighter programs. Have applications at the ready for these opportunities as well as applications (firefighter and social) for the students to take back to their parents. Maybe there are parents out there that just need that little nudge to take the plunge and sign up for firefighter 1!
Although October is when fire prevention week takes place and where the primary focus is prevention, preparation and protection, realistically fire prevention takes place all year round. The best efforts are varied and followed up on. The best efforts take that fire prevention message to the community and don’t wait for the community to come to you.
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