Parade kicks off Annual National Fire Prevention Week Campaign

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Jamie L. Coggan
  • 355th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  The Davis-Monthan Fire and Emergency Services Flight hosted a "Fire Prevention Week Parade" here Oct. 4, featuring a variety of different fire trucks, to kick off the Annual National Fire Prevention Week Campaign.

Fire Prevention Week runs from Oct. 5 to Oct. 11 and is designated by Presidential Proclamation annually. The Davis-Monthan Fire Department uses Fire Prevention Week to host local activities and events to educate the public and raise awareness of key fire safety issues.

The theme for Fire Prevention Week 2008 is "Prevent Home Fires." During this year's fire safety campaign, firefighters and safety advocates will be spreading the word about the dangers associated with fires in the home.

Fire Prevention Week is actively supported by fire departments across the country. For 86 years, fire departments have observed Fire Prevention Week, making it the longest running public health and safety observance on record.

"Helping the base populace prevent fires and injuries in their homes are key goals that drive the process we follow in fire protection," said D-M Fire Chief Scott Cline. "Fire Prevention Week is one of the times during the year that we concentrate our efforts to reach out to the community and provide up close and personal fire safety education."

According to the National Fire Protection Association, fire departments responded too nearly 400,000 home fires in 2006 resulting in 2,580 civilian deaths, 12,500 civilian injuries and $6.8 billion in direct damage.

"The goal of the Davis-Monthan Fire Department is to help local residents focus on fire and life safety issues in the home by educating residents in how to identify and correct fire hazards where we live," said Mr. Raymond LeClair, assistant chief of fire prevention. "This year's theme is designed to educate residents in identifying and correcting fire hazards in their homes. Fire safety is more than education -- it's an attitude that could save the lives of your families."

Reviewing the information below and following the recommended actions can help to save lives.

Home Fire Safety Checklist:

· Portable space heaters are off whenever a grown-up leaves the room and goes to sleep
· Portable space heaters are 3 feet away from anything that can burn
· Curtains and other things that can burn are away from the stovetop
· All extension cords are used safely (not under carpets or across walking areas)
· Electrical cords are in good condition (not damaged)
· Appliances and lights are plugged into separate electrical outlets
· All smoke alarms work when tested by a grown-up
· All escape routes are clear of clutter and easily accessible
· The clothes dryer has a clean vent and filter (no lint build-up)
· A grown-up always stays in the kitchen whenever food is cooking on the stovetop

"We often hear from residents who have experienced a fire in their home, and they could not recall if they turned off the stove," said Mr. LeClair. "With our busy lives, the safety of our homes and families are sometimes relegated to the back of our minds, an afterthought as we hop in the car to start the day. We hope that Fire Prevention Week will prompt the members of the Davis-Monthan community to prevent home fires."

The schedule of D-M events during Fire Prevention Week is as follows:

Monday, Oct. 6, 9 a.m to 1 p.m. - Fire truck static display at the Commissary, along with blood-pressure checks, public information and fire extinguisher demonstrations.
Tuesday, Oct. 7, 9 to 11 a.m. - Visit to Dorothy Finley Child Development Center.
Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2 to 4 p.m. - Visit to D-M Child Development Center.
Wednesday, Oct. 8, 8:30 to 11 a.m. - Mini-Firefighter Challenge at Borman Elementary School, featuring a hose crawl, bunker relays, smoke detector drills, a fire truck static display and questions and answers from Sparky the Fire Dog.
Thursday, Oct. 9, 8:30 to 11 a.m. - Public Education Trailer static display for kindergarteners at Borman Elementary School, featuring Sparky the Fire Dog.
Friday, Oct. 10, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. - Child safety car seat inspection at the Base Exchange parking lot.
Sunday, Oct. 12, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. - Fire truck static display at the BX parking lot, along with blood-pressure checks, public information, detection and suppression items, and fire extinguisher demonstrations.

For more information, contact the Davis-Monthan Fire Prevention office at 228-6027.

The Davis-Monthan Fire and Emergency Services Flight contributed to this story.