Each year in October, the Greeley Fire Department conducts special events centered around Fire Prevention Week in coordination with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). During the month of October, the Greeley Fire Department will host a variety of events and visit local schools to educate our residents on how to best prevent fires in their homes to keep themselves and their families safe.
Follow the Greeley Fire Department’s Fire Prevention tips all month long on the department’s social media pages (insert link to X, Instagram, and facebook).
For more information about the NFPA, Fire Prevention Week, and cooking safety, visit www.fpw.rog. Find educational and entertaining fire safety tools for kids online at www.sparky.org.
History of Fire Prevention Week
Since 1922, the National Fire Protection Association has sponsored the public observance of Fire Prevention Week. In 1925, President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed Fire Prevention Week a national observance, making it the longest-running public health observance in our country. During Fire Prevention Week, children, adults, and teachers learn how to stay safe in case of a fire. Firefighters provide lifesaving public education in an effort to drastically decrease casualties caused by fires.
Fire Prevention Week is observed each year during the week of October 9th in commemoration of the Great Chicago Fire, which began on October 8, 1871, and caused devastating damage. This horrific conflagration killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures, and burned more than 2,000 acres of land.
Importance of Fire Prevention and Safety
In a fire, seconds can mean the difference between being able to safely escape a home fire and a tragedy. Fire safety education is important for all ages, including children, teenagers, adults. Elderly are also at risk in fires, making it important for every member of the community to take some time every October during Fire Prevention Week to make sure they understand how to stay safe in case of a fire.
Safety Tips
Fire spreads quickly. If fire breaks out in your home, there is no time to gather valuables or make a phone call. In just two minutes, a fire can become life threatening. In five minutes, your home can be up in flames. Be prepared for a fire before it starts.
Prepare for a Fire
- Buy and install smoke alarms that use 10-year, sealed lithium-ion batteries.
- Place smoke alarms on every level of your home (including the basement), outside bedrooms, at the top of open stairways, and at the bottom of stairways that are closed in between two walls.
- Test smoke alarms once a month and replace the alarms every 10 years.
- Plan and review your home escape routes with your family. Practice getting out of each room
Survive a Fire
- If a smoke detector goes off or if you notice a fire, stay calm. Get out as quickly as possible and stay out.
- Before opening a door, feel it with the back of your hand. If it’s hot, find another way out.
- Stay as close to the floor as possible. Smoke and heat rise and the air is clearer and cooler near the floor.
- Call 911 from a safe place such as a neighbor’s house.