In 2009, a house fire was reported every 87 seconds in the U.S. and, on average, seven people died in house fires each day. These alarming statistics from the National Fire Protection Association are some of the reasons behind the annual Fire Prevention Week activities.
“This week is a chance for fire departments to be proactive, not just reactive, in our efforts to educate the public about fire safety,” Sheffield Fire Marshal Terry Lenz said.
Fire Prevention Week kicks off locally with the annual Parade of Lights at 7 p.m. today through downtown Florence. The event features fire trucks and emergency vehicles from various fire departments throughout the Shoals. Nick Kavich, assistant chief of the Waterloo Volunteer Fire Department and fire prevention officer for the Lauderdale County Association of Volunteer Fire Departments, said fire departments throughout the region are encouraged to participate. The parade will end at Wilson Park.
During the week, fire departments, paid and volunteer, will participate in activities to promote safety. “It’s an opportunity for us to get out into the community and to try to stress the importance of fire safety and fire prevention,” Russellville Fire Capt. Steve Thornton said.
He said firefighters have been going to schools in Franklin County and other areas with the department’s Smoke House, teaching fire prevention to young children. “We will continue to be doing demonstrations and taking the children through the Smoke House all next week,” Thornton said Friday.
He said the department is once again trying to stress the importance of smoke alarms. “We will be going door to door in different neighborhoods of Russellville installing smoke detectors where they are needed,” Thornton said. “People need to understand that a smoke detector 10 years old or older needs to be replaced.”
Lenz said people also may want to think about getting a combination smoke and carbon monoxide detector for their homes. “They may be a little more expensive, but they are well worth the money,” he said. He said they will be talking to business owners about fire extinguishers and about some of the hazards that could cause fires.
According to a report by the National Fire Protection Association, there were more than 362,000 house fires in 2009. Those fires caused more than 12,000 injuries and 2,500 deaths.
That same report indicates cooking equipment is the leading cause of home structure fires and related injuries. Fire departments responded to an average of 155,400 cooking-related home fires each year between 2005-09.
Lenz said most fire departments try to focus on working with children during the week. “If you start training them about fire prevention at an early age, it just carries over the older they get and just becomes second nature to them to continuously think about fire safety,” Lenz said.
Lauderdale County volunteer firefighters will host Life and Safety Day in the parking lot of Lowe’s in Florence on Saturday. The event will feature team competitions as well as an extrication competition.