by Barbara Rice, Fire Marshal, City of Casa Grande
In 1925, President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed the week containing Oct. 9 as Fire Prevention Week to commemorate the Great Chicago Fire that occurred in 1871 and that took nearly 300 lives and destroyed more than 3 square miles of Chicago.
Nearly six decades later, fire departments and fire protection organizations are promoting Fire Prevention Week to share important life safety messages to citizens nationwide.
In Casa Grande, our fire department works every day to promote fire prevention and provide life safety education programs to protect our community members from injury or death. We teach CPR and first aid, drowning prevention, fall injury prevention, babysitter safety – the list goes on. We teach in schools, businesses, at special events and in homes.
This year, we are hosting our third annual open house for Fire Prevention Week and will be promoting the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Fire Prevention Week theme “Look. Listen. Learn: Be aware. Fire can happen anywhere.”
Fire can happen anywhere, but four out of five fire-related deaths occur in the home (NFPA, 2017). Our focus will be on messages that promote fire prevention in the home.
Fire Prevention Week will kick off our Smoke Alarm Installation campaign that leads to our 11th annual smoke alarm installation event in January. We will have an open house for you to come and visit with firefighters, play games and learn important tips for staying safe in your home.
We practice fire prevention every day and want to help you do the same. Please join us in celebrating Fire Prevention Week Oct. 7 – 13.
