The goal of Fire Prevention Week is to raise fire safety awareness so that in the event of a disaster, everyone is prepared and has peace of mind knowing they are protected.
In 1922, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) named the second week of October ‘Fire Prevention’ in commemoration of the Great Chicago Fire in 1871. Today, NFPA celebrates this week & month by spreading fire safety awareness and prevention education for communities all across the United States.
This year’s theme is all about cooking safely, “Cooking safety starts with YOU. Pay attention to fire prevention™”. Learn more about safety and download valuable resources for both young and old building occupants at nfpa.org.
Did You Know?
- Almost 3 of every 5 home fire deaths resulted from fires with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms (NFPA)
- Carbon monoxide is the #1 cause of accidental poisoning in the US (CDC)
- Unattended cooking is the #1 cause of home fires (NFPA)
- A fire department responds to a fire every 23 seconds in America (NFPA)
Additional resources:
Download fire prevention activities for kids of all ages: https://www.sparky.org/activities
Download fire safety tip sheets for valuable safety information from the NFPA: https://www.nfpa.org/Events/Events/Fire-Prevention-Week/Safety-Tip-Sheets
Download this year’s theme toolkit for important information about preventing cooking fires: https://www.nfpa.org/Events/Events/Fire-Prevention-Week/Educate
Download the 2023 Cooking Safety guide:
FPW23_CookingSafety.pdf
About Fire Prevention Week (from NFPA.org)
Since 1922, the NFPA 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 this 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.
It 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. https://www.nfpa.org/Events/Events/Fire-Prevention-Week
