FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. — The Fort Leonard Wood Fire Department is scheduled to kick off Fire Prevention Week with Fire Fest scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 5 in the Main Post Exchange parking lot.
Fire Prevention Week, observed annually in October, will run Oct. 6 to 12 and is a crucial period dedicated to raising awareness about fire safety and prevention.
Statistics reported by the National Fire Protection Association show fires cause thousands of deaths, injuries and billions of dollars in damages worldwide each year. Many of these incidents are preventable with the proper knowledge, awareness and precautions.
The Fort Leonard Wood Fire Department is teaming up with the NFPA, the official sponsor of FPW for more than 100 years, to promote this year’s campaign — Smoke alarms: Make them work for you!
“Smoke alarms serve as the first line of defense in a home fire, but they need to be working in order to protect people,” said Lorraine Carli, vice president of outreach and advocacy at NFPA. “This year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign helps better educate the public about simple but critical steps they can take to make sure their homes have smoke alarms in all the needed locations and that they’re working properly.”
The focus of FPW 2024 is on understanding the different sounds smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors make, knowing how to respond to them and encouraging proactive steps to protect homes and workplaces from fire hazards.
According to the NFPA, smoke alarms reduce the risk of dying in a home fire in half. Installing reliable protection and being proactive are important to help keep your loved ones safe from a fire or carbon monoxide emergency.
• Approximately three of every five home fire deaths resulted from fires with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms
• Carbon monoxide is the No. 1 cause of accidental poisoning in the U.S.
• Unattended cooking is the No. 1 cause of home fires
• A fire department responds to a fire every 23 seconds in America
The Fort Leonard Wood Fire Department offers these key smoke alarm safety tips and guidelines:
• Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area (like a hallway), and on each level (including the basement) of the home.
• Make sure smoke alarms meet the needs of all family members, including those with sensory or physical disabilities.
• Test smoke alarms at least once a month by pushing the test button.
• Replace all smoke alarms when they are 10 years old.
Throughout FPW, the Fort Leonard Wood Fire Department has several visits scheduled to elementary schools on post, as well as to daycares and several schools in the surrounding communities. To find out more about FPW programs and Fort Leonard Wood Fire Department activities, contact the Fire Prevention Office at 573.596.0886.
For more information about Fire Prevention Week and smoke alarms, visit fpw.org. Additional resources for educators are available at sparky.org or sparkyschoolhouse.org.
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