Campaign aims to prevent kitchen fires
The National Fire Protection Association’s annual awareness campaign, Fire Prevention Week, will be held October 6-12. The nonprofit, fire safety organization is encouraging the public to prevent kitchen fires. The kitchen is the leading area of origin for home fires and most kitchen fires are caused by cooking. On average, there are roughly 3,000 reported kitchen fires per day in the United States.
The Fire Prevention Week website is the central portal for information and resources to help families, teachers, community leaders, and fire officials spread the word about fire safety.
The site includes fire safety tip sheets, fire statistics, a family safety checklist, Sparky the Fire Dog activities for kids and public service announcement videos. Videos on the site include “Sparky’s Kitchen Rules,” a fire safety song for kids, and safety tips from Sparky’s Aunt Dottie.
Visitors can also test their knowledge of fire safety with the Fire Prevention Week Quiz, a fun, interactive resource that lets families see how well-prepared they are for an emergency. Quiz-takers can review their results and compare them with others via Twitter and Facebook.
Continuing for 2013 will be the Sparky’s Wish List Campaign. The program, now in its second year, is designed to help fire departments connect with their local communities. Fire departments across the country have registered for public safety education materials they need in their communities. Individuals can then help their local fire department prepare for Fire Prevention Week by fulfilling the wishes.
The association offers these important fire safety tips:
Ÿ Be alert! If you are sleepy or have consumed alcohol don’t use the stove or stovetop.
Ÿ Keep an eye on what you fry! Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, grilling, or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove.
Ÿ If you are simmering, baking, roasting, or boiling food, check it regularly, remain in the home while food is cooking, and use a timer to remind you that you are cooking.
Ÿ Keep anything that can catch fire — oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels or curtains — away from your stovetop.
Ÿ Have a “kid-free zone” of at least 3 feet around the stove and areas where hot food or drink is prepared or carried.
NFPA has been the official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week since 1922. According to the National Archives and Records Administration’s Library Information Center, Fire Prevention Week is the longest running public health and safety observance on record. The president of the United States has signed a proclamation proclaiming a national observance during that week every year since 1925. Visit www.firepreventionweek.org for more safety information.
NFPA is a worldwide leader in fire, electrical, building and life safety. The mission of the international nonprofit organization founded in 1896, is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating consensus codes and standards, research, training, and education. NFPA develops more than 300 codes and standards to minimize the possibility and effects of fire and other hazards. All NFPA codes and standards can be viewed at no cost at www.nfpa.org/freeaccess.
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