Fire Prevention Week Begins Today

Fire Prevention Week begins today, and prevention agencies are reminding everyone to take steps to stay safe from the nation’s most frequent and deadliest disaster.
On average, seven people die every day from home fires, which take more lives each year than all other natural disasters combined in the U.S., according to the National Fire Protection Association. But two simple steps – practicing fire drills at home and testing smoke alarms monthly – can help prevent tragedy from striking in your family.
Cody Fire Marshal Sam Wilde says that there are several programs that the local volunteer fire department puts on during Fire Prevention Week to raise awareness about the ways in which families can keep themselves safe during a fire situation, and offer other resources as well.

Experts say that today’s home fires burn faster than ever, leaving people with only as little as two minutes to escape a burning residence. But according to a Red Cross survey last year, many mistakenly believe they have more time.
During Fire Prevention Week, officials urge everyone to develop a fire escape plan with everyone in your household and practice it at least twice a year; install smoke alarms in your home, on every level and outside each sleeping area; teach children what smoke alarms sound like and what they should do if they hear one; make sure all household members know two ways to escape from every room; and establish a family meeting spot outside.