Although the Alexandria Fire Department kicked off Fire Prevention Week last weekend at Station 202 during Art on the Avenue in Del Ray, the week-long awareness campaign is, according to Richard Sisler, deputy fire marshal for public education, "all year long."
Sisler said, "This is especially true this time of the year when people are starting up their furnaces. They should be thoroughly checked by a professional to make sure they are clean. People should make sure they have good, working smoke detectors and practice emergency escape procedures."
Homes that have any gas appliances or fuel burning facilities, such as fireplaces, should also have carbon monoxide detectors, according to Sisler. And, when the time changes on Oct. 26, from daylight to standard time, batteries in both smoke and carbon monoxide detectors should also be changed.
"If people need batteries and can't afford them or need assistance in installing them, they should call us, and we'll come to them," Sisler said. The number to call is 703-838-5594.
ON DISPLAY LAST Saturday was a simulated, remodeled basement kitchen assembled by City Code Enforcement's New Construction Inspectors. A two-wall replica of electrical, gas and plumbing hazards, it showcased "deficiencies that have been discovered during inspections." Its purpose was to illustrate avoidable errors made by do-it-yourselfers, according to departmental personnel.
Central to fire prevention is education of small children on how to prevent fires and how to react if faced with a fire situation. To accomplish this, fire department personnel will be visiting recreation centers and a number of preschools throughout the period, according to Sisler.
As a part of this national observance, Alexandria's annual Wreath Laying Memorial Service takes place at Ivy Hill Cemetery, 2823 King St., on Friday, Oct. 10, beginning at 11 a.m. The service honors firefighters who have died in the line of duty and marks the passing of those members of the Alexandria Fire Department, present and retired, who died during the preceding year.
FIRE PREVENTION WEEK is the oldest safety commemoration proclaimed annually by the president of the United States, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). It originated as a result of the Great Chicago Fire which began Oct. 8, 1871. The week always encompasses the two days of that fire, which claimed its greatest devastation on Oct. 9, 1871.
That fire killed more than 250 people and destroyed more than 17,400 structures. That same day, the Peshtigo Fire roared through northern Wisconsin, killing 1,152 people and destroying more than one million acres.
Three of the 10 deadliest fires in U.S. history have been forest fires. In addition to Peshtigo, they were Hinckley, Minn., on Sept. 1, 1894, with a death toll of 418, and Cloquet, Minn., on Oct. 12, 1918, where 559 perished.
But nothing in U.S. history comes close to the burning devastation of the World Trade Center, Sept. 11, 2001. The death toll, as close as possible, is listed at 2,666. In that count were more than 300 New York City firefighters.
NFPA reports that in the latest year for which statistics are available, fire departments nationwide respond to a fire every 18 seconds, battling more than 1.7 million fires. Three-quarters of structural fires are residential, and eight of 10 fire deaths occur in the home.
USING SPRINKLERS and smoke alarms together can cut the risk of dying in a home fire by 82 percent, according to NFPA statistics. While 95 percent of U.S. homes have "at least one smoke alarm," half the home fire deaths occur in the remaining 5 percent.
For safety tips and advice, visit NFPA on line at www.sparky.org or www.riskwatch.org.