The Hopewell Valley Uniformed Firefighters Association and the Hopewell Township Fire District are teaming up with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to promote this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign, “Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware. Fire can happen anywhere™,” which works to educate the public about basic but essential ways to quickly and safely escape a home fire. The annual Hopewell Valley Fire Safety Open House will take place at Woolsey Park 221 Washington Crossing Pennington Road, Titusville, NJ on Saturday, October 13, 2018 from noon until 4pm.
Today’s home fires burn faster than ever. In a typical home fire, you may have as little as one to two minutes to escape safely from the time the smoke alarm sounds. Knowing how to use that time wisely takes planning and practice.
NFPA statistics show that the number of U.S. home fires has been steadily declining over the past few decades. However, the death rate per 1000 home fires that are reported to fire departments was 10 percent higher in 2016 than in 1980.
“These numbers show that while we’ve made significant progress in teaching people how to prevent fires from happening, there’s still much more work to do in terms of educating the public about how to protect themselves in the event of one,” said Lorraine Carli, NFPA’s vice president of Outreach and Advocacy. “This is particularly critical given the increased speed at which today’s home fires grow and spread.”
Carli also notes that although people feel safest in their home, it is also the place people are at greatest risk to fire, with four out of five U.S. fire deaths occurring at home. That over-confidence contributes to a complacency toward home escape planning and practice.
“Working in the fire service for many years, we know that people often make choices in fire situations that jeopardize their safety or even cost them their lives,” said Matthew Martin, Chief of the Hopewell Township Fire District. “We need to do a better job of teaching people about the potentially life-saving difference escape planning and practice can make and motivating them to action.”
Joshua Wilson, President of the Hopewell Valley Uniformed Firefighters Association says this year’s
“Look. Listen. Learn.” campaign highlights three steps people can take to help quickly and safely escape a fire:
- Look for places fire could start.
- Listen for the sound of the smoke alarm.
- Learn 2 ways out of every room.
While NFPA, the Hopewell Valley Uniformed Firefighters Association, and the Hopewell Township Fire District are focusing on home fires, these fire safety messages apply to virtually anywhere.
“Situational awareness is a skill people need to use wherever they go,” said Chief Matthew Martin. “No matter where you are, look for available exits. If the alarm system sounds, take it seriously and exit the building immediately.”
The Hopewell Township Fire District is hosting a series of events in support of this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign, “Look. Listen. Learn.,” In addition to visiting Hopewell Valley Schools, the annual Hopewell Valley Fire Safety Open House will take place at Woolsey Park 221 Washington Crossing Pennington Road, Titusville, NJ on Saturday, October 13, 2018 from noon until 4pm.
The Fire Safety Open House will include: Children’s Fire Academy, Children’s Fire Hose Demo, Interactive Fire Truck Demo, Hands Only CPR Lessons, Antique Fire Trucks, HTFD Photo Booth, Fire Arson Dogs, NJ State Police Helicopter, Bristol Meyers Squibb Emergency Services Hazardous Materials Demonstrations, Trenton mercer Airport Fire Department Airport Crash Rescue Truck, Capital health Systems Mobile Stroke Unit, and the Hopewell Valley Emergency Services Fire Safety Open House.
For more information about Fire Prevention Week and home escape planning, visit www.firepreventionweek.org.
