Fire Safety Week

Home fires are the biggest public safety threat facing U.S. families today, with one home fire reported every 86 seconds. To educate the public about the importance of fire safety, National Fire Prevention Week was established and is observed in the United States and Canada during the week in which October 9 falls, commemorating the Great Chicago Fire. On the 40th anniversary (1911) of the Great Chicago Fire, the Fire Marshals Association of North America (FMANA); the oldest membership section of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), sponsored the first National Fire Prevention Day, deciding to observe the anniversary as a way to keep the public informed about the importance of fire prevention.

We sat down with Anne Arundel County Professional Fire Fighter Steve Stanton of our Fire Marshall’s Office this month to get his Fire Safety Advice. 

Make sure you have working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.  Maryland state fire code states you must have ten-year smoke alarms designed to provide up to ten years of service without battery changes in your home. Regardless of the manufacturer's suggested battery life, it is important to replace batteries (or smoke alarm) as soon as the low battery alert is activated!

Check your neighborhood fire hydrants.  Fire Fighter Stanton says, “There’s no formal process and little effort to sponsoring a water hydrant on your street!” Make sure no vehicles are parked in front of the hydrant, and check to make sure trees, bushes, and shrubs are clipped back 3 feet from the hydrant.  Ensure all hydrant caps are properly in place and that they aren’t missing.  If the hydrant is struck by a vehicle or there is missing dirt around the hydrant or the hydrant appears tipped, please call the County’s Department of Public Works at 410-222-7500.  As we approach winter, please clear 3 feet around and in front of the hydrant.  If there’s a fire on your street, these simple neighborly gestures could save your life or that of your neighbors!

Develop an escape plan. Make sure to review your family escape plan at least every year, and make sure to develop a new plan if you move.  Make sure everyone, regardless of age, sleeps with the door shut, and if the smoke detector sounds, always feel the door to see if it is hot before opening. Make sure there are two ways out of every room.  Stay low and crawl, as smoke and temperatures rise.  Have the family meet at a pre-arranged spot that everyone knows, so that the adults can perform a headcount before First Responders arrive.  Never go back inside; never enter a burning building. 

Thanks so much for the tips, Fire Fighter Stanton!