National Park Service Structural Fire Program observes Fire Prevention Week 2024

Each October since 1922, the National Fire Protection Association has observed Fire Prevention Week to provide focused public education on the importance of fire and life safety. The October timeframe commemorates the Great Chicago Fire which began on Oct. 8, 1871 and killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures, and burned more than 2,000 acres.

In 2024, Fire Prevention Week is observed from October 6-12, and the National Park Service (NPS) Structural Fire Program will promote the theme “Smoke Alarms: Make them work for you.™”

The National Park Service has a few tips to help keep you and your family safe when you visit a facility in a national park:

• Locate emergency exits and be prepared to exit immediately and safely if you hear an alarm.
• Follow emergency evacuation plans when needed, and follow instructions from emergency officials and park employees or volunteers.
• If staying overnight, make the park employees aware if you or someone traveling with you may need assistance during an emergency.

The National Fire Protection Association data shows that most structural fire deaths occur in homes with no smoke alarms, or no working smoke alarms. Make smoke alarms work for you, learn more about smoke alarm safety and guidance from the National Fire Protection Association.

Duration:

1 minute, 38 seconds

National Park Service Structural Fire Chief, Shane Crutcher shares messages for keeping everyone safe from fire while visiting parks.

Fire Safety and Prevention Tips!

The events are kicked off with signing the NPS Fire Prevention Week proclamation. Christopher Wilcox, Chief of the NPS Division of Fire and Aviation Management, and Shane Crutcher, Branch Chief of Structural Fire for the NPS signed the proclamation on October 2, at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho.

National Park Service
Division of Fire and Aviation Management
2024 Fire Prevention Week Proclamation

WHEREAS, the National Park Service is committed to ensuring the safety and security of all those living in and visiting our national parks; and

WHEREAS, fire is a serious public safety concern both locally and nationally, and homes are the locations where people are at greatest risk from fire; and

WHEREAS, home fires killed more than 2,700 people in the United States in 2022, according to the National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®), and fire departments in the United States responded to 338,000 home fires; and

WHEREAS, roughly three out of five fire deaths happen in homes with either no smoke alarms or with no working smoke alarms; and

WHEREAS, working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in reported home fires almost in half; and

WHEREAS, smoke alarms sense smoke well before you can, alerting you to danger in the event of fire in which you may have as little as 2 minutes to escape safely; and

WHEREAS, smoke alarms shall be installed in every sleeping room, outside each separate sleeping area, and on every level of the home; and

WHEREAS, the National Park Service will make sure their smoke alarms meet the needs of all employees and their family members, including those with sensory or physical disabilities; and

WHEREAS, smoke alarms shall be tested at least once a month.

WHEREAS, those who have planned and practiced a home fire escape plan are more prepared and will therefore be more likely to survive a fire; and

WHEREAS, the National Park Service is dedicated to reducing the occurrence of home fires and home fire injuries through prevention and protection education; and

WHEREAS, the National Park Service is responsive to public education measures and takes steps to increase employee safety from fire, especially in their homes; and

WHEREAS, the 2024 Fire Prevention Week^TM theme, “Smoke alarms: Make them work for you.^TM,” serves to remind us the importance of having working smoke alarms in the home.

THEREFORE I, Chris Wilcox, Chief of the National Park Service Fire and Aviation Management Division, and Shane Crutcher, Branch Chief, Structural Fire do hereby proclaim October 6–12, 2024, as Fire Prevention Week throughout the National Park Service, and we urge all employees and visitors to make sure their homes have working smoke alarms and to support the many public safety activities and efforts of the National Park Service’s fire and emergency services.