The Escondido Fire Department teamed up with the San Diego Regional Fire Foundation (Fire Foundation) and the National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®) — the official sponsor of Fire Prevention WeekTM (FPW) for more than 100 years — to promote this year’s FPW campaign, “Smoke Alarms: Make Them Work For YouTM.” The campaign works to educate everyone about the importance of having smoke alarms in the home.
According to NFPA, smoke alarms reduce the risk of dying in a home fire by more than half (54 percent). Meanwhile, roughly three out of five fire deaths happen in homes with either no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
“Smoke alarms serve as the first line of defense in a home fire, but they need to be working in order to protect people,” said Lorraine Carli, vice president of outreach and advocacy at NFPA. “This year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign helps better educate the public about simple but critical steps they can take to make sure their homes have smoke alarms in all the needed locations and that they’re working properly.”
The Escondido Fire Department encourages all residents to actively support the 2024 FPW theme, “Smoke alarms: Make them work for you!” “Working smoke alarms can make a life-saving difference in a home fire, giving people the time to get out safely,” said Escondido Fire Chief, John Tenger. “This year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign is a great way to remind everyone about these messages and to act on them.”
The Escondido Fire Department offers these key smoke alarm safety tips and guidelines:
- Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area (like a hallway), and on each level (including the basement) of the home.
- Make sure smoke alarms meet the needs of all family members, including those with sensory or physical disabilities.
- Test smoke alarms at least once a month by pushing the test button.
- Replace all smoke alarms when they are 10 years old.
As part of Fire Prevention Week, the Escondido Fire Department and the Fire Foundation sponsored a poster contest for 3rd graders at three local Escondido Schools. The Fire Foundation provided prizes for 1st and 2nd place winners at each school. The winners will also be recognized Wednesday, October 9th, during the Escondido City Council meeting at 5:00 p.m. during its Fire Prevention Week Proclamation.
For more general information about Fire Prevention Week and smoke alarms, visit www.fpw.org. For fire safety fun for kids, visit sparky.org.
About the San Diego Regional Fire Foundation
The San Diego Regional Fire Foundation, www.sdfirefoundation.org, a 501c3 non-profit, was formed in 1989 with a mission to improve the system of fire and emergency services in San Diego County by providing financial support for first-responder equipment and training, by increasing public awareness, and by facilitating cooperation between cities, fire departments, county agencies, corporations, and other foundations. We are the only fire foundation that supports the entire county: 29 fire agencies with 250 fire stations.