Richmond, Va. –
Did you know that most home fire deaths happen when people are asleep between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m.?
Defense Supply Center Richmond, Virginia, employees are encouraged to join Defense Logistics Agency Installation Support at Richmond Fire and Emergency Services personnel Oct. 9-15 as they observe National Fire Prevention Week. The week of Oct. 9 was designated as Fire Prevention Week, by Presidential Proclamation. Fire Prevention Week marks the anniversary of one of America’s worst fires, “The Great Chicago Fire” of 1871. This tragedy cost nearly 300 lives, destroyed 17,500 buildings, left 90,000 homeless and cost an estimated $200 million dollars in property loss ($4.4 billion in today’s dollars).
The week is internationally sponsored by the National Fire Protection Association. Each year the NFPA designates a fire prevention theme. The 2016 theme is “Don’t Wait, Check The Date!” This year, the association is reminding employees to replace smoke alarms every 10 years.
Don’t let a home fire result in potential loss of life. Keep your family safe by installing smoke alarms and testing them monthly to make sure they work.
According to the NFPA:
• Three out of five home fire deaths result from fires in properties without working smoke alarms
• More than one-third of home fire deaths, 38 percent, result from fires in which no smoke alarms are present.
• The risk of dying in a home fire is cut in half in homes with working smoke alarms.
Smoke alarms don’t last forever.
Check how old your alarm is by looking at the back of the alarm for the manufacturer’s date. If the smoke alarm is older than 10 years, replace it.
The Fire Prevention staff will be visiting various work areas on center during Fire Prevention Week to help increase employee awareness on the DSCR about the life-saving benefits of smoke alarms.