Fire Prevention Week is Oct. 8-14; Open Houses Scheduled at Dubuque Fire Stations
Since 1922, National Fire Prevention Week has been observed during the Sunday through Saturday period in which Oct. 9 falls. This year’s theme, “Every Second Counts—Plan 2 Ways Out!,” emphasizes the importance of having an escape plan with two exits from each room.
Seconds can mean the difference between residents of our community escaping safely from a fire or having their lives end in tragedy. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends drawing a map of your home with all members of your household, marking two exits from each room and a path to the outside from each exit. Information on home fire escape plans and other tips are available at http://www.nfpa.org/fpw.
The Dubuque Fire Department has partnered with American Red Cross of the Tri-States to give Dubuque residents the opportunity to sign up to receive free smoke alarms and installation by Dubuque firefighters. Red Cross volunteers will install alarms for non-residents. To request this service, call 563-589-4195 (Dubuque residents) or 563-563-9119 (non-residents), or visit www.getasmokealarm.org.
The fire department promotes fire safety and prevention year-round through educational programs at schools, businesses, senior centers, and more. In observance of National Fire Prevention Week, the Dubuque Fire Department will hold open houses on Sunday, Oct. 8, from 1-3 p.m. at each of the six Dubuque fire stations:
Fire Headquarters: 11 W. Ninth St.
Station #2: 2180 JFK Rd.
Station #3: 3155 Central Ave.
Station #4: 1697 University Ave.
Station #5: 689 S. Grandview Ave.
Station #6: 1500 Rhomberg Ave.
During the open houses, Sparky the Fire Dog will be at Fire Headquarters and Station #4. Children will have the chance to put out a simulated house fire using a fire hose at Station #4 and Station #5, and adults will have the chance to use a fire extinguisher to put out a simulated fire with a digital training prop at Fire Headquarters. At the open houses, children in grades kindergarten through eighth grade that reside in Dubuque city limits and attend a school in the city of Dubuque can register to win a ride to school in a fire engine.
The National Fire Protection Association established Fire Prevention Week to commemorate the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 that killed more than 250 people and burned more than 2,000 acres. Another devastating fire, the Peshtigo Fire, took place in northeast Wisconsin during that same timeframe and burned 16 towns, killed 1,152 people, and scorched 1.2 million acres. Both the Chicago and Peshtigo fires changed the way that firefighters and public officials thought about fire safety, and thus it was decided to observe the anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire in a way that would inform the public of the importance of fire prevention.