March firefighters prepare for annual Fire Prevention Week

  • Published
  • By Megan Just
  • 452 AMW Public Affairs
MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE, Calif. --  According to the National Fire Protection Association, 2,565 people died in house fires in 2009 and another 13,000 were injured. In almost all cases, the injuries and deaths were preventable.

Each year during Fire Prevention Week, fire departments across the U.S. launch fire safety campaigns and the March Fire Department is no exception.

"The purpose of Fire Prevention Week is to make the public aware of their surroundings and the possible fire and safety hazards they could encounter on a daily basis, especially around the home," said John Martin, an inspector with the March Fire Department.

This year's Fire Prevention Week is Oct. 9-15 and the theme is "Protect Your Family from Fire!" To observe this year's theme, March fire fighters teamed with the 452nd Force Support Squadron to make the Gilley House available for an open house during Fire Prevention Week.

Firefighters plan to display an engine and fire fighting equipment in front of the house and will provide refreshments for visitors. They will offer free blood pressure checks and, in the backyard, will give hands-on fire extinguisher training.

The open house's main event is a tour, where firefighters will describe the possible fire and safety hazards in each room.

"We're changing it up this year," Martin said. "We're going above and beyond what we normally do for Fire Prevention Week."

The fire extinguisher training at the open house will suffice as annual extinguisher training for March employees and service members. Fire department staff will keep a roster and forward the names of those who complete the training to squadron training managers.

The house will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 11 through Friday, Oct. 14. The Gilley House is located at 251 Gilley St., which is at the corner of Gilley St. and Graeber St., across from the passenger terminal.

"We conduct training throughout the year, but we always spend extra time during Fire Prevention Week trying to reach out to as many people as we can," Martin said. "We hope the open house will help people learn about the hazards they encounter every day that are not well-known or that they might not take the time to stop and think about."

Also during Fire Prevention week, Sparky the Fire Dog and Smokey the Bear will accompany March Fire Department personnel as they greet Team March members at the front gate in the mornings and hand out literature related to his year's theme. The fire fighters also plan to visit local schools.

Fire Prevention Week has been observed every year since 1925. The dates always encompass Oct. 9, which is the anniversary of the tragic Chicago Fire of 1871 that killed more than 250 people, destroyed 17,400 structures, and left 100,000 homeless, according to the NFPA website.

Also on that day, the Peshtigo Fire was burning in Northeast Wisconsin. The NFPA refers to this fire as the most devastating forest fire in American history. It destroyed 16 towns, killed 1,152 people and burned 1.2 million acres.

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