NFPA Journal - Fall 2022 - 64

ADVOCACY,
Outreach by Lorraine Carli
A Century of FPW
AS FIRE PREVENTION WEEK MARKS ITS CENTENNIAL, THE HOME FIRE PROBLEM
TAKES ON A NEW URGENCY
M
ost of us are familiar with
the Great Chicago Fire,
the conflagration that
occurred October 8-9,
1871, and burned a large
portion of the city. Experts still aren't sure
if it was really started by Mrs. O'Leary's
cow, but we do know that this horrendous
event killed more than 250 people,
left 100,000 homeless, and destroyed
more than 17,400 structures. While the
blaze holds a place in the record books
for the devastation it wrought, it also plays
a role in the tremendous ongoing work to
prevent fires.
This year marks the 100th anniveraround
personal responsibility, such as
" Partners in Fire Prevention, " and the
very direct " YOU Caused 1,700,000 Fires
Last Year! " Themes focusing on smoke
alarms, cooking safety, and escape planning
were chosen often, just as they have
in more recent history.
The theme for the 100th anniversary
The theme of this
sary of Fire Prevention Week (FPW),
which since 1922 has been observed
annually during the week of October 9
in commemoration of the Great Chicago
Fire. Every U.S. president since 1925 has
signed a proclamation for FPW, making
it the nation's longest-running public
health observance on record. That means
100 years of communities rallying around
a specific fire-safety theme; 100 years of
concerted effort to provide actionable information to the public
aimed at preventing loss from fire; and 100 years of rising to
the challenges of the times to save lives.
Although the fire safety issues we face today are different
year's Fire Prevention
Week is a resurgence
of one used more than
three decades ago.
But the significance of
that message today
is even more vital.
of FPW- " Fire won't wait. Plan your
escape. " -is a resurgence of a theme used
more than three decades ago. But its
significance today is even more vital for
preventing loss of life from fire. Although
we have seen a significant decrease in
home fires and fire deaths over the past
three decades, the fire problem today is
actually much graver. Statistics show that
if you have a reported fire in your home,
you are more likely to die in that fire than
you were in 1980. The way homes are
built and the makeup of their contents
create hotter, faster-moving fires, leaving
occupants as little as two minutes to
escape from the time the smoke alarm
sounds. Three decades ago, when the
" Fire Won't Wait... " theme first appeared,
in many ways from those of a century ago, one similarity is
that today's challenges are just as threatening if we choose to
ignore them. A scan through the themes over the last century
reveals connections to world events: " Now War on Fire " in 1934,
during the period preceding World War II; " Defend Against
Fire " in 1941, and a variation of it in 1951; and " Fire is the
Silent Partner of Inflation " in 1947. There were also multiyear
themes chosen as a way to bring consistency to FPW messaging
over a longer timeframe. " Don't Give Fire a Place to Start "
was used several times in the 1950s and 1960s, followed by " Fire
Hurts " for seven years in row. " Learn Not to Burn " appeared
in the 1970s and was repeated regularly. There were slogans
64 | NFPA JOURNAL * FALL 2022
occupants' escape time in the event of a home fire was closer
to seven to 10 minutes.
This year's theme is all-encompassing, and the message
of escape planning extends to wildfires-an enormous and
growing threat in many areas of the country. For millions of
Americans, knowing how and when to evacuate in advance of
a wildfire are essential. Regardless of where you live and who
you live with, knowing what to do if fire strikes can mean the
difference between life and death.
As we have every year since 1922, we rely on all of you-fire
and life safety educators, teachers, safety advocates, and the
public-to use FPW as your bullhorn to bring a strong, united
voice to this effort. The result will save lives.
For more on this year's FPW, visit nfpa.org/fpw.
LORRAINE CARLI is vice president of Outreach and Advocacy for NFPA.
LEGISLATION,
AND PUBLIC
EDUCATION
MICHAEL HOEWELER
http://www.nfpa.org/fpw
NFPA Journal - Fall 2022

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