National Fire Prevention Week is observed in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
and
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
, during the week (from Sunday to Saturday) in which October 9 falls.
In the United States, the first Presidential proclamation of Fire Prevention Week was made in 1925 by
President
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*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Calvin Coolidge
Calvin Coolidge (born John Calvin Coolidge Jr.; ; July 4, 1872January 5, 1933) was the 30th president of the United States from 1923 to 1929. Born in Vermont, Coolidge was a History of the Republican Party (United States), Republican lawyer ...
. The
National Fire Protection Association
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is an international nonprofit organization devoted to eliminating death, injury, property and economic loss due to fire, electrical and related hazards. As of 2018, the NFPA claims to have 50,000 mem ...
(NFPA) continues to be the international sponsor of the week.
In Canada, Fire Prevention Week is proclaimed annually by the Governor General. The Saturday ending the week is also proclaimed as Fire Service Recognition Day to express appreciation for the many public services rendered by members of the Canadian fire service. While in Australia the Fire Prevention Week is usually held between April 28 to May 5.
History
The Fire Prevention Week commemorates the
Great Chicago Fire
The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned in the American city of Chicago during October 8–10, 1871. The fire killed approximately 300 people, destroyed roughly of the city including over 17,000 structures, and left more than 10 ...
. On the 40th anniversary (1911) of the Great Chicago Fire, the Fire Marshals Association of North America (FMANA); the oldest membership section of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), sponsored the first National Fire Prevention Day, deciding to observe the anniversary as a way to keep the public informed about the importance of fire prevention. In May 1919, when the NFPA held its 23rd annual meeting in Ottawa at the invitation of the Dominion Fire Prevention Association (DFPA), the NFPA and DFPA both passed resolutions urging governments in the United States and Canada to support the campaign for a common Fire Prevention Day. This was expanded to Fire Prevention Week in 1922. The non-profit NFPA, which has officially sponsored Fire Prevention Week since its inception, selects the annual theme for Fire Prevention Week.
In the United States, the first national Fire Prevention Day proclamation was issued by President Woodroow Wilson in 1920. When President
Calvin Coolidge
Calvin Coolidge (born John Calvin Coolidge Jr.; ; July 4, 1872January 5, 1933) was the 30th president of the United States from 1923 to 1929. Born in Vermont, Coolidge was a History of the Republican Party (United States), Republican lawyer ...
proclaimed the first National Fire Prevention Week on October 4–10, 1925, he noted that in the previous year some 15,000 people died from fire in the United States. Calling the loss "startling", Coolidge's proclamation stated: "This waste results from the conditions which justify a sense of shame and horror; for the greater part of it could and ought to be prevented... It is highly desirable that every effort be made to reform the conditions which have made possible so vast a destruction of the national wealth".
In Canada, the first national Fire Prevention Day proclamation was issued by the Governor-General in 1919. The earliest known provincial proclamation of Fire Prevention Day was by the Lieutenant-Governor-in-Council of Ontario in 1916. Fire Prevention Week was first proclaimed by the Governor-General in 1923. Fire Service Recognition Day was first incorporated into the Governor-General's proclamation of Fire Prevention Week in 1977.
On October 12, 1957, the
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
children's
western
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television series
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, ''
Fury'', starring
Peter Graves
Peter Graves (born Peter Duesler Aurness; March 18, 1926 – March 14, 2010) was an American actor. He was best known for his role as Jim Phelps in the CBS television series '' Mission: Impossible'' from 1967 to 1973 (original) and from 1988 to ...
and
Bobby Diamond
Robert LeRoy Diamond (August 23, 1943May 15, 2019) was an American actor active in the 1950s and 1960s before retiring from the profession and becoming a lawyer. He is best known as the child lead in the television series '' Fury''.
Early life ...
, aired the episode "Fire Prevention Week" to acquaint youngsters with the dangers of forest fires.
Dates and other information for National Fire Prevention Week are listed on the National Fire Protection Association website each year, including the annual theme. For 2020 the dates are October 4–10, with the theme "Serve Up Fire Safety in the Kitchen!"
["Preparedness: Fire Prevention Week, "National Fire Protection Association, 2019, https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Staying-safe/Preparedness/Fire-Prevention-Week]
Noted fires
*
1871 Great Chicago Fire
The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned in the American city of Chicago during October 8–10, 1871. The fire killed approximately 300 people, destroyed roughly of the city including over 17,000 structures, and left more than 10 ...
*
Peshtigo Fire
References
Internal document prepared by staff of HRSDC - Fire Prevention Branch (formerly Office of the Fire Commissioner of Canada) for staff training and briefing, based on review of the following sources:
* NFPA Journal - various editions;
* NFPA Community Awareness kit;
* Minutes of the Association of Canadian Fire Marshals & Fire Commissioners (ACFM/FC), June 18–21, 1952
* Minutes of the Annual Meeting of the Dominion Fire Prevention Association (DFPA), May 19, 1919
* Minutes of the 68th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs (CAFC), August 22–26, 1976
* Archival copies of the Fire Prevention Day/Week Proclamations - Registrar General of Canada
Notes
{{Reflist
External links
Fire Prevention Week
Fire prevention
October observances
Awareness weeks in the United States
Awareness weeks in Canada