October is National Fire Prevention Month and firehouses throughout the city are hosting open houses to encourage increased fire safety and prevention in Buffalo
‘Every Second Counts’ is this year’s Fire Prevention Theme
Buffalo – Mayor Byron W. Brown today announced that the City of Buffalo will celebrate National Fire Prevention Month by hosting six Open Houses at firehouses citywide. Free smoke detectors with 10- year non-removable batteries, coloring books and fire prevention safety tips will be distributed. The fire prevention and safety events are designed to educate children and families about fire safety, and provide them with a behind-the-scenes view of the job of a firefighter.
Mayor Brown stated, “We all know that the best way to prevent injury and property loss due to a fire is to be prepared. Fire Prevention Month is a great opportunity to raise awareness on a number of issues and I thank Buffalo Fire for its continued commitment to the safety of our city residents and business owners. This year’s fire prevention theme focuses on the need for every home to have several home escape plans. I encourage residents to attend one of our Fire Prevention and Safety Open Houses in Buffalo during the month of October to learn more about how to safely escape a typical home fire.”
“Every Second Counts: Plan Two Ways Out,” is the 2017 National Fire Prevention Theme, which is a reference to the fact that newer homes burn faster than ever, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), which suggests families prioritize the need to make and practice several home escape plans.
“Modern home furnishings, along with the fact that newer homes tend to be built with more open spaces and unprotected lightweight construction, all contribute to an increased rate at which home fires burn,” said Lorraine Carli, vice president of Outreach and Advocacy at NFPA. “These factors make home escape planning and practice critical.” NFPA said a recent national survey it conducted shows that Americans continue to have many mistaken
ideas about home escape planning and practice:
• Fewer than half (48 percent) know the correct components of a home fire escape plan include working smoke alarms, two ways out of each room, and an outside meeting place.
• Nearly one-quarter (23 percent) don’t know that each room in the home should have at least two exits.
• Close to three (57 percent) think that in a typical single-family home fire situation, once the smoke alarm sounds, the average person would have more than two minutes to escape safely.
As part of today’s announcement, Mayor Brown invited residents to attend the following Fire Prevention and Safety Open Houses in Buffalo:
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2017
Engine 4, Abbott & Hollywood 6:00-7:30 pm
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2017
Engine 21, Jefferson & Kingsley 6:00-7:30 pm
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2017
Engine 37/Rhode Island & Chenango 10:00-11:30 am
Engine 23 Bailey and Hewitt 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2017
Engine 36, Elmwood & Hertel 10:00-11:30 am
Engine 33, Fillmore & Buehl 1:00-2:30 pm
Fire officials, firefighters and other experts will be on-hand during the Open Houses to meet and greet residents, give them tours of the firehouse, and provide fire safety and prevention tips.