The Philadelphia Fire Department is gearing up for national Fire Prevention Week – and you should too!
The annual observance, which runs from October 8-14, is pegged to the anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, which killed an estimated 300 people and destroyed more than 17,000 buildings.
Below, you can find information on Fire Prevention Week events as well as tips on how you can practice fire safety in your everyday life.
Fire Prevention Week Events
PFD has planned several events in the coming days. You can also check our calendar for future events.
Fire Prevention Week Proclamation & FEMA Grant Announcement
Friday, October 6 | 10:00 a.m.
Fireman’s Hall Museum, 147 North 2nd Street
Mayor Jim Kenney will issue a proclamation for Fire Prevention Week, and Fire Commissioner Adam Thiel will discuss details of a major grant given to PFD for the purchase and installation of smoke alarms.
“Sound the Alarm” with Red Cross
Saturday, October 7 | 11:00 a.m.
Tustin Playground, 5901 West Columbia Avenue
Red Cross volunteers will join members of the Fire Department to install smoke alarms in homes along several blocks near Tustin Playground in West Philadelphia.
“Close Before You Doze” Fire Demonstration
Tuesday, Oct. 10 | 1:00 p.m.
Delaware County Emergency Services Training Center, 1600 Calcon Hook Road, Sharon Hill, Pa.
Fire Commissioner Adam Thiel will join experts from UL’s Firefighter Safety Research Institute in a live burn of a prop home to demonstrate the importance of keeping your bedroom door closed while you sleep.
Citywide Fire Drill
Wednesday, Oct. 11 | 6:00 p.m.
719 Knorr Street
The Fire Department will demonstrate how companies respond to a house fire.
Smoke Alarm Installations
Thursday, Oct. 12 | 2:00 p.m.
25th and York streets
As part of the 5th annual Insurance Society of Philadelphia Week of Giving, the Fire Department will install smoke alarms in homes in Strawberry Mansion.
Check your wires, make a plan
This year’s Fire Prevention Week theme is “Check Your Wires: Prevent the Fires.”
We urge you to avoid overloading electrical outlets and to not use frayed cords. Seven people died last year in Philadelphia as a result of fires caused by electrical wiring. You’ll soon start seeing this slogan on SEPTA posters as a reminder, “Check Your Wires: Prevent the Fires.”
Keep in mind that safety is important all year long, not just during Fire Prevention Week.
What you can do
You can do several things to protect yourself and your loved ones:
- Make and practice a home escape plan. Practice getting to your emergency meeting places and make sure everyone knows how to get there.
- Check your smoke alarms to make sure the batteries still work. If they were installed before 2007, you need new ones.
- Call 311 if you need smoke alarms. You should have one on each level of your home, including the basement.
- Register for free ReadyPhiladelphia alerts
- Establish an emergency plan, which includes a contact list, meet-up locations, and making a go-bag. Include everyone in your home — those with special needs and your pets, too.