Fire Prevention Week kicks off Sunday Published Sept. 30, 2009 By 509th Civil Engineering Squadron Fire and Emergency Services WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. -- Each year during the first week of October, fire officials across the country strive to raise awareness concerning fire safety. This year is no exception as the Whiteman Fire and Emergency Services Flight has planned several events to further educate the base populace Oct. 4-10 and offer fire safety facts to base personnel. Fire Prevention Week events include: Oct. 4 - Base parade, Base Exchange vehicle display with Sparky/Smokey 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 5 - Display at the Base Exchange 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 6 - Display at the Base Exchange 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Engine-7, Sparky and Smokey at Youth Center 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 7 - Sparky, Smokey and Engine-7 visit the CDC at 8:30 and 9 a.m., a fire drill at Whiteman Elementary School 10 to 10:15 a.m., a Commissary display 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 8 - Sparky, Smokey and Engine-7 visit the CDC at 9 a.m. Oct. 9- Sparky, Smokey and Engine-7 visit Whiteman elementary 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., a poster coloring contest 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., Oct. 10 - Base Exchange vehicle display with Sparky/Smokey 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Whiteman Fire and Emergency Services Flight offers the following good-to-know fire facts: Fire Facts · In 2008, U.S. fire departments responded to 386,500 home fires. These fires killed 2,755 civilians. Eighty-three percent of all fire deaths resulted from home fires. · Someone was injured in a home fire every 40 minutes and roughly eight people died in home fires every day during 2008. · A fire department responded to a home fire every 81 seconds. · Almost two-thirds of reported home fire deaths in 2003-2006 resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms. · About 1/3 of home fires and deaths happened in the months of December, January and February. · Cooking continues to be the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries. · Smoking materials caused one of every four home fire deaths. · The kitchen is the leading area of origin for home fires. However, bedrooms and living/family rooms are the leading areas of origin for home fire deaths. Cooking · Cooking is the leading cause of home fires, accounting for 40 percent of reported home fires and 36 percent of related injuries. · Unattended cooking is the leading cause of cooking fires. · U.S. fire departments responded to 146,400 home structure fires involving cooking equipment in 2005. These fires caused 480 civilian fire deaths, 4,690 civilian fire injuries and $876 million in direct property damage. · Twelve percent of the fires occurred when something that could catch fire was too close to the equipment. Smoking · Smoking materials (i.e., cigarettes, cigars, pipes, etc.) are the leading cause of fire deaths (roughly one in four) in the United States. · There were 142,900 smoking-material fires in the United States in 2006, causing 780 civilian deaths and 1,600 civilian injuries. · Older adults are at the highest risk of death or injury from smoking-material fires even though they are less likely to smoke than younger adults. · The most common items first ignited in home smoking-material fire deaths were upholstered furniture and mattresses or bedding. · One out of four victims of fatal smoking-related fires is not the smoker whose cigarette started the fire. Heating · In 2006, heating equipment was involved in an estimated 64,100 reported home structure fires, 540 civilian deaths, 1,400 civilian injuries, and $943 million in direct property damage. · In 2006 heating equipment fires accounted for 16 percent of all reported home fires (second behind cooking) and 21 percent of home fire deaths. · More than half of all heating related fire deaths in 2003-2006 resulted from fires in December, January, and February. · Space heaters result in far more fires and losses than central heating devices and have higher risks relative to usage. · Fixed or portable space heaters were involved in 4 percent of the home fires and 17 percent of the home fire deaths. · Most of the space heater fires were caused by the space heater being too close to things that could burn. Smoke Alarms · Smoke alarms that are properly installed and maintained play a vital role in reducing fire deaths and injuries. Having a working smoke alarm cuts the chances of dying in a reported fire by half. · A 2008 U.S. telephone survey found that 96 percent of U.S. households had at least one smoke alarm, yet in 2003-2006, no smoke alarms were present or none operated in two out of the five (41percent) of the reported home fires. · Almost two-thirds of reported home fire deaths in 2003-2006 resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms. · No smoke alarms were present in 40 percent of the home fire deaths. · In more than half of the reported home fires in which the smoke alarms were present but did not operate, batteries were missing or disconnected. Nuisance alarms were the leading reason for disconnected smoke alarms. Home Escape Planning · According to an National Fire Prevention Association survey, only one in four Americans have actually developed and practiced a home fire escape plan to ensure they could escape quickly and safely. · While 66 percent of Americans have an escape plan in case of a fire, only 35 percent of those have practiced it. · One-third of American households who made an estimate thought they would have at least six minutes before a fire in their home would become life-threatening. The time available is often less. And only 8 percent said their first thought on hearing a smoke alarm would be to get out! · Eighteen to 24-year-olds are the least likely to have even developed an escape plan. For more information on Fire Prevention contact Paul Williams at 687-6083 or Tim Robinson at 687-6080.