Fire Prevention Week 2021: October 3rd - 9th

10/4/2021 (Permalink)

Fire Prevention Week 2021: Learn The Sounds of Fire Safety!

Fire Prevention Week is observed annually in early October. The event has been officially sponsored by The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) for 99 years.

This year’s theme: “Learn The Sounds of Fire Safety”

The goal of 2021’s theme is to help people better understand the reasons smoke alarms sound and how to effectively address them.

Here are the NFPA’s key messages:

• When a smoke alarm or carbon monoxide (CO) alarm sounds, respond immediately by exiting the home as quickly as possible.
• If your alarm begins to chirp, it may mean that the batteries are running low and need to be replaced. If the alarm continues to chirp after the batteries are replaced, or the alarm is more than 10 years old, it is time to replace the alarm.
• Test all smoke and CO alarms monthly. Press the test button to make sure the alarm is working.
• If there is someone in your household who is deaf or hard of hearing, install a bed shaker and strobe light alarms that will alert that person to fire.

Philadelphia residents should contact 311 to request free smoke alarms or adaptive alarms for the deaf and hard-of-hearing. The PFD will come and install the alarms. 

• Know the difference between the sound of a smoke alarm and a carbon monoxide alarm – three beeps for smoke alarms; four beeps for carbon monoxide alarms.

For more information about Fire Prevention Week and this year’s theme, along with a wealth of resources to help promote the campaign locally, visit fpw.org.