Fire Prevention Expo

Many thanks to everyone that came to the 2006 Fire Prevention Expo! Check out the home page for information on this years Fire Prevention Expo.

We're pleased to see everyone's interest in the fire company but most importantly, fire safety. The Warwick Township Fire Company would like to extend a special thank you to the participating fire companies and special guests.

Here are some pictures from the 2006 Expo.

Click here...

If you would like to contact our Fire Prevention Officer regarding Fire Prevention, please click the following link:
Fire Prevention Officer

One Link Smoke Detectors

One Link Smoke Detectors/Carbon Monoxide Detectors that Provide the Earliest Warning for Your Family. Click here ---> www.onelinkalarms.com

Fire Prevention Week

Fire Prevention week is October 7-13 and has a long tradition of trying to get us to be safe in our homes. It all started on October 9,1911, when Fire Prevention Day was inaugurated by President Woodrow Wilson on the 40th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 (remember Mrs.O'Leary and her famous cow). The disaster killed 250 people and destroyed 17,430 buildings at a cost of $168 million, and is the fire that started people thinking in terms of fire prevention rather than only fire fighting.

President Warren Harding was the first to officially proclaim National Fire prevention Week, to cover the entire week including the October 9 anniversary date.

The theme this year is "Practice Your Escape Plan!"It's not enough to have a home fire escape plan. To escape safely, you've got to make sure that everyone in the home has practiced the plan.

Some key findings by the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA)

• Virtually all Americans (96%) currently have a smoke alarm installed in their homes.
• Of those, only four of ten (40%) have had their alarms go off in the past 12 months.
  • Of those whose alarms have gone off, those with children in the house are more likely to have had this happen (46%) than those without children (36%).
  • Seven in ten (69%) report that their smoke alarms went off because of smoke from cooking, an oven, stove, or toaster. Only one percent reported their alarm went off due to a real/unwanted fire.
  • When their smoke alarms went off, fewer than one in ten (8%) thought it was a fire and that they needed to get out. Not surprisingly, households with children were more likely to think this (11%) than those without children (5%).
• While the majority of Americans (66%) have an escape plan in case of a fire, most (34%) have not practiced it. However, three-quarters (75%) believe they have 10 minutes or less until a fire turns deadly.
  • Not surprisingly, younger adults are less likely than older adults to have an escape plan (18 – 24: 53%; 25 – 34: 55%; 35 – 44: 75%; 45 – 54: 68%; 55 – 64%: 65%; 65+: 74%).
• The vast majority of Americans (87%) have never had a fire in their home.
  • Of those who have, the most common reasons for the fire were cooking (26%), heating equipment (16%), and electrical/wiring/lamps (13%).
• The majority of Americans (77%) use candles in the home.
  • The most common reason for using candles is for their scent (51%), followed by the power going out (24%), and that they look nice (16%).
  • Women are more likely than men to use candles (82% vs. 72%), and they are also slightly more likely to use them for decorative purposes.
  • The living room is the room in which candles are most commonly used (62%), but other rooms see candle use as well, such as the kitchen (42%), bedroom (38%), bathroom (33%), and dining room (30%).
• Slightly fewer than half (47%) would install a home fire sprinkler system if they were building a new home.
  • Of those who would not install a sprinkler system, the most common reasons are the expense (36%), water damage would be worse than fire damage (20%), and that it may go off accidentally (18%).
• Tornados (31%) and fires (27%) are the disasters people think they are most at risk for, as well as the disasters they think they are most prepared for.
  • While fire is a major concern in all regions, not surprisingly, natural disasters take precedence in the North Central region (tornados: 66%), the South (tornados: 36%, hurricanes: 31%), and the West (earthquakes: 39%). Fire is the primary concern in the Northeast (44%).
  • Households with children (30%) think they are more at risk for fire than households without children (24%).
  • People feel more prepared for a fire (31%) than other disasters, such as tornados (17%), hurricanes (12%), and floods (9%).

Lt. Phil Ramos
Fire Prevention Officer
Warwick Fire Company
215-205-0156