Fire Prevention Week promotes safety

Oct. 11—GAMEWELL — The Gamewell Fire Department is hosting a series of activities and events to promote fire safety and prevention during the 2022 100th anniversary Fire Prevention Week, which runs from Sunday, Oct. 9 through Saturday, Oct. 15.

This year's theme, "Fire won't wait. Plan your escape" works to educate everyone about simple but important actions to take to remain safe from home fires.

On Tuesday, Oct. 11, Hawkins and volunteers from the Gamewell Fire Department went to Happy Heart Kids and Big Kids Place to teach children about fire prevention.

One important phrase to remember is "Get Low and Go."

"Whenever smoke is coming down, if you're lower on the ground you'll be able to see and get around a little bit better," said Leslie Hawkins, fire and life safety educator for Gamewell Fire Department.

The kids are advised to touch the back of their hand to a door rather than reaching for the handle to avoid burning the palm of the hand.

Another phrase is Close Before You Doze, which is a reminder to close the bedroom door before going to sleep.

Families are also heavily encouraged to figure out a fire escape plan together. It is crucial that two escape points out of the house are noted, as well as a meeting place away from the fire.

"You don't want to think that your young child is still in the house and you're going back to try to find him or her, and actually they're out at the meeting place," Hawkins said. "You have to have a common spot to meet."

Additionally, for the month of October, Gamewell Elementary School is focusing on fire prevention in their encore classes, such as art, music, computers, media, and P.E. Gamewell Fire Department will be teaching fire safety and prevention at various schools throughout the month of October, as well.

On Tuesday, Nov. 1, author Maria Bostian will visit from Kannapolis to read from her book, "Firefighters' Busy Day!" to students grades Pre-K through 12. The book details the many tasks that firefighters do before, during, and after a fire call. Children can even help firefighters get their jobs done through the use of movement written into the text.

"We will be donating a signed copy to the Media Center and to the wife and son of our former Chief, Sam Smith, who passed away," said Hawkins.

Simultaneously, Gamewell students grades 3-5 will participate in the smoke trailer exercise provided by the Caldwell County Emergency Services.

The smoke trailer is a small trailer that is designed to look like a house, with a kitchen setup and small bedroom, to simulate certain situations that might arise during a fire.

Hawkins stresses the importance of spreading fire safety awareness.

"It's to save lives," she said. "The more you know, the more you can be proactive and quickly solve the problem. If you can put it in their minds at an early age, they're going to know what to do. You never know what's going to save lives."

Fire Prevention Week was designated in 1871 after a major fire occurred in Chicago that destroyed more than 17,400 structures and burned more than 2,000 acres, killing over 250 people and leaving 100,000 homeless. As legend has it, the fire was started when Mrs. Catherine O'Leary's cow kicked over a lantern, setting first the barn and then the entire city ablaze. After 130 years of speculation, there is no proof to this claim.

However, this incident was one of the major fires that changed the way firefighters and public officials thought about fire safety. On the 40th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire, the Fire Marshals Association of North America (known today as the International Fire Marshals Association) decided that the anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire should henceforth be observed not with festivities, but in a way that would keep the public informed about the importance of fire prevention. The commemoration grew incrementally official over the years.

In 1920, President Woodrow Wilson issued the first National Fire Prevention Day proclamation, and since 1922, Fire Prevention Week has been observed on the Sunday through Saturday period in which Oct. 9 falls. This is the longest-running public health and safety observance on record. The President of the United States has signed a proclamation proclaiming a national observance during that week every year since 1925.

Families are advised to visit sparky.org to find videos and activities to teach children about fire safety.

The Gamewell Fire Department is seeking volunteers ages 16 and up. For more information, follow Gamewell Fire Dept. on Facebook or call the fire department at 828-758-2581.

On Saturday, Oct. 15, the Gamewell Fire Department will hold a BBQ fundraiser to help purchase Christmas gifts for local school children starting at 11:30 a.m. until the food is sold out.

On Saturday, Oct. 29 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Gamewell Fire Department will be giving away free Halloween candy and other goodies, including a Halloween bag and a glow-in-the-dark water bottle.

Also, please consider voting for Gamewell Fire Department's photo on the Granite Insurance Facebook page. Find the Gamewell Volunteer Fire Department photo and "like" it. First place winners will receive a $4,000 prize. Gamewell Fire Department appreciates the community's support, said Hawkins.

Gamewell Fire Department is located at 2806 Morganton Blvd. on N.C. Highway 18 in Lenoir.