National Fire Prevention Week Begins

"Have two ways out" is the theme of this year's National Fire Prevention Week, a campaign for fire safety which got underway Sunday.Created and sponsored by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the goal of National Fire Prevention Week is to educate families on what causes home fires, how to prevent them, and what to do in an emergency situation.

NFPA has been the official sponsor of this campaign since 1922, making it the longest running public health and safety observance on record.

"Fire sprinklers play a key role in protecting people and firefighters from the tragedies that fire can cause," said Russell Fleming, president of the National Fire Sprinkler Association, in a press release. "To date, there has never been a multiple loss-of-life in a home that has a properly installed and maintained fire sprinkler system. I urge the public to learn more about how they can prevent and protect themselves and their families from the dangers of fire."

NFSA provides the following fire safety tips for families:

• Make an escape plan
• Install smoke detectors in every sleeping room, outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home and check the batteries often
• Install fire sprinklers throughout your house
• Once you’re out, stay out! Do not re-enter a burning building
• Practice your home fire escape plan twice a year

And these tips for kids:

1. Never touch matches, candles or lighters. Make sure you tell an adult immediately if you see matches or a lighter in a room.
2. Don’t cook alone.
3. Remind your parents to turn pot handles toward the center of the stove.
4. Never stick anything in an electric socket.
5. Never hang anything on a lamp, heater, or radiator.
6. Always let an adult know if there is any kind of smoke or fire in your house.
7. If there is a fire, get out fast.
8. Once you are out of the house, call 9-1-1 immediately.
9. In case of fire, develop an escape plan with your parents. Plan for two possible escape routes out of your house. Practice your escape plan with your parents several times a year.
10. Stay low to the floor when escaping a fire, as smoke rises and makes it difficult to see.

For more information on National Fire Prevention Week, which ends Oct. 13, in your area, visit www.NFPA.org.

Officials with Bloomfield's Fire Prevention Bureau will visit elementary schools this week to discuss fire prevention with students. Students will get a smoke detector and "Sparky the Fire Dog" tee shirt.

All fifth-grade students will participate in the annual town-wide fire prevention poster contest. First-place winners from each school will receive a $25 gift card and the grand-prize winner will get a $100 gift card, courtesy of the Bloomfield FMBA. The town-wide poster winner will have his or her posters printed and distributed to all schools during Fire Prevention Week next year.

The town will also hold its annual Public Safety Day next Tuesday at town hall from 7-9 p.m. with appearances by Sparky the Fire Dog, McGruff the Police Dog, Pluggie the Robotic Fire Hydrant. The Bloomfield Fire Department Safety and the New Jersey Fire Sprinkler demo trailers will be on hand with more information on fire safety.