This year, Fire Prevention Week (FPW) occurs October 8 - 14 and the theme is "Prevent Cooking Fires: Watch What You Heat". We will be promoting this safety campaign by visiting every elementary classroom in the Kelso School District October 2 - 6 to promote our FPW activities. On Sunday, October 8, we will be hosting our 6th Annual Memorial Procession parade. The rest of the week, we will be offering scheduled fire station tours for pre-school and elementary aged children. We will end the week with our FPW open house on Saturday, October 14 (see flyer) from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Our goal is to get the word out to local families about the dangers of cooking fires (most of which result from unattended cooking) and to teach local residents how to prevent cooking fires from starting. According to the latest research, cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire-related injuries. Other safety topics we will be focusing on include: EDITH (Exit Drills In The Home); Know 2 Ways Out of Every Room; Plan and Practice Your Escape Plan; Smoke Alarm Placement & Maintenance; Stop, Drop & Roll; Get Out & Stay Out; Heating Safety; and other General Fire Safety information.

During our FPW Open House on Saturday, October 14, we will be offering some exciting, interactive activities for families to enjoy. The activities include: FREE Hot Dogs served fresh off our antique "Fire Engine Grille"; Appearances from Smoke Bear; Junior Firefighter Nozzle Practice (where kids get to spray the fire hose and knock down cones); a Puppet Shows every hour; Button Making Booth; Arts & Crafts Section, including a coloring contest; Interactive, Hands-On Hazard House; and much more! Children will also have the opportunity to enter our drawing to win some awesome prizes. Mark your calendars now and plan on attending this family-oriented event and visit with our Chief, Firefighters, EMT's and Paramedics while you're here!

Fire Prevention Week is actively supported by fire departments across the country. This is the 85th year that fire departments have observed FPW, making it one of the longest running public health and safety observances on record. There is growing proof that fire prevention campaigns save lives. We are dedicated to protecting our community; giving people the tools they need in order to protect their homes and families while being safe. We hope our efforts during FPW will assist us in teaching people the importance of fire safety before they have to suffer a damaging loss.