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.  Oct. 9 is recognized as the date of the 1871 great Chicago fire and the Peshtigo fire. 

According to the National Archives and Records Administration's Library Information Center, Fire Prevention Week 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.

This year’s theme is: “Hear the beep where you sleep: Every bedroom needs a working smoke alarm.”  

All citizens are encouraged  to use smoke detectors in their homes. According to statistics provided by the National Fire Protection Association, half of all U.S. home fire deaths occur at night between the hours of 11p.m. and 7 a.m., when people are most likely to be sleeping. 

Having a working smoke alarm in the home cuts the risk of dying in a fire in half. These facts underscore the extreme importance of having working smoke alarms in all bedrooms. 

Location matters when it comes to smoke alarms.  Smoke alarms should be installed inside each bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home, including the basement.

Working smoke alarms are a critical fire-safety tool that can mean the difference between life and death in a home fire. According to the National Fire Protection Association, smoke alarms can cut the chance of dying in a home fire in half. NFPA data shows that home fires killed 2,755 people in 2013, an average of eight people every day. Many of these deaths could have been prevented with the proper smoke alarm protection.

As fire service professionals, we have seen the devastating effects of fire first-hand; the burn injuries, the loss of homes and possessions are distressing. What’s even worse is witnessing a family’s anguish after a loved one has been killed in a fire. It’s heartbreaking.

National Fire Prevention Week is promoting “Hear the beep where you sleep: Every bedroom needs a working smoke alarm” to better educate the public about the true value of working smoke alarms in the bedroom. The Camden Fire Department supports these campaign activities.

Our sincere hope is that all Camden residents participate in one or more of our Fire Prevention Week activities, and make sure there are working smoke alarms installed throughout their homes. These simple steps can help make a life-saving difference, and prevent the potentially life-threatening impact of fire.

Here are some smoke alarm tips to follow:

• Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area and on every level of the home, including the basement.
• Interconnect all smoke alarms throughout the home. When one sounds, they all sound.
• Test alarms each month by pushing the test button.
• Replace all smoke alarms, including alarms that use 10-year batteries and hard-wired alarms, when they are 10 years old or sooner if they do not respond properly.
• Make sure everyone in the home knows the sound and understands what to do when they hear the smoke alarm.
• If the smoke alarm sounds, get outside and stay outside.
• Have a home fire escape plan.  Practice the plan.
• Go to your outside meeting place. Call the fire department from outside the home. 

Because fires happen when people are sleeping, having working smoke alarms in bedrooms is a critical element of home fire safety. 

Three out of every five U.S. home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms. 

Smoke alarms can make the difference between life and death in a fire by alerting people in time to escape safely, but they need to be installed in all the required locations, including all bedrooms, and they need to be working. 

Citizens needing additional information or requiring assistance with placing smoke detectors in their homes can contact the Camden Fire Department at 236-7950.

Chris Farley is chief of the Camden Fire Department.