JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUTSIS, Va. –
Every two and a half hours someone in the United States dies from fire, even though fire deaths have declined by 55% from 1977 to 2017.
In 2017 there were 1,319,500 fire responses from fire departments; 3,400 deaths and 15,000 injuries from fire. This totaled $23 billion in fire losses.
Fire Prevention Week, sponsored by the National Fire Protection Association, was created in 1922 to raise awareness and educate communities on the importance of fire safety. In 1925 President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed Fire Prevention Week a national observance throughout the United States during whichever week Oct. 9 falls on.
Joint Base Langley-Eustis, is no different. Langley Air Force Base and Fort Eustis will observe fire prevention week with the purpose of bringing awareness to the risks fires and provide educational resources to the civilians, service members and their families.
In a fire, mere seconds can mean the difference between a safe escape and a tragedy. The Great Chicago Fire started late on Oct. 8, 1871, and continued burning until the morning of Oct. 10, 1871, killing more than 250 people, destroying more than 17,400 structures and over 2,000 acres of land. Everyone is at risk in fires, making it important for every member of the community to be educated in fire safety.
This year’s Fire Prevention week events are scheduled October 7 through 13, using the national theme of “Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware. Fire can happen anywhere.”
Fire Prevention Week’s campaign works to educate people about three basic, but essential, steps to reduce the likelihood of having a fire––and how to escape safely in the event of one.
These steps are:
- “LOOK” for places fire could start. Take a good look around your home. Identify potential fire hazards and take care of them.
- “LISTEN” for the sound of the smoke alarm. You could have only minutes to escape safely once the smoke alarm sounds. Go to your outside meeting place, which should be a safe distance from the home and where everyone should know to meet.
- “LEARN” two ways out of every room and make sure all doors and windows leading outside open easily and are free of clutter.
The JBLE Fire Emergency Services team is committed to preparing our community on the importance of fire safety.
With this year’s theme primarily focusing on fire safety, education and awareness, the goal is to remind the community of fire safety and to not take fire safety for granted. Knowing and practicing the three essential steps to fire safety can make a difference in property conservation and, ultimately, save lives.
Here are some precautions that can be taken to assist in the Look, Listen, and Learn:
- Inspect your facility or home for fire hazards on a daily basis.
- If you find anything suspicious, call the Fire Department.
- Make sure your fire and smoke alarms are properly working and know the sounds.
- Check every exit and remove clutter restricting proper exits.
- Plan fire drills in facilities to educate all on what to do upon activation of a fire or smoke alarm.
- Create a home escape plan and practice the plan with a drill.
Fort Eustis and Langley Fire Emergency Services will be hosting Fire Prevention Week activities throughout the week to include:
October 8:
Open House for both Langley Air Force Base stations 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
October 9:
Open House for both Langley Air Force Base stations 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Langley Main X-Change Static Display table 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Langley Elementary school visit at 9:30 am.
October 9 and 11:
Langley Child Development Center visit 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.
October 9-12:
Door to Door Fire Safety Campaign in Ft. Eustis Base Housing (Weather dependent)
October 9-12:
Fire Suppression training at restaurants on Ft. Eustis
October 10:
Langley Main X-Change Static Display table 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
NASA Child Development Center visit 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
October 10-12:
Blood pressure checks at the Fort Eustis Commissary from 11a.m. to 1p.m.
October 12:
Fire Fighter Challenge Competition at Langley AFB Fire Dept. at 1 p.m.
Each Squadron team must be a 4 Person This will be a relay event so the entire team will not have to complete all events. These are timed events. The team with the best time wins.
October 11 and 13:
Fire Truck visits Ft. Eustis Child Development Center’s
October 13:
Open House at Fire Station #1 (Bldg. 648) from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Fire safety trailer, Patches and Pumper Robot, Sparky the Fire Dog visit, vehicle extrication demonstration, fire safety promotion items, and of course hotdogs!
To find out more about Fire Prevention Week programs and activities on JBLE, please contact the Langley AFB Fire Department at 764-4222 or email 633ces.cef.firepreve@us.af.mil or contact Ft Eustis Fire Department at 878-3131 ext. 321.
To learn more about, “Look. Listen. Learn. Fire can happen anywhere” visit NFPA’s Web site at www.firepreventionweek.org.