10/06/98

Fire Prevention Week

October 4th through October 10th is Fire Prevention Week. This year's theme (Fire Drills: The Great Escape!) is designed to encourage families to develop and practice a fire escape plan. Originally proclaimed as Fire Prevention Day in 1920 by President Woodrow Wilson, it commemorated the anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.

In 1925, President Calvin Coolidge expanded the event to a whole week. He noted that in the previous year some 15,000 lives were lost to fire in the United States. Calling the loss "startling," President Coolidge's proclamation stated: "This waste results from conditions which justify a sense of shame and horror; for the greater part of it could and ought to be prevented."

Great Chicago Fire

National Fire Prevention Week has its roots in the Great Chicago Fire of October 9, 1871. This quick-spreading fire killed 300 people, left 100,000 homeless, and destroyed more than 17,000 buildings. How did it start? One popular legend tells the story of Mrs. Catherine O'Leary milking her cow when the animal kicked over a lamp, setting the O'Leary's barn on fire. The blaze burned more than 2000 acres in twenty-seven hours. The City of Chicago rebuilt quickly, and within a couple of years residents began celebrating their successful restoration by memorializing the anniversary of the fire.

Home Fire Escape Plan

"If you should wake up tonight to find your home on fire, how would you and your family escape? If you cannot answer that question, now is the time to prepare a family home fire escape plan." This single-page site from Australia describes the simple process of creating a fire escape plan for your family. A few minutes of your time now could save the lives of those you love most if the unthinkable ever happens.

Sesame Street Fire Safety

"Hot things burn so stay away! Hot things burn. They're not for play." These print-out-and- color-with-crayons fire safety pages are the perfect starting point for a fire safety discussion with toddlers. In cooperation with FEMA, Sesame Street has created six rhyming exercises to be printed from your browser. Be sure to click on "Discover what your child can learn from these activities" for five fire safety rules that every child should know.

Sparky the Fire Dog

Sparky the Fire Dog is the official dalmatian "spokesdog" of the National Fire Protection Association. There are so many fun spots (dalmatian, spots, get it?) here, I can only list a few. Fire truck afficionados will enjoy driving the big red Shockwave fire truck in "Get out of the way." Blast your horn, and the cars on the road will get out of your way. Ever wondered how your Aunt Edna would look in dalmatian spots? Or what about a rabbit? Find out who looks best in spots with the Shockwave game Dalmatianize.

OUDPS Kid Safety

This animated slide show teaches fire safety (including how to create a home escape plan) and then moves onto other safety subjects. Following the forward or backward arrow will take you to electrical safety ("Never put anything into an electrical outlet"), gun safety ("Never touch a weapon, no matter where you find it"), telephone safety, poison safety, school bus safety, stranger danger, and believe-or-not more. For a complete listing of all eighteen safety tutorials, click on "Stop" then "Menu."

Please send questions or comments to feldman@surfnetkids.com.