For Immediate Release
MAYOR BOOKER LAUNCHES FIRE PREVENTION MONTH
Protect Your Family From Fire ― Theme for 2011
Newark Fire Department will host R20;Firehouse Community Days
to connect residents with firefighters and teach them about fire safety
Newark, NJ September 29, 2011 R11; Mayor Cory A. Booker Fire Director Fateen A. Ziyad, Fire Chief John G. Centanni, and members of the Newark Fire Department announced yesterday the kick-off of the City of NewarkR17;s Fire Prevention Month with a ceremony held at Engine 7 Company Headquarters, located at 241 West Market Street. Battalion Chief Raul Malave, who heads the Newark Fire DepartmentR17;s Community Relations Division served as Master of Ceremonies. Also participating in the kick-off ceremony were students from University Heights Charter School and Sparky the Fire Dog. The theme for 2011 Fire Prevention Month is R20;Protect Your Family From Fire.
The highlight of this year’s Fire Prevention Month will be the launch of R20;Firehouse Community Days. Starting on Saturday, October 1, and every consecutive Saturday until the end of the month, one fire house per week in each ward will host a R20;Firehouse Community Day. The selected firehouses will be open to the public from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Fire officials, firefighters, and experts will be on-hand during the R20;Firehouse Community Days to meet and greet with residents, give them tours of the firehouse, demonstrate the use of a fire hose and extinguisher and provide fire safety and prevention tips. A limited number of smoke detectors will also be given out to residents on a first-come, first-serve basis. Firehouse Community DaysR21; are part of the Newark Fire Department’s Community Relations Initiative to build a stronger working relationship with residents to ensure that everyone has a safe Fall season. A list of participating firehouses and dates are given below.
Fire Prevention Month is about everybody. We’re so proud the students and teachers of University Heights Charter School are joining us for today’s ceremony to observe this important initiative. We want our children to help us educate their parents and loved ones with fire safety tips. House fires are preventable if we take and put into action some basic safety tips, Mayor Booker said. R20;We have the largest fire department in the state and best equipped, with more mutual aid agreements than any other department. I am proud of our heroic firefighters.
During the event, Fire Director Ziyad also announced the kick-off of the Newark Fire Department’s Annual Fire Prevention Month Poster Contest with Newark Public Schools. The winners of this contest will be tentatively announced in late January or early February 2012.
R20;It is crucial that we encourage the importance of fire safety and keep our residents informed about the preventative measures that they can do to protect their homes, said Fire Director Ziyad. Fire Prevention Month will provide Newarkers with the information and the tools necessary to maintain a safe and secure environment for themselves and their families.
Chief Centanni said that the month will promote Five steps to fire safety at home: knowing your home’s floor plan; knowing two ways out; installing working smoke alarms; setting up a meeting place once outside; and holding home fire drills.
In 2010, U.S. fire departments responded to 384,000 residential fires nationwide, Chief Centanni said. R20;These fires killed 2,755 civilians, injured 15,420 civilians, and did $9.7 billion in property damage. One civilian died every two hours and 49 minutes. These statistics are tragic, and are easily avoidable, if residents take a few precautions in their homes.
Chief Centanni noted that cooking fires were the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries nationwide, accounting for 40 percent of reported home fires and 36 percent of related injuries. However, smoking materials, (cigarettes, cigars, and pipes) are the leading cause of fire deaths in the United States. R20;Improperly used space heaters, overloaded plugs, and defective wiring also account for many fires and resulting tragedies, Chief Centanni added.
However, Chief Centanni said, R20;Having a working smoke alarm in the home cuts the chances of dying in a reported fire in half. Equip your home with smoke alarms, and make sure they have fresh batteries.R21;
Fire Prevention Month is held in October in observance of two of the greatest fires in American history, which both took place the same day, October 9, 1871. That evening, the Great Chicago Fire broke out, which swept across three square miles of the CityR17;s downtown, destroying $192 million worth of property, leaving 100,000 residents homeless, and 300 dead. The same day, strong winds set off a blaze in the forests around Peshtigo, Wisconsin, which swept across 1,875 square miles, destroying 12 towns, and killing an estimated 2,500 people R11; the most destructive fire in American annals.
A comprehensive and enforced fire prevention strategy is the best way to reduce the loss of life due to fire. There are many examples of fire prevention measures, one of the most notable being the installation of smoke alarms. Roughly half of the home fire deaths result from fires in the small percentage of homes with no smoke alarms. Homes with smoke alarms R11; whether or not they are operational R11; typically have a death rate that is 40-50 percent less than the rate for homes without alarms. Due to the higher than average number of vacant and aging homes, Newark has a lower percentage of alarmed households than many other communities.
Also, as the third oldest city in the country, much of NewarkR17;s housing stock is aged. This includes housing blocks dating from the 1940s and 1950s, and older, wood-framed balloon construction houses for one to four families. Because of this, 90 percent of the housing units are likely to be contaminated with lead paint, a contributing factor to serious residential structure fires.
During this month, resident and property owners are urged to check the battery status of smoke detectors in their buildings, develop emergency evacuation plans for their homes and workspaces, install fire extinguishers and First Aid kids in each building and to teach children about fire safety.
The Newark Fire Department offers the following fire safety tips:
- · Inspect space heaters for wear and tear. Check their emergency shut-off features. Use only the recommended fuel.
- · Keep combustibles, children, and pets at least three feet from heat sources.
- · Strap water heaters to the wall, 18 inches off the floor: have gas shut-off in easy reach.
- · If your home has a furnace, have it inspected annually.
- · Store flammable liquids far from heat.
- · Oily rags can ignite without warning. Wash them in detergent and discard.
- · Install at least one smoke alarm on each level of your home.
- · Maintain smoke alarms with monthly testing and new batteries twice a year.
- · Have a licensed electrician check the houseR17;s wiring if lights flicker, fuses blow, or sparks fly from outlets or appliances.
- · Do not overload electrical outlets; check cords for plugs and wear.
- · Keep fire extinguishers labeled 2A-10BC in the kitchen and workroom, and near fireplaces.
- · Cook with the least effective heat; never leave cooking unattended.
- · Do not smoke in bed; install smoke alarms right outside sleeping areas.
- · Have chimneys inspected each year. Burn only dry wood or manufactured logs.
- · Avoid extension cords; never run them under rugs or where they may be pinched.
- · Carbon Monoxide Detectors should also be installed and tested.
Since 2006, the Newark Fire Department has opened new and renovated fire stations, and added new vehicles to its inventory. In 2008, the Department graduated the 39th Recruit Class of 18 recruits from the Fire Academy In October 2009, the Newark Fire Department unveiled its new 41-foot-long Hazmat and Heavy Rescue truck, which provides firefighters: with a wide array of state-of-the-art equipment, including a 9,000-pound winch, a 9,000-watt light tower, a Robotic Search Camera to investigate disasters areas difficult to access, and extrication tools for car crashes.
Over the past five years the Fire Department has also purchase: three new fire engines, two ladder trucks, and several support and utility units, reducing the average age of its vehicles to close to 50 percent. The Department also saw a restructuring that led to a 67 percent reduction in overtime, as well as the creation of the regionR17;s first Urban Search and Rescue Unit, as well as the employment of new technology, such as voice-amplified face pieces, a new CASCADE rehabilitation and tank filling apparatus, and a state-of-the-art Voice Alert System.
The Newark Fire Department also has a number of specialized units, including an Arson Unit, a Hazardous Materials Unit, a Fireboat, a Confined Space Rescue Team, a Foam Tanker, and a Cascade Unit, which responds to emergency scenes to fill air bottles. In addition, the Department is one of only nine in the State of New Jersey whose Metro Strike Team has a Collapse Unit, to deal with collapsed buildings. Most of the DepartmentR17;s specialized units are assigned for regional response, to assist neighboring communities that lack such equipment and training.
For more information about City of Newark programs and policies, contact the Non-Emergency Call Center at (973) 733-4311.
-NEWARK-
Contact: Newark Press Information Office R11; (973) 733-8004
About the City of Newark, New Jersey
Newark, commonly referred to as Brick City, is the third oldest city in the United States and the largest in New Jersey, with a population of more than 280,000 people. Newark sits on one of the nationR17;s largest transportation super-structures including an international airport, major rail connections, major highway intersections and the busiest seaport on the east coast.
With a new Administration as of July 2006, Newark continues to see signs of a strong revival. In population, it is one of the fastest growing cities in the northeast. Its six major colleges and universities are further expanding their presence. The production of affordable housing has doubled and businesses are returning. There is still much work to be done but Newark is on its way to achieving its mission: to set a national standard for urban transformation.
LIST OF FIREHOUSES PARTICIPATING IN FIREHOUSE COMMUNITY DAYS
All R20;Firehouse Community DaysR21; will take place from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Date Unit Address Ward
October 1 Engine 5 65 Congress Street East
October 8 Engine 7 227 West Market Street Central
October 15 Engine 13/Ladder 6 714-718 Mt. Prospect Ave. North
October 22 Engine 10/Ladder 5 360 Clinton Avenue South
October 29 Engine 26/Ladder 12 420-438 Sanford Avenue West
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