NFPA Journal - July/August 2017 - 24

Outreach by Lorriane Carli

ADVOCACY,
LEGISLATION
AND PUBLIC
EDUCATION

Seconds Count
THIS YEAR'S FIRE PREVENTION WEEK THEME ILLUSTRATES WHY
ESCAPE PLANNING MATTERS NOW MORE THAN EVER

n June, NFPA announced

Today's homes, on the other hand,
that the theme for this
are bigger, have more open spaces, and
year's Fire Prevention
often include atrium ceilings. They are
Week (FPW), taking place
constructed with lightweight wood and
October 8-14, would be
composite components. Modern furnish"Every Second Counts-Plan 2 Ways Out."
ings are primarily made of synthetics,
The campaign will stress the importance
and homes are full of electronic devices.
of identifying two ways out of each room
All of these conditions have led to resiand reminds people that smoke alarms
dential fires that burn much hotter and
are an essential part of escape planning.
faster than in the past. Unprotected
While coming up with a theme sounds
lightweight construction, although less
simple, you'd be surprised how much
expensive and stronger than traditional
goes into it each year. The work begins as
construction, has been shown in studies
The challenge is to
soon as the current FPW concludes, when
to collapse quicker under fire conditions.
find a Fire Prevention
a team at NFPA meets to discuss topic
Tests conducted at Underwriters Labocandidates for the upcoming year. We
ratories vividly depict the ramifications
Week topic that will
look at current research studies, relevant
of fire in modern homes with modern
generate interest and
data, and feedback from fire departments
furnishings-watch the videos at firespur action in those
and other public safety educators who
sprinklerinitiative.org.
who deliver the
promote FPW. The challenge is to find
All of this means that there is much
message and those we
a topic that will generate interest and
less
time for a family to get out of their
want to receive it.
also spur action in those who deliver the
house if a fire begins. Decades ago, the
message and those we want to receive it.
common belief was that you would have
The difficulty of the task is compounded
up to 15 minutes to escape a burning resiby public complacency, which has grown
dential fire. Today, that number can be as
in part because we have been doing this a
little as two to three minutes, underscorvery long time. The first National Fire Prevention Day proclama- ing the importance of developing and practicing a home escape
tion was issued in 1920, making FPW the longest running public plan. We know from a past NFPA survey that only about a third
health and safety observance on record, according to the U.S. of American households have an escape plan that they practice.
National Archives and Records Administration. Our longevity is Most people surveyed estimated that they would have about
a strength, of course, but it also means that we need to remain six minutes to get out of their home. Fewer than 10 percent
diligent in engaging the public and staying relevant in the fight reported that upon hearing a smoke alarm their first thought
against today's fires.
would be to get out.
This year's theme does just that.
With less time to escape, people need to know exactly what
Modern fires are vastly different than those we encountered to do when the alarm sounds. FPW campaign materials will
when FPW began nearly a century ago. Remember visiting your include simple-to-use escape plan grids, tips on how to practice,
grandparents when you were a child? Chances are their home and other materials that can be shared in communities across
and the furnishings inside were much different than what we the country. It's all at firepreventionweek.org.
see today. Homes in the past were small, had distinct rooms,
Now is a great opportunity to build on FPW's history of putting
lots of walls, and flat, low ceilings. Furniture was usually heavily fire safety front and center and focus on the challenges of today.
upholstered, made with natural fibers and thick wooden legs.
LORRAINE CARLI is vice president of outreach and advocacy for NFPA.
Rugs were wool; electronics were scarce.

24 | NFPA JOURNAL * J U L Y /A U G U S T 2 0 1 7

MICHAEL HOEWELER

http://www.firesprinklerinitiative.org http://www.firesprinklerinitiative.org http://www.firepreventionweek.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - July/August 2017