DVIDS – News – Fire safety sparks enthusiasm at annual celebration

This year’s Fire Prevention Week at Fort Stewart and Hunter Airfield has sparked a strong desire in the community to learn more about the importance of fire safety. Led by the Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield Emergency Services Fire Prevention Team, the week featured a series of daily outreach programs aimed at educating the community on the importance fire safety.

Following this year’s theme “Kitchen Safety Starts with You.” Pay Attention to Fire Prevention,” fire prevention team members and firefighters toured each facility with a variety of events for all ages. From block parties and bowling to story times, static displays, school assemblies and Sparky the Fire Dog meet and greets, each day reinforced the importance of fire safety while familiarizing the community with the team responsible for ensuring their daily safety.

Fire Prevention Week is observed annually during the week of October 8 in commemoration of the Great Chicago Fire which devastated the city from October 8 to 10, 1871. In 1922, the National Fire Protection Association sponsored the first public celebration of fire prevention. Week, and in 1925, President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed the week a national observance. According to the NFPA, Fire Prevention Week has now become the longest-running public health observance in the United States.

The designated week brings the community together to learn how to stay safe in the event of a fire. For Larry Hodges, Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield Emergency Services Fire Prevention Battalion Chief, event coordination and community partnerships were cornerstones of the campaign’s success of this year.

“It takes a lot of participation to put on such an important event, and I would like to thank everyone involved in this year’s Fire Prevention Week activities,” he said. “As firefighters, we are fortunate to be able to share what we do with the community we are sworn to serve and protect. From the children we read to in Child Development Centers to the adults we met at the Commissary and the Main Post Exchange. , everyone left with a smile on their face and a better understanding of fire safety in their home.

For the past 98 years, the NFPA has focused its efforts on educating the nation on the importance of fire safety through the annual celebration of Fire Prevention Week. Although the week was created to serve as an annual reminder, Fort Stewart-Hunter Airfield Emergency Services Deputy Fire Chief Gary Flores wants the community to know the topic should be at the forefront of concerns of everyone every day.

“Every year, fires endanger thousands of Americans across the country, and the devastation these fires leave behind is heartbreaking,” he said. “Over the past week, our dedicated fire inspectors and firefighters have been traveling around our facility speaking to our communities about the importance of fire safety, a topic that is not just important one week a year , but all year round.

Flores encouraged the community to remember the important message they received during this year’s Fire Prevention Week and highlighted the leadership’s commitment to ensuring the safety of Soldiers, families and civilians across the Department of Defense at Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield.

“We are asking our Fort Stewart and Hunter Airfield communities to help us continue to spread the message of fire safety throughout the year to their friends, family and loved ones,” did he declare. “Our fire and emergency services team is steadfast in our dedication to protecting this community and appreciates the extraordinary support and trust we receive every day. We will continue to earn the support and trust of our Soldiers, Families and Department of Defense civilians every time. opportunity.”

Fire prevention teams at Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield remain committed to educating the community on the importance of fire safety. To learn more about their classes, outreach events and services, visit Facebook.com/FSGAHAAFFireDept.