WOFD urges residents to be prepared in case of fire

WEST ORANGE, NJ — As Fire Prevention Week approaches, the West Orange Fire Department encourages residents to “Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware. Fire can happen anywhere.”

The department will host its annual open house on Saturday, Oct. 14, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at West Orange Fire Headquarters, 415 Valley Road in West Orange. There will be fire prevention demonstrations, giveaways and light refreshments. For more information, contact the West Orange Fire Department at fireprev@westorange.org or 973-325-4175, or visit headquarters Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Today’s home fires burn faster than ever. In a typical home fire, you may have as little as one to two minutes to escape safely from the time the smoke alarm sounds. Knowing how to use that time wisely takes planning and practice.

The West Orange Fire Department is teaming up with the National Fire Protection Association — the official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week for more than 90 years — to promote this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign, “Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware. Fire can happen anywhere,” which works to educate the public about basic but essential ways to quickly and safely escape a home fire. Fire Prevention Week will run from Oct. 7 through 13.

NFPA statistics show that the number of U.S. home fires has been steadily declining over the past few decades. However, the death rate per 1,000 home fires that are reported to fire departments was 10 percent higher in 2016 than in 1980.

“These numbers show that while we’ve made significant progress in teaching people how to prevent fires from happening, there’s still much more work to do in terms of educating the public about how to protect themselves in the event of one,” said Lorraine Carli, NFPA’s vice president of outreach and advocacy. “This is particularly critical given the increased speed at which today’s home fires grow and spread.”

Carli also noted that although people feel safest in their home, it is also the place people are at greatest risk to fire, with four out of five U.S. fire deaths occurring at home. That overconfidence contributes to a complacency toward home escape planning and practice.

“Working in the fire service for 17 years, we know that people often make choices in fire situations that jeopardize their safety or even cost them their lives,” West Orange Fire Chief Anthony Vecchio said. “We need to do a better job of teaching people about the potentially life-saving difference escape planning and practice can make and motivating them to action.”

West Orange Deputy Fire Chief and Fire Official Fred Kingston said this year’s campaign highlights three steps people can take to quickly and safely escape a fire: Look for places fire could start, listen for the sound of the smoke alarm and learn two ways out of every room.

While NFPA and West Orange Fire Department are focusing on home fires, these fire safety messages apply to virtually anywhere.

“Situational awareness is a skill people need to use wherever they go,” Kingston said. “No matter where you are, look for available exits. If the alarm system sounds, take it seriously and exit the building immediately.”

  West Orange Fire Department