Merrill Fire Department To Continue Fire Prevention Education in Local Schools
MERRILL – The Merrill Fire Department is engaging in fire education in local schools again this fall, with the goal of teaching fire prevention to preschool through 5th grade students. The official theme will be “Smoke Alarms: Make them work for you!” for Fire Prevention Week, which takes place October 6-12, 2024.
Lorraine Carli, Vice President of the Outreach and Advocacy division of the National Fire Prevention Association shared some thoughts regarding the importance of the life saving devices. Carli said that “Smoke alarms can make a life-saving difference in a home fire, but they have to be working in order to deliver the needed protection. This year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign reinforces the critical importance of smoke alarms and what’s needed to install, test, and maintain them properly.”
The risk of dying in a home fire is reduced by more than half when a home is equipped with fully functioning smoke alarms. Conversely, more than one-third of home fire deaths happen in fires where no smoke alarms are present.
The Fire Department uses progressive education, starting with preschoolers and continuing for the next 7 years, featuring their Fire Mascot “Friendly Firefighter”, dressed in all of his fire gear.
