III 110th CONGRESS 2d Session S. RES. 699 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES September 30 (legislative day, September 17), 2008 Mr. Dodd (for himself, Ms. Collins, Mr. Biden, Mr. McCain, Mr. Leahy, and Mr. Obama) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to RESOLUTION Supporting the work of firefighters to educate and protect the Nation’s communities, and the goals and ideals of Fire Prevention Week, October 5–11, 2008, as designated by the National Fire Protection Association.

Whereas firefighters have maintained their dedication to the health and safety of the American public since the first American fire departments were organized in the colonial era; Whereas more than 1,140,000 firefighters protect the United States through their heroic service; Whereas approximately 1,600,000 fires are reported annually; Whereas 102 firefighters lost their lives in the line of duty in 2007; Whereas fire departments responded to nearly 400,000 home fires in 2006; Whereas, in 2006, there were an estimated 396,000 reported home structure fires resulting in 2,580 civilian deaths and 12,500 civilian injuries, and $6,800,000,000 in direct damage in the United States; Whereas home fires cause 80 percent of civilian fire deaths and 76 percent of injuries; Whereas heating equipment and smoking are the leading causes of civilian home fire deaths; Whereas children under 5 and older adults face the highest risk of home fire death, but young adults face a higher risk of home fire injury; Whereas electrical distribution and lighting equipment were involved in an estimated 20,900 reported home fires in 2005; Whereas home fires in 2005 resulted in 500 civilian deaths and 1,100 injuries, with an estimated $862,000,000 in direct property damage per year; Whereas working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in reported home structure fires in half; Whereas 65 percent of reported home fire deaths in 2000 through 2004 resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms; Whereas Fire Prevention Week is the longest running public health and safety observance on record; Whereas we have honored firefighters for educating the American public since President Harding declared the first Fire Prevention Week in 1922; Whereas the National Fire Protection Association has designated the week of October 5–11, 2008, as Fire Prevention Week; and Whereas educating Americans on methods to prevent home fires continues to be a priority for all firefighters: Now, therefore, be it

That the Senate— (1)supports the work of firefighters to educate and protect the Nation's communities; and (2)supports the goals and ideals of Fire Prevention Week, October 5–11, 2008, as designated by the National Fire Protection Association.