[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 141 (Friday, October 9, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12215-S12216]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     NATIONAL FIRE PREVENTION WEEK

 Mr. SARBANES. Mr. President, this week the nation joins in 
marking National Fire Prevention Week, a time set aside not only to 
remember those who were injured and those who tragically lost their 
lives due to fire, but also to acknowledge the heroic efforts of those 
men and women who work so hard to prevent and protect us against such 
tragedies.
  Every year, more than 5,000 Americans die in fires and another 25,000 
sustain fire-related injuries. The majority of these fires, around 80%, 
occur in the home. Fortunately, many of these deaths and injuries can 
be prevented by simply planning ahead.
  The most important function of National Fire Prevention Week is that 
of raising awareness about the dangers of fire and the relatively 
simple steps we can take to prevent fire-related tragedies.
  The theme of this year's National Fire Prevention Week, ``Fire 
Drills: The Great Escape,'' serves to encourage the public to practice 
and plan a home escape plan. This involves a number of steps and I want 
to touch on them briefly. According to officials at the United States 
Fire Administration (USFA), the first step in developing a home escape 
plan is the installation of smoke alarms on every floor. It is 
estimated that working smoke alarms can

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actually double your chances of survival in the event of fire.
  Smoke alarms, though, are not the only element of a home escape plan. 
It is vital that every individual in a household knows and practices at 
least two escape routes from every room in that home. If confronted by 
a fire, one should first escape the burning house and then meet at a 
previously designated family meeting place outside of the home. Then, 
the fire department should be notified. Finally, by no means should 
anyone attempt to re-enter a burning home.
  Mr. President, I rise today in support of the theme of this year's 
National Fire Protection Week and to encourage the development of as 
many home escape plans as possible. The fact is that no one is immune 
to the dangers of fire, but if they develop a plan similar to the 
USFA's their chances of survival are significantly increased.
  Today, on the anniversary of one of our nation's worst fires, the 
Great Chicago Fire of 1871, I want to commend the National Fire 
Protection Association for sponsoring National Fire Protection Week and 
to urge my colleagues and all citizens to pay careful attention to the 
theme and message of this year's National Fire Protection Week, so that 
we may continue to reduce such preventable losses.

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