[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 191 (Wednesday, October 6, 2021)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 55469-55470]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-21949]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 86 , No. 191 / Wednesday, October 6, 2021 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 55469]]

                Proclamation 10275 of October 1, 2021

                
Fire Prevention Week, 2021

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                During Fire Prevention Week, we honor our brave 
                firefighters and first responders who risk their lives 
                to protect us every day and reaffirm the importance of 
                fire safety and preparedness. This week, I call on all 
                Americans to educate themselves about fire prevention 
                and safety and recommit to taking the necessary steps 
                to prevent fires. Whether you are in your own home or 
                camping in one of America's majestic National Parks, 
                taking the proper precautions and safety measures can 
                help prevent fires and save your life and the lives of 
                your family and others while protecting our natural 
                wonders.

                Already this year, more than 44,000 wildfires have 
                burned nearly 5.3 million acres of our land--an area 
                roughly the size of the State of New Jersey. These 
                fires have destroyed homes and priceless memories. They 
                have forced families into shelters and filled the air 
                with smoke for hundreds of miles. Precious lives have 
                been lost. The fires have ground local economies to a 
                halt, swallowed up family farms, and disrupted supply 
                chains that fuel jobs, businesses, and communities all 
                across the country.

                These fires represent a code red for our Nation--and we 
                know that, unless we take bold action to address 
                climate change, they will only continue to gain in 
                frequency and ferocity. Scientists have warned us for 
                years that extreme weather will only get more extreme, 
                and today we are living it in real time. Extreme 
                weather, including wildfires, cost America $99 billion 
                last year; unfortunately, we are poised to break that 
                record this year.

                That is why my Administration is committed to taking on 
                the threat of climate change and investing in America's 
                resilience. We have proposed investing billions of 
                dollars to strengthen our wildfire preparedness, 
                resilience, and response. These investments will not 
                just save lives and homes--they will also save 
                industries and create new jobs. When I think about 
                climate change, I always think about the millions of 
                good-paying, union jobs we can create--but we also need 
                to think about all of the jobs and industries we stand 
                to lose if we fail to act boldly enough. The evidence 
                is overwhelming that every dollar we invest in our 
                resilience saves us six dollars down the road, when the 
                next fire does not spread as widely and homes and 
                businesses are spared.

                Our response to this threat starts with our brave 
                firefighters, who put their lives on the line every 
                day. To better support the wildland firefighters who 
                serve our Nation so courageously, my Administration is 
                committed to making sure that we have enough 
                firefighters on call who are trained, equipped, and 
                ready to respond. That is why I took action this summer 
                to ensure that all of our Federal firefighters will 
                earn a minimum of $15 an hour. My Administration has 
                increased wildland firefighter pay through bonuses and 
                retention pay, extended seasonal firefighter employment 
                to ensure robust response throughout the fire season, 
                deployed new fire detection and air monitoring 
                technologies, invoked the Defense Production Act to 
                increase the supply of equipment, and brought 
                additional aircraft and personnel to bear from both the 
                Department of Defense and our partner nations.

[[Page 55470]]

                During Fire Prevention Week, I call on all Americans to 
                educate themselves about fire safety, take the 
                appropriate precautions when encountering fires, and 
                honor our courageous firefighters, volunteers, and 
                first responders. I also encourage everyone to install 
                and maintain smoke alarms in their homes--critical 
                elements of fire safety that have helped significantly 
                decrease United States home fire death rates over the 
                past 40 years. By testing alarms every month and 
                replacing them every 10 years, we can be better 
                prepared to respond quickly to fires and prevent tragic 
                loss of life.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of 
                the United States of America, by virtue of the 
                authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws 
                of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 3 
                through October 9, 2021, as Fire Prevention Week. On 
                Sunday, October 3, 2021, in accordance with Public Law 
                107-51, the flag of the United States will be flown at 
                half-staff at all Federal office buildings in honor of 
                the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service. I 
                call on all Americans to participate in this observance 
                with appropriate programs and activities and by 
                renewing their efforts to prevent fires and their 
                tragic consequences.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                first day of October, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand twenty-one, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                sixth.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2021-21949
Filed 10-5-21; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F2-P