Carson City students meet Sparky the Fire Dog, learn about fire prevention
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Wed, 10/12/2022 - 9:15am
In observance of the 100th anniversary of Fire Prevention Week, Oct. 9-15, 2022, local firefighters and Sparky the Fire Dog made special appearances and presentations at several elementary schools in the Carson City School District.
The visits were designed to educate everyone about simple but important actions they can take to keep themselves and those around them safe from home fires.
This year’s national campaign, “Fire won’t wait. Plan your escape,” taught how students and families may utilize smoke alarms and have a plan to evacuate in 2 minutes or less.
On Tuesday, Carson City students at Fremont Elementary School learned about protective gear and firefighting equipment, ladder trucks, smoke detectors and how to make an evacuation plan with their families.
The history of National Fire Prevention Week has its roots in the Great Chicago Fire, which occurred Oct. 9, 1871. The fire burned for 27 hours, killed more than 250 people, left more than 100,000 people homeless and destroyed nearly 18,000 buildings. Although the exact cause of the fire has never been determined, one popular legend blames Mrs. Catherine O’Leary’s cow for the blaze after it kicked over a lantern and started a barn on fire.
Regardless of how the fire started, it nearly destroyed Chicago. Firefighters and equipment from as far as St. Louis and New York City responded to the blaze.
In 1911, on the 40th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire, fire officials from across the country sponsored the first National Fire Prevention Day, advocating an annual observance about fire safety and education. In 1920, President Woodrow Wilson issued the first National Fire Prevention Day proclamation.
Since 1922, National Fire Prevention Week has been observed Sunday through Saturday of the week of Oct. 9. In addition, the president has proclaimed a National Fire Prevention Week every year since 1925. It is the longest-running public-awareness campaign in the United States.
For more general information about Fire Prevention Week and fire prevention in general, visit fpw.org and sparky.org.
