Fire Prevention Week 2024

PUBLIC INFORMATION RELEASE:

September 3, 2024

MEDIA CONTACT:

Lieutenant Jim Roberts

850-391-6905

LTRoberts@mpvfd.org 

As Fire Prevention Week approaches, Mount Pleasant Volunteer Fire Department urges residents to make sure their smoke alarms are working 

The theme for Fire Prevention Week, October 6-12, 2024, is “Smoke alarms: Make them work for you!TM” 

The Mount Pleasant Volunteer Fire Department is teaming up with the National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®) – the official sponsor of Fire Prevention WeekTM (FPWTM)  for more than 100 years – to promote this year’s FPW campaign, “Smoke alarms: Make them work for you!TM” The campaign works to educate everyone about the importance of having working smoke alarms in the home. 

According to the NFPA, smoke alarms reduce the risk of dying in a home fire by more than half (54 percent). Meanwhile, roughly three out of five fire deaths happen in homes with either no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.  

“Smoke alarms serve as the first line of defense in a home fire, but they need to be working in order to protect people,” said Lorraine Carli, vice president of outreach and advocacy at NFPA. “This year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign helps better educate the public about simple but critical steps they can take to make sure their homes have smoke alarms in all the needed locations and that they’re working properly.” 

The Mount Pleasant Volunteer Fire Department encourages all residents to actively support the 2024 FPW theme, “Smoke alarms: Make them work for you!” “Working smoke alarms can make a life-saving difference in a home fire, giving people the time to get out safely,” said Lieutenant Jim Roberts. “This year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign is a great way to remind everyone about these messages and to act on them.” 

Mount Pleasant Volunteer Fire Department offers these key smoke alarm safety tips and guidelines: 

• Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area (like a hallway), and on each level (including the basement) of the home.  

• Make sure smoke alarms meet the needs of all family members, including those with sensory or physical disabilities. 

• Test smoke alarms at least once a month by pushing the test button. 

• Replace all smoke alarms when they are 10 years old.  

The Mount Pleasant Volunteer Fire Department is hosting their annual open house in support of this year’s FPW campaign. This year’s Fire Prevention Week Open House will take place on Saturday, October 12, 2024, at the Mount Pleasant Firehouse located at 2875 Mount Pleasant Road, Quincy, FL 32352. The event will begin at 10:00am. 

Additionally, the Mount Pleasant Volunteer Fire Department will also be providing messaging via the department’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/mpvfd) to support this year’s theme “Smoke alarms: Make them work for you!”. To find out more about the Mount Pleasant Volunteer Fire Department visit their website at www.mpvfd.org and follow them on Facebook. 

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About the Mount Pleasant Volunteer Fire Department

An ISO Class 6 Department, the Mount Pleasant Volunteer Fire Department is one of eleven departments in Gadsden County, Florida.

Founded in 1968, the Mount Pleasant Volunteer Fire Department is a small rural all volunteer fire department that strives to provide the highest quality of fire and rescue services to the citizens and visitors of our community. Department personnel are made up of dedicated community volunteers that are on standby twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week to keep the residents and visitors of Mount Pleasant and Gadsden County safe.