Altus Air Force Base News

 

Fire Prevention Week highlights fire safety

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Nathan Clark
  • 97th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
ALTUS AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. (Oct. 15, 2014) --  The 97th Civil Engineer Squadron Fire Department hosted Fire Prevention Week Oct. 6-11, 2014, to help raise awareness and educate Altus AFB about fire safety.

The events directly involved members and families on base with games, demonstrations and community involvement.

National Fire Prevention Day dates back to 1920, when President Woodrow Wilson approved the program, said Billy W. Allday, a fire inspector with the 97th Civil Engineer Squadron. "According to the National Archives and Records Administration's Library Information Center, Fire Prevention Week is the longest running public health and safety observance on record."

The events started Oct. 6, with the Squadron Commander's and First Sergeant's Challenge, said Allday. "The competitors experienced many of the tasks that firefighters could be tasked with at any given moment."

Sparky the Fire Dog visited the children at the child development center and students at L. Mendel Rivers Elementary School participated in hands-on training on what to do in the event of a fire, Allday said.

"Group commanders and their chiefs also competed in a search and rescue setting," said Allday. "Their objective was to locate and rescue a simulated victim from a room full of smoke."

There were a number of other events during the week, including a Fire Muster, a fire truck pull, and an open house. The Fire Muster consisted of teams competing in five different challenges such as fire-hose rolling and a fire truck pull. Allday said the week ended with a five and ten kilometer race, a parade through base housing and an open house at the firehouse on base.

"The events and sessions we host during Fire Prevention Week serves a venue to focus attentions on the need to practice fire safety," Allday said. "We use the various events during the week to not only highlight the job of fire protection, we also teach fire safety and prevention to the youth of our community."

Though fire safety is highlighted during one week a year, Allday said, these practices must be prevalent throughout the year in order to ensure safety in the places we live, work and play.