October is National Fire Prevention Month
We're here to help you be prepared to fight fire with a plan.
Natural disasters - wildfires, hurricanes and earthquakes - have been dominating our news and loss prevention attention. Their widespread devastation and loss of life and property are heartbreaking and costly. However, fire is the peril that can ignite anywhere on the map, at any time of year, and its effect is no less devastating.
Did you know…
- U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated 365,500 home fires that caused 2,560 deaths, 11,075 injuries and $7 billion in direct damage in 2015.
- Cooking equipment is the leading cause of home fire injuries, followed by heating equipment. Smoking materials are the leading cause of home fire deaths.
- Three out of five home fire deaths happen from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
- Most fatal fires happen either late in the night or in the early morning, when the average person is asleep.
In a fire, seconds can mean the difference between escaping safely or having lives end in tragedy. According to a National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA) survey, only one-third of Americans have both developed and practiced a home fire escape plan. If you’re part of the two-thirds that haven't, we’re here to help you prepare.
October is National Fire Prevention Month. It's a great time to take steps to prevent fires from occurring and to prepare your family to take action. Develop a fire escape plan with two ways out of every room in your home. Practice that plan so you and your family can get out safely and quickly. Let’s prepare now:
How the Fire Safety House is teaching children to be fire safe.
Blank Children's Hospital has a Fire Safety House. It is a mobile, wheelchair-accessible, fire education tool designed to teach children vital burn prevention and fire escape methods through fun, safe simulation of common household hazards. State Farm sponsors the Fire Safety House. Equipped with a kitchen, living room and bedroom, it features the types of dangers children should look for.
The Fire Safety House uses hands-on learning to prepare children for the unexpected and frightening experience of a fire. In addition to teaching children about fire safety, the house can also be used to train children about what to do in severe weather like thunderstorms and tornadoes. At events, Fire Safety House attendees receive free educational materials, hands-on safety demonstrations, and sometimes free smoke or carbon monoxide detectors. Demonstrations are conducted by firefighters and experienced volunteers. Some of the life-saving procedures taught are:
- How to crawl under smoke.
- How to feel a door before opening it.
- How to use a fire escape ladder.
- What a smoke detector sounds like.
- How to call 9-1-1.
The Fire Safety House has been providing programming since 1994. To date, the "school on wheels" program has provided fire safety education and equipment to over 85,000 children and families throughout Iowa.
Click on an interactive image below to open. Then hover over the icons to learn more fire safety tips.
For over 100 years, the mission of State Farm has been to help people manage the risks of everyday life, recover from the unexpected and realize their dreams. State Farm and its affiliates are the largest providers of auto and home insurance in the United States. Its more than 19,400 agents and 67,000 employees serve over 91 million policies and accounts – including auto, fire, life, health, commercial policies and financial services accounts. Commercial auto insurance, along with coverage for renters, business owners, boats and motorcycles, is also available. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 44 on the 2023 Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit http://www.statefarm.com.
