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In the UK, we generally no longer have a dedicated National Fire Safety Week. Years ago, it was used to highlight issues of fire safety and awareness of the dangers. Generally, it used to occur in late September or early October, and aimed to show the true costs of fire, both in personal and monetary terms.
However, in more recent years, this initiative has been dropped in the UK, and is often confused with the American phenomenon with Sparky the Dog as its mascot. Back on this side of the Atlantic, it’s instead been replaced with awareness days and weeks dedicated to specific issues in homes and businesses.
These include Boat Safety Week, Chimney Fire Safety Week, Candle Fire Safety Week, Fire Door Safety Week, Electrical Safety Week, Student Fire Safety Week, and a lot else besides. These are organised by the Government as the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC). Click here to find out more about their campaigns.
History
National Fire Safety Week was initiated by the Fire Protection Association (FPA) many years ago. The FPA is run in conjunction with the UK fire services and is supported by a wide variety of organisations. Although there is no set date for the National Fire Safety Week, it generally occurred in September or October.
The FPA is based in Gloucestershire, and aims to improve awareness and educate about fires during the events.
Aims And Objectives
The FPA and NDCC use the different fire safety weeks to promote safe fire prevention practices and to educate the public about the true costs of fire. The idea is to use events and activities to show people how deadly fire can be, but also show ways in which fires can be prevented and the need for fire prevention at home and at work.
Getting Involved
They’re a great time for businesses and schools to get involved in fire awareness and prevention, and if you want you can organise a fire safety campaign of your own to highlight potential fire hazards and give advice. You can either contact your local fire service department, the FPA, or the NFCC.
Importance Of The Event
With fires continuing to be a severe hazard and potentially damaging to not just property and possessions but also to people’s lives, having a week to raise the profile of the dangers of fire and educating people how they can avoid these dangers is extremely important.
However, this can only be accomplished if more and more people get involved in the events and help organise more events to improve people’s access to knowledge about fire prevention throughout the UK.
