Harriman Engine Company and Home Depot promote Fire Safety Week with demonstrations

Harriman - To promote national Fire Safety Week, Home Depot provided a children’s workshop and Harriman Engine provided a “Safe Sam’s Smoke House” to educate children about fire safety. Harriman Engine also provided educational material (books, stickers, helmets, etc.) as part of its efforts to educate parents and children to protect the community and residents from fire dangers. “In light of the recent tragedies, we cannot stress enough the importance of smoke detectors, CO detectors, and the family emergency plan,” First Assistant Fire Chief Tim Carr said. “It is never too early to educate our children.” Fire Prevention Week was established to commemorate the Great Chicago Fire, the tragic 1871 conflagration that killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures and burned more than 2,000 acres. The fire began on October 8, but continued into and did most of its damage on October 9, 1871. In 1920, President Woodrow Wilson issued the first National Fire Prevention Day proclamation, and since 1922, Fire Prevention Week has been observed in October. 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 President of the United States has signed a proclamation proclaiming a national observance every year since 1925.