Fire Prevention Bureau
Fire Prevention Week
The week of October 4, 2009 was National Fire Prevention Week and as
part of that week, West Michigan Firefighters marked this event with the
9th Annual Silent Night Memorial Service and Parade of Apparatus.
This year’s event took place on Thursday, October 8, 2009 beginning with
the Memorial Service at 7:00pm and followed by a silent parade of
apparatus. This year’s ceremony was held at the City of Walker
Public Safety Memorial Site located at Wilson and Remembrance Road.
The Silent Night Parade has its origin in the Chicago Suburbs. In
2002, the Grand Rapids Fire Department learned of this ceremony and
brought it here, having hosted the first few ceremonies with
participation by many West Michigan Fire Departments.
The purpose of this ceremony is to recognize and remember any area
firefighter, active or retired, that has passed away or “answered the
Last Alarm” in the past 12 months, no matter whether it was a line of
duty death or not. A bell is rung once for each name. After the roll
call of Fire Departments is completed, the bell is tolled 5-5-5,
signifying the last alarm. Upon completion of the memorial
service, the Silent Night Parade begins with the blessing of any fire
apparatus that is less than 12 months old, which will lead the parade.
When the parade begins, all emergency lights are turned on but no sirens
or air horns are activated. It is truly a “silent parade”. The
apparatus follow a route that will proceed east on Remembrance Road to
Kinney and will go south on Kinney ending at the Walker Fire Station on
Lake Michigan Drive and Kinney where the apparatus will be on display
for the public to view. The public is encouraged to line the parade
route and/or attend the ceremony
About Fire Prevention Week
Fire Prevention Week was established to commemorate the Great Chicago
Fire. The tragic 1871 conflagration that killed more that 250 people,
left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more that 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.
According to popular legend, the fire broke out after a cow –
belonging to Mrs. Catherine O’Leaery – kicked over a lamp, setting first
the barn, then the whole city on fire. Chances are you’ve heard some
version of this story yourself; people have been blaming the Great
Chicago Fire on the cow and Mrs. O’Leary, for more than 130 years. But
recent research by Chicago historian Robert Cromie has helped to debunk
this version of events.
Like any good story, the ‘case of the cow’ has some truth to it. The
great fire almost certainly started near the barn where Mrs. O’Leary
kept her five milking cows. But there is no proof that O’Leary was in
the barn when the fire broke out – or that a jumpy cow sparked the
blaze. Mrs. O’Leary herself swore that she’d been in bed early that
night, and that the cows were also tucked in for the evening.
But if a cow wasn’t to blame for the huge fire, what was? Over the
years, journalists and historians have offered plenty of theories. Some
blamed the blaze on a couple of neighborhood boys who were near the barn
sneaking cigarettes. Others believed that a neighbor of the O’Leary’s
might have started the fire. Some people have speculated that a fiery
meteorite may have fallen to earth on October 8, starting several fires
that day – in Michigan and Wisconsin, as well as in Chicago.
While the Great Chicago Fire was the best-known blaze to start during
this fiery two-day stretch, it wasn’t the biggest. That distinction goes
to the Peshitigo Fire, the most devastating forest fire in American
history. The fire, which also occurred on October 8, 1871, roared
through Northeast Wisconsin, burning down 16 towns, killing 1,152
people, and scorching 1.2 million acres before it ended.
Historical accounts of the fire say that the blaze began when several
railroad workers clearing land for tracks unintentionally started a
brush fire. Before long, the fast moving flames were whipping through
the area ‘ like a tornado,’ some survivors said. It was the small town
of Peshtigo, Wisconsin that suffered the worst damage. Within an hour,
the entire town had been destroyed.
Those who survived the Chicago and Peshtigo fires never forgot what
they’d been through: both blazes produced countless tales of bravery and
heroism. But the fires also changed the way that firefighters and public
officials thought about fire safety. On the 40th anniversary of the
Great Chicago Fire, the Fire Marshals Association of North America
(today known as the International Fire Marshals Association), decided
that the anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire should henceforth be
observed not with festivities, but in a way that would keep the public
informed about the importance of fire prevention. The commemoration grew
incrementally official over the years.
In 1920, President Woodrow Wilson issued the first National Fire
Prevention Day proclamation, and since 1922, Fire Prevention Week has
been observed on the Sunday through Saturday period in which October 9
falls. 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 during that week every year since 1925.
Reprinted from NFPA.Org
Bi-Monthly Fire Safety Tips
How Safe is Your Home?
Posted May 13, 2010
In 2006 80% of civilian fire deaths and 76% of civilian fire injuries
occurred in residential fires. The National Fire Protection Association
(NFPA) reports the in the five year period from 2000 through 2004 there
were an average of 372,200 residential fires each of the five years.
These fires resulted in an average of 2,970 deaths, 14,390 injuries, and
5.6 billion dollars in property loss and damage.
Cooking equipment is the leading cause of fires and fire related
injuries, while smoking is the leading cause of fire deaths. Heating
equipment ranked second in causes of fire related deaths.
More than half of the reported residential fires happen between 11:00
pm and 7:00 am. Of all reported residential fires 24% started in the
living room, family room, or den, while 23% started in a bedroom.
NFPA also reports that in 49% of fires a smoke detector operated and
alerted residents, while in 65% of fire deaths there was no working
smoke detector present.
The above numbers are staggering. The Walker Fire Department is
urging its residents to be aware and practice fire safety. While we
stand ready to respond to your emergency, we are equally dedicated to
your safety and we want to help you be safe and prevent fires, injuries,
and death.
Please use the fire safety home inspection checklist that we have
provided to measure the level of safety in your home. If you have any
questions regarding the check list or you would like assistance with
your safety check, please feel free to contact the Walker Fire
Department at 791-6840.
Home Inspection
Checklist
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4243 Remembrance Rd. NW
Walker, MI 49534
(616)453-6311
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