Each October, the Fire Service promotes fire and life safety initiatives during Fire Prevention Week throughout the country. Fire Prevention Week was proclaimed in 1920 by President Woodrow Wilson to commemorate the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 which claimed hundreds of lives and destroyed over 17,000 structures. This year’s theme is “Every Second Counts – Plan 2 Ways Out”. It stresses the importance of having a building plan for your home and your place of work. The casualty rates of fires are frequently linked to inadequate exists, or simply the lack of attention to alternate exits. The Fire Department recommends the following;
- Find two ways out from all points of your home and place of work.
- Make sure doors and windows are not blocked.
- Choose a meeting place outside of your home, and make sure all members of your family are aware of it.
- Make sure your home has working smoke detectors – test them frequently to make sure they’re working. Practice a drill with everyone in the home.
Residents should visit www.firepreventionweek.org for more information and fire safety tips. Fire Prevention week beings October 8th.
In the coming days, the Fire Prevention Bureau will be visiting the Township Schools to conduct fire safety education programs for various age groups. Lieutenant Matthew Lubin, who directs fire prevention, risk reduction, and code enforcement, stresses the importance of proactive public education programs. “In Cranford, Fire Prevention is a year-round initiative across all age groups and risk populations.” The Cranford Fire Prevention Bureau conducts programs from Kindergarten through High School and also has programs to help train employees and occupants of business, industrial, and special-hazard occupancies. In addition to the school programs, the Fire Department will have a fire prevention display at the Fall Downtown Street Fair.
125th Anniversary of the Fire Department
The Cranford Fire Department will be celebrating ist 125th Anniversary on Sunday, October 15th from 11 am to 5 pm at the municipal lot on Springfield Ave next to the fire house. Also Springfield Ave will be closed between North Ave and N. Union the day of the event to display the fire and emergency rescue vehicles. The event will feature a dozen food trucks, live music by the band Mushmouth, the Union County Police and Fire Pipes and Drums, interactive kids zone, face painter, historical video, commemorative recognition ceremony honoring our firefighters over the last 125 years and Anniversary memorabilia to purchase. A wonderful community event to celebrate our brave firefighter for the last 125 years. An opportunity to remember those before us, celebrate today and inspire those yet to come.
Street food festival poster. Design with hand-drawn graphic elements in doodle style.
