Designating the week of October 7-13th 2012 as "National Fire Prevention Week" in Philadelphia and encouraging residents, children, parents, teachers and firefighters to gain the necessary knowledge through the "FIRE SAFETY APP

WHEREAS, The history of National Fire Prevention Week has its roots in the Great Chicago Fire, which occurred on October 8, 1871, and this tragic conflagration killed some 300 people, left 100,000 homeless and destroyed more than 17,000 structures; and

WHEREAS, During 2011, the Philadelphia Fire Department (PFD) responded to 277, 635 emergency incidents: of these incidents 229,709 were emergency medical incidents, and 47,926 were for fire and other 911 emergency public safety service requests; and

WHEREAS, Each year in the United States an estimated 2,800 children age 14 or younger are injured and 850 killed in residential fires, of these children, 52% of all child fire deaths occur to those 4 and younger and 30.5% occurred with those ages 5-9; and

WHEREAS, The Fire Department continues to see a reduction in fire fatalities. Thirty-three citizens died in fires in 2010 compared to thirty-two citizens in 2011, a reduction of approximately 3%; and

WHEREAS, Eighty-four percent of the fire fatalities that occurred in 2011 occurred in structures with no smoke alarms, or dead or missing batteries. Of the thirty-two fatalities, eighteen fatalities occurred in twelve properties that did not have smoke alarms, or had alarms with dead or missing batteries; and

WHEREAS, In 2011, The Philadelphia Fire Department experienced a (2.5%) increase in the total number of emergency incidents compared to 2010, while also recording a (2.9%) increase in total emergency medical incidents; and

WHEREAS, The Department's “Freedom from Fire” campaign, an aggressive fire safety and education program, has contributed to the reduction in fire fatalities in Philadelphia; now, therefore

BE IT RESOLVED, BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF PHILADELPHIA, Hereby designates week of October 7-13th 2012 as “National Fire Prevention Week” in Philadelphia and encourages that residents, children and parents, teachers and firefighters gain the necessary knowledge through the “FIRE SAFETY APP…STAY SAFE WITH THAT” by attending or teaching programs that can and will save your life or the life of someone near and dear, because once a fire starts there's no time to develop a plan.

FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to Fire Commissioner Lloyd Ayers, as further evidencing the sincere admiration and gratitude of this legislative body.

End