October is Fire Prevention Month and the Laramie Fire Department (LFD) is doing its part to ensure Laramie’s community is educated on fire safety and prepared for an emergency. All through October, the Laramie Fire Department is sharing resources and running several campaigns and programs to help keep Laramie residents safe.

During Fire Prevention Month, LFD is sharing information across social media and on their website related to residential fire safety and best practices. One of the biggest campaigns LFD is focusing on this month is the importance of smoke detectors. Nearly 3 of every 5 home fire deaths result from fires with either no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.

The 2023 campaign centers around Daylight Savings Time when clocks are set back by one hour. Their campaign urges residents to check their smoke detectors as they change their clocks in November. This is a good time to ensure batteries are fully charged and all detectors/alarms are working properly.

“Smoke detectors are what’s going to alert you at night. We want to make sure people are adequately protected in their homes. There are programs available for residents who are unable to install smoke detectors. Our team can assist residents who need smoke detectors with getting into these programs so we can help keep everyone safe in our community,” says Fire Marshall Dennis Johnson.

LFD Fire Marshall Johnson also reminds City of Laramie residents of important fire safety practices to implement around the home during Fire Safety Month and before the upcoming holiday season:

• Install a smoke detector in every sleeping room and hallway in your home and ensure batteries are checked regularly.
• Unattended cooking is the number one cause of house fires. Never leave a hot stove unattended; keep a fire extinguisher nearby and remove flammable items from the area.
• Get wood-burning stoves and chimneys serviced and cleaned. Lack of maintenance can result in unwanted fires and possible fatalities.
• Ensure proper usage of interior and exterior lights; i.e., don’t use outdoor lights on your indoor Christmas trees.

As part of Fire Safety Month, LFD is also engaging in public education at Laramie’s elementary schools. During their visits (taking place the week of October 16^th) LFD staff will visit the kindergarten through fourth-grade classes to teach early intervention lessons in fire safety. LFD staff will use the training they received at a Life and Fire Safety (LAFS) conference to ensure it’s a fun and engaging learning experience for the students.

The LAFS program teaches LFD staff impactful word choice and even how to use puppets and other imaginative props to engage students in an educational show about fire safety. In addition to fire safety, LFD staff teach life-saving practices including the universal signals for choking, emergency exit drills in the home, stranger danger, and internet safety using the fun characters, puppets, music, and other programs they learned through LAFS.

You can follow the Laramie Fire Department Fire Prevention/Life Safety and Laramie Firefighters IAFF Local 946 Facebook pages to stay updated with the Laramie Fire Department during Fire Prevention Month.

For more information on fire safety please visit https://www.cityoflaramie.org/235/Life-Safety-Fire-Prevention. For an interview, please contact Fire Marshall Dennis Johnson at (307) 721-5330.