For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
October 5, 2001
President Proclaims Fire Prevention Week
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
The well-being of our Nation's citizens requires that families, communities, emergency workers, and health professionals work together to ensure the highest levels of public safety. This goal is particularly important with respect to fire prevention. The 2000 National Fire Experience Survey, conducted by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), reveals that fire claimed more than 4,000 American lives last year. In 2000, fire killed someone every 130 minutes and injured someone every 24 minutes. Fire also takes a significant economic toll on America, accounting for more than $11 billion in property loss last year.
In the United States, fires caused by
cooking, heating, or electricity amount to almost half of all home
fires. These accidental fires, though common, are also among
the most preventable. Their high rates of occurrence point
to the vital importance of safety and knowledge in helping to prevent
these types of fires and thereby avoid the tragic deaths and serious
injuries that they can cause.
This year marks the annual observance of
Fire Prevention Week, sponsored by the National Fire Protection
Association. The event's theme, "Cover the Bases and Strike
Out Fire," encourages children and families to take an active role in
preventing home fires and the injuries and deaths they cause, by
conducting home fire safety inspections and preparing and practicing
home fire drills. The NFPA is joining forces with the
Federal Emergency Management Agency, through the United States Fire
Administration, and with fire departments throughout the country to
raise awareness of the leading causes of home fires and encourage the
actions that may be taken to prevent them. I urge all
Americans to learn more about fire prevention and to take steps to
better ensure the safety of our homes, places of work, and other public
structures.
During this year's observance, I also call
on Americans to join me in expressing appreciation for the devotion and
dedication of our Nation's firefighters and other emergency response
personnel. These brave men and women provide the first line
of emergency response to a multitude of disasters and risk their own
security and well-being to save the lives of others. As
recent events in our Nation have demonstrated, these fine Americans
truly exemplify selfless service and heroism. They serve to
make our towns, cities, and communities safer places for all.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH,
President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority
vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do
hereby proclaim October 7 through October 13, 2001, as Fire Prevention
Week. I call upon the people of the United States to
observe this day with appropriate programs and activities and to renew
efforts to prevent fires and their tragic consequences for human health
and safety.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my
hand this fifth day of
October, in the year of our Lord two thousand one, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
twenty-sixth.
GEORGE W. BUSH
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