BREMERTON, Wash. –
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility will observe National Fire Prevention Week Oct. 11, 2023, with an open house at Fire Station 28.
The open house is designed to build awareness and help employees recognize the common dangers associated with unattended fires at home and work, and to provide safety tips and best practices that can be employed to mitigate those risks.
In 1925, President Calvin Coolidge declared the week of Oct. 9 as a national observance of Fire Prevention Week, commemorating the Great Chicago Fire that destroyed 17,400 buildings and left more than 100,000 people homeless.
“Every year since then, the National Fire Protection Association sponsors a theme to help everyone learn more about fire prevention and what they can do to stay safe,” said Mike Taylor, fire prevention engineering technician, Code 980M.5, Facility Management and Fire Prevention Program.
This year’s theme, “Cooking safety starts with you! Pay attention to fire prevention,” highlights how unattended cooking fires are the leading cause of home fires, injuries, and deaths.
“But the good news is most cooking fires are easily preventable,” Taylor said.
The goal for this event is to provide an opportunity for employees to interact with and learn from fire inspectors, firefighters and other safety professionals from around the shipyard about what they can do to make their home and work environments safe, Taylor said.
The open house will feature several tables and booths designed to educate and train workers about fire safety, equipment and best practices to combat flames.
A virtual fire extinguisher training simulator will allow employees to see the correct way to respond when confronted with an uncontrolled fire.
In addition, a truck display, a table demonstrating common fire hazards and tours of the fire station will be available to show event attendees the systems the shipyard has in place in case of an unexpected fire.
“It’s important to remember that fire safety is everyone’s responsibility, no matter what position you hold or what your job title is,” Taylor said. “The more precautions we take to ensure a fire doesn’t happen, the better prepared we will be to respond in case one does.”