Today volunteers representing departments throughout the county were presented with a proclamation from the Calvert County Board of County Commissioners proclaiming the week of October 8-14, 2023 be known as Fire Prevention Week in Calvert County. Fire Prevention Week began in 1922 by the National Fire Protection Association and is observed during the week of October 9th in commemoration of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Fire Prevention Week serves as a critical reminder of the need for fire safety education and preparedness.

This year’s campaign “Cooking safety starts with YOU. Pay attention to fire preventionTM” works to educate everyone about simple but important actions they can take when cooking to keep themselves and those around them safe. According to the National Fire Protection Association, cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries in the United States. Two of every five home fires start in the kitchen with 31% of these fires resulting from unattended cooking, more than half of reported non-fatal home cooking fire injuries occurred when the victims tried to fight the fire themselves.

No one understands the importance of this week more than our dedicated volunteers who play a pivotal role in safeguarding our citizens from fire-related risks and emergencies. Today we were joined by North Beach Volunteer Fire Department Fire Captain Steven Flowers, Prince Frederick Volunteer Fire Department Fire Chief Willie Gray, Solomons Volunteer Rescue Squad and Fire Department President Terry Anderson, Dunkirk Volunteer Fire Department Fire Lt. Bryan Purnell, Huntingtown Volunteer Fire Department Assistant Chief Mike Clark, St. Leonard Volunteer Fire Department Safety Officer Vanessa DeVries, and Calvert County Rescue Dive Team Chief Dan Furth to accept the proclamation on behalf of our all of our Volunteer Departments.

Next week we will be sharing safety tips and other helpful information regarding fire safety and prevention. Together with your support we can raise awareness and promote safe practices to reduce the number of preventable fires in our county, ultimately saving lives and resources.