The National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®) and State Farm® are teaming up for the eighth year to promote Fire Prevention Week™, October 6-12 and its fire safety messages among thousands of communities nationwide. NFPA has been the official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week - an annual public awareness campaign that works to reduce the public’s risk to home fires - for more than 100 years.

Local fire departments play a key role in bringing Fire Prevention Week to life in their communities each October. In support of these efforts, State Farm is delivering 4,910 Fire Prevention Week toolkits and other fire safety resources to local fire departments in 48 states. Each toolkit includes a host of resources for promoting Fire Prevention Week, including brochures, magnets, posters and more that fire departments will distribute at schools, open houses, and other community events.

"Helping people manage the risks of everyday life is a fundamental part of our mission," said Apsara Sorensen, assistant vice president of Corporate Responsibility at State Farm. "Through our collaboration with NFPA and local fire departments, we are actively working towards increasing awareness about fire prevention."

“Smoke alarms: Make them work for you!™” is the theme for this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign, which focuses on the critical importance of smoke alarms and making sure they’re working properly.

The latest “Smoke Alarms in the U.S.” report from NFPA shows that working smoke alarms reduce the risk of dying in a reported home fire by more than half. However, nearly three out of five U.S. home fire deaths occur in homes with no smoke alarms (43 percent) or smoke alarms that failed to operate (16 percent). Missing or non-functional power sources, including missing or disconnected batteries, dead batteries, and disconnected hardwired alarms or other AC power issues, are the most common factors when smoke alarms fail to operate.

This year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign reflects NFPA and State Farm’s efforts to make sure smoke alarms remain in working order, giving people the time needed to escape safely in the event of a home fire.

“The proactive support we receive from State Farm strengthens our ability to reach the public with potentially life-saving fire safety messages,” said Kelly Ransdell, director of public education at NFPA. “We’re incredibly grateful for their ongoing generosity and commitment to reducing the risks associated with home fires, which is where the majority of U.S. fire deaths occur each year.”

To learn more about this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign, visit www.fpw.org
For this release and other announcements about NFPA initiatives, research, and resources, please visit the NFPA press room.