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Firefighters respond to 250 fire cases in 2 years
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Posted on Oct 06 2008
CNMI firefighters responded to 250 fire incidents, including bush fires, in 2007 and 2008, according to the Department of Public Safety’s Fire Division.
The Fire Division also said majority of structure fires in the Commonwealth displaced homeowners.
Based on division statistics, unattended cooking is the number one cause of structure fires in the CNMI, said Firefighter 2 Daniel Suel, adding that this year alone he investigated six structure fire cases on Saipan.
Yesterday, Gov. Benigno R. Fitial declared Oct. 5 to 11 as CNMI Fire Prevention Week.
In the proclamation, Fitial urged people of the CNMI to protect their homes and families by heeding the important safety messages of Fire Prevention Week.
The governor also appealed to people to support the many public safety activities and efforts of DPS Fire and Emergency Services.
Home fires killed more than 2,500 people in the United States in 2006, according to the nonprofit National Fire Protection Association. Fire departments in the U.S. responded to nearly 400,000 home fires.
Cooking is reportedly the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries nationwide.
“Residents who have planned and practiced a home fire escape plan are more prepared and will therefore be more likely to survive a fire,” said the proclamation, which was read by 6th grader Patrick Somorang, a Make-A-Wish Foundation’s honorary firefighter.
During the proclamation signing held at the governor’s conference room, Suel said that Tinian and Rota will also be participating in this week’s fire prevention week activities.
“We will be out there doing public education for kids, the grades schools and high schools,” Suel said.
He said they would be teaching children how to prevent trash fires or bush fires.
Last year, the Fire Division, through federal funding, issued about 3,000 smoke detectors to qualified homeowners in the CNMI.
Suel said the issuance of smoke detectors was the start as they are now teaching homeowners to develop fire escape routes in their houses.
