Fire Prevention Week is October 9-15
Illinois DCFS distributes smoke alarms to 897 Illinois families this year, reminds the public to practice a home fire escape plan

 

[October 10, 2022] 

Fire Prevention Week is October 9-15
Illinois DCFS distributes smoke alarms to 897 Illinois families this year, reminds the public to practice a home fire escape plan

(CHICAGO) Fire Prevention WeekTM is October 9-15, and Illinois DCFS is taking this time to remind the public about the importance of creating and practicing a home fire escape plan so they know what to do if the smoke alarm sounds.

In October 2019, DCFS launched a statewide program to provide free smoke alarms to families served by the department. To-date, DCFS has distributed 3,154 smoke alarms to families across Illinois, including 897 this year.

Keeping children safe is our #1 priority and ensuring that every family we serve has a working smoke alarm is an extra layer of protection we can provide,” said Illinois DCFS Director Marc D. Smith. “We know smoke alarms save lives, but families also need to be prepared with a plan so they can quickly get out of the house and to a safe meeting place if the alarm sounds.”

According to the National Fire Protection Association:

Three out of five home fire deaths result from fires in properties without working smoke alarms.

More than one-third (38%) of home fire deaths result from fires in which no smoke alarms are present.

The risk of dying in a home fire is cut in half in homes with working smoke alarms.

Illinois law requires every household to have smoke alarms within 15 feet of every bedroom and at least one on each floor of the home. Families served by DCFS may request smoke alarms from their caseworker or call their local field office directly to request one.

For more information about Fire Prevention Week and fire prevention in general, visit www.fpw.org.

About the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) Founded in 1964, DCFS is responsible for protecting children from abuse or neglect by responding to calls received on the Child Abuse Hotline, 1-800-25-ABUSE (1-800-252-2873). With the goal of keeping children safe, DCFS strengthens and supports families with a wide range of services. When keeping a child safe means removing them from the home, DCFS makes every effort to reunite them with their family. When the best interest of the child makes this impossible, DCFS is committed to pursuing adoption by loving families to provide children with a safe and permanent home. DCFS is also responsible for licensing and monitoring of all Illinois child welfare agencies.

[Illinois Office of Communication and Information]