There’s an old story about a cobbler whose children have no shoes.  The premise and the message are that he spends so much time taking care of his customers, that he has no time to take care of his own family’s needs.  Over the years, the concept has been presented in a number of different contexts to which different people can easily relate.  It seems to be an occupational hazard of many who are so passionate in their work that they put their own needs second.

As firefighters and first responders, our job is to protect and preserve the lives and property- among many other things- of those we serve. And, many of us are vigilant when it comes to protecting our own homes and stations with all of the necessary tools, equipment, and planning.

That said, there is always more we can do: more smoke detectors, more fire extinguishers, more planning, more drills… you get the idea.  There’s a great quote in this video that says we are most vulnerable where we feel the safest – in our own homes.  Think about that for a second.

“People are the most vulnerable where they feel the safest, which is their homes.”

As we kick off Fire Prevention Month (and every other month for that matter), it’s so important to practice what we all preach as firefighters. In an effort to help families prepare and protect themselves, First Defense Home Fire Safety Inc. is hosting a webinar and providing expert tips to prepare your home and family for a fire.  We thank our friend, Batt. Chief Robert Avsec (Ret.), Communications Chief with Prevention Connection for letting us know about this.

Here’s the thing…  yes, this is a pub ed webinar.  As firefighters and first responders who have ‘been there and done that,’ it may be easy to take a pass on this – and that’s fine.  When it comes to protecting our families, homes, and stations, let’s just keep open minds that there is always something new to learn and more to do.  Even more importantly, let’s take this opportunity to take action and do a thorough fire safety assessment in our own homes and see what we can improve upon.

We challenge you change something that makes those you care about a whole lot safer.

As part of Fire Prevention Month, we are giving away a First Alert P910 Smoke Detector each day for the entire month of October. Check out our Facebook page starting 10/1 for more details. 

Together, let’s spread the word within our community, and beyond, about home fire safety.  Stay safe, all…