National Fire Prevention Week; critical role of smoke alarms

MILWAUKEE - The Survive Alive House hosted a fire safety event on Monday to kick-off National Fire Prevention Week. This year’s theme is "Smoke alarms: Make them work for you!" 

This year’s theme emphasizes the role of smoke alarms in fire safety and prevention. The event will showcase interactive demonstrations, educational sessions, and community engagement activities.

The event included students from Milwaukee Public Schools’ (MPS) Hartford University School attending a program that teaches students the importance of fire safety.  

"Since 1992, the Survive Alive House has provided second and fifth grade students with an opportunity to learn what to do to respond in the event of a fire. At our schools, we do fire drills every month, sometimes twice a month," said Eduardo Galvan, Milwaukee Public Schools Interim Superintendent. 

Mayor Cavalier Johnson, Fire Chief Aaron D. Lipski, MPS Interim Superintendent Eduardo Galvan, the board of the Foundation for the Milwaukee Fire Education Center, Secretary of the Department of Safety and Professional Services Dan Hereth, and other city officials were in attendance for this event. 

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"Educating children and families during Fire Prevention Week is such a powerful way to spread this life-saving message, of Smoke Alarms: Make Them Work for You, throughout our community. By teaching students at the Survive Alive House how to test their alarms to make sure the alarm works and empowering parents to make home fire safety a priority, we’re helping to ensure that everyone has the protection they need in the event of an emergency. Although we have made great progress on this front, I believe one fire fatality is too many. Therefore, we will continue to push the message of fire prevention and safety through the means of education," says Survive Alive House Director and Fire Captain Belinda Bradley of the Milwaukee Fire Department.