The Office of Fire and Life Safety coordinates and participates in a variety of special events throughout the year:
Fire Prevention Week is sponsored by the National Fire Prevention Association and observed annually nationwide during the week in which October 9 falls.
Why October 9? That is the anniversary of two of the nation's worst fires - the Great Chicago Fire and the Peshtigo, Wisconsin fire, which both occurred on Oct. 8 and 9, 1871. The storied Chicago fire claimed 250 lives, destroyed more than 2,000 city acres and 17,400 buildings and left 100,000 people homeless. The less well-known Peshtigo fire killed at least 1,000 people and is the deadliest fire in U.S. history.
During Fire Prevention Week, instituted by President Warren G. Harding in 1922, fire departments and companies across the U.S. focus on fire safety awareness and education - particularly home and business escape planning.
Baltimore County typically marks Fire Prevention Week with public reminders about the importance of smoke alarms, escape plans and other home safety measures; fire drills conducted by local career fire stations in public and private schools and day care centers; open houses in some career and volunteer fire stations; and a Fire Prevention Poster Contest.
This annual contest, jointly sponsored by the Baltimore County Fire Department and Baltimore County Public Schools, is open to all public school third graders. The contest, held each fall in conjunction with National Fire Prevention Week, asks students to design a poster based on that year's Fire Prevention Week theme. Recent poster themes have included, "Know When to Go! React Fast to Fire!" and "Fire Drills, the Great Escape," "Use Candles With Care," and "Watch What You Heat!"
The public schools collect entries during October. From these entries, a panel of judges selects first- through fifth-place winners, along with 37 honorable mention winners. All winners receive U.S. savings bonds, certificates and other donated prizes. (Savings bonds are provided courtesy of Local 1311, the local firefighter's union, and the Baltimore County Volunteer Firemen's Association.)
Children receive their gifts and awards at a ceremony at Loch Raven High School, held in November or early December. Representatives of the Fire Department, the school system and the County Executive's office are on hand to offer congratulations.
For information on the poster contest, call 410-887-4876.
Each year during Thanksgiving week, the Baltimore County Fire Department participates in WBAL Radio's "Coats For Kids" campaign. This campaign collects coats from donors for distribution to needy families. The coats are cleaned by participating area dry cleaners and taken by the Maryland National Guard to designated fire stations in Baltimore County for distribution during Thanksgiving week.
Coats are available for men, women and children. The selection varies from location to location; arrive 30 to 60 minutes before the scheduled distribution time for the best selection.
No identification is required. Coats left over at the end of the Coats for Kids drive usually are donated to the Baltimore County Department of Social Services.
Revised February 8, 2007
Courthouse 