The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
Listen to Sparky!
It’s Fire Prevention Week, so The Mini Page talked with Sparky the Fire Dog and other experts about protecting our families and homes from fire. This year’s theme is “Learn the Sounds of Fire Safety.”
Sparky the Fire Dog turns 70 years old this year! This friendly Dalmatian is the mascot of the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA). He has been teaching kids and adults about being safe since his beginning in 1951.
Why a Dalmatian?
Dalmatian dogs have shared barns and hunting courses with horses for centuries. Many years ago, when fire departments used horse-drawn fire wagons, Dalmatians helped direct the horses, keep them company, and guard the firehouse.
When there was a fire, some Dalmatians stayed behind at the fire station, while others rode on the firetruck.
Firehouse dogs were often called “Sparky,” so this seemed a perfect name for NFPA’S fire prevention mascot.
Fires can be deadly
About half of deaths from home fires happen between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., when most people are sleeping. Smoke alarms in bedrooms give people a chance to get out of the house before it’s too late. Working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in a fire in half!
The sounds of fire safety
• A continued set of three loud beeps — beep, beep, beep — means smoke or fire. Get out, call 9-1-1, and stay out.
• A single “chirp” every 30 or 60 seconds means the battery is low and must be changed.
• All smoke alarms must be replaced after 10 years.
• Chirping that continues after the battery has been replaced means the alarm is at the end of its life and the unit must be replaced.
Smoke alarms should be installed in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level of your house, even the basement.
Fire facts
• Cooking equipment is the leading cause of home fire injuries, followed by heating equipment.
• When smoke alarms fail to operate, it is usually because batteries are missing, disconnected or dead.
• About 1,900 people died in household fires in 2019.