This week is Fire Prevention Week, marking the 129th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire, a historical milestone in America’s battle with fire.
Another milestone in local fire history is emerging in the Chicago area that deserves the attention of our government officials, the fire service and the general public.
Recognizing that 75 percent of fire deaths in this country occur in residential settings, several Chicago suburbs this year took the lead in requiring lifesaving fire sprinkler systems in the newly constructed homes being built in their communities. Suburbs now requiring home sprinklers include Clarendon Hills, Barrington, Long Grove, Hoffman Estates and Wheeling.
Fire sprinklers extinguish a typical residential fire in less than one minute and dramatically improve survival rates.
As a former firefighter, I believe that there are two types of heroes when it comes to saving lives from fire: the brave men and women who make up our fire service and the government officials who have the vision and concern for their communities to pass tough building codes in the face of sometimes overwhelming opposition.
On this anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire, I congratulate the village board members and the fire chiefs of those communities that have passed residential fire sprinkler codes, and all those who are striving to make our lives safer from fire.
