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Every year, fires in and around homes nationwide put thousands of Americans in harm's way.

From the loss of a home to the tragic passing of a loved one, the devastation these disasters leave in their wake is heartbreaking. During Fire Prevention Week, we resolve to protect ourselves, our families, and our communities from fires, and we honor the courageous first responders who put their lives at risk to keep us safe. All of us can take meaningful steps to reduce the risk of fire in our homes. I encourage all Americans to install and maintain smoke alarms, test smoke alarm batteries regularly, and follow safe practices in the kitchen and when using electrical appliances. Families should also develop and practice a fire escape plan that includes at least two ways out of every room. To learn more about these and other simple precautions against home fires, visit www.Ready.gov. This year, wildfires caused profound damage to communities across our country, and our Nation mourned the loss of life that followed. These events reminded us that wildfires are often unpredictable, which is why it is essential for people in areas at risk to practice proper fire prevention and preparedness. Those who live in regions prone to wildfire can take action by clearing flammable vegetation, preparing an emergency supply kit, and sharing evacuation routes and a communications plan with their family in case of emergency. Individuals who see a wildfire should report it by calling 911, and if advised, evacuate immediately. As we mark Fire Prevention Week by recommitting to preparedness, we also extend our thoughts and prayers to all those who have been affected by fires this year -- including the brave first responders who fought them. Summoning courage in crisis and bringing discipline and professionalism to the job each and every day, America's firefighters are heroes in every sense. This week, we express our deepest gratitude for their service to our communities and our Nation, and we pay solemn tribute to the men and women who gave their lives to protect our own. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten, and in their memory, let us rededicate ourselves to preventing tragedy before it strikes. NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 7 through October 13, 2012, as Fire Prevention Week. On Sunday, October 7, 2012, in accordance with Public Law 107-51, the flag of the United States will be flown at halfstaff on all Federal office buildings in honor of the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service. I call on all Americans to participate in this observance with appropriate programs and activities and by renewing their efforts to prevent fires and their tragic consequences. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fifth day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-seventh. BARACK OBAMA

For the past 20 years, the Fire National Training Institute (FNTI) has produced dedicated and skilled firefighters who, along with our police and other men in uniform, have protected our nations way of life. Our communities, our citiesour

nationrely on you 24 hours a day to keep homes and places of work, recreation, and worship safe. Ladies and gentlemen, the crux of the matter is this: under your protection, Filipinos can live the good life in friendly communion with neighbors and nature. Few things are more dramatic and urgent than the act of snatching life and property out of harms way. As graduates of the FNTI, this is now your role, and will be your sworn duty and honor in the coming years. I am very pleased about the decrease of damages caused by fires over the past few months. At P645 billion in the first quarter of 2011 alone, the total figure is still terribly high, but its a marked reduction from P868 billion in the same period last year. During the same period, casualties or death dropped to 10 from 30 in the first quarter of 2010, although for sure, the loss of each of those 10 lives is a tragedy felt most deeply by those among those who battled fire to save them. Fire incidents also went down. For Metro Manila alone, fire incidents dropped by 34%, from 1,572 during the first quarter of last year to only 1,040 this year. Dahil sa mahigpit at regular na inspeksyon ng mga gusali at iba pang establisyemento ayon sa alituntunin ng Fire Code of the Philippines, mas maibababa pa natin ng husto ang mga insidente ng sunog sa ating bansa. Sa patuloy ng pagsasagawa ng fire prevention activities tulad ng fire drills sa mga piling barangay sa bansa, lalo na sa depressed areas sa Metro Manila at iba pang lungsod, nagiging maingat at alisto na ang mga naninirahan dito kung ano ang kanilang mga gagawing hakbang upang maiwasan ang sunog at handa rin sila kung ano ang gagawin sakaling magka-sunog.

In your line of work, speed is of utmost importance. As you go about your duties, you will help our citizenry not only when theres fire, but also when there are other calamities like floods, earthquakes, and when threat from hazardous materials endanger our countrymen. My profound and simple thanks to all of you who will make this happen. I know that to effectively perform your mandate, you need to upgrade skills and acquire modern equipment. We are looking for ways and means to provide what you need. To ensure the quality of your equipment, making sure that they are in accordance with set standards, the procedures for procurement as provided for in RA 9184 or the Government Procurement Act are strictly observed. This means transparency in resource management is exercised. This is anchored on President Aquinos 16point agenda of maximizing government agencies resources and capacities in pursuit of public service missions. Given the limited budget and scarce resources of the Bureau of Fire, we have activated and operationalized designated Central Fire Stations, which will address the fire service needs of neighboring municipalities without fire stations or those that have dysfunctional fire trucks. To date, there are 645 local government units nationwide that do not have fire stations and there are 666 other LGUs that only have old and dilapidated fire trucks. We have already fast-tracked the purchase of 170 fire trucks scheduled for this year to solve this problem. We are also earmarking a significant amount of money to procure as soon as possible, this year, all the other firefighting equipment that you need so that you are protected while in the course of duty. Theres no sense in embracing the heat of fire when your boots and helmets are falling apart.

For the other areas that will have to wait for more fire trucks and equipment, we have arranged it so that the city or municipal fire station nearest to the municipalities without a fire station shall serve as the Central Fire Station and shall be responsible for coordinating with local officials where LGUs have firesuppression problems. It will also be responsible for quick responses for fire prevention, suppression, investigation, and the provision of emergency and rescue services. While we are intensifying our efforts in improving our organizational structure, we are also looking into the welfare of our men-in-uniform. And one of the most important concerns is the lack of housing for our uniformed personnel. A housing survey in the BFP and BJMP showed that 50% of BJMP personnel do not have houses of their own. The figure is even higher in the BFP at almost 70%. The least that we can do for those who risk life and limb for us and our properties is to provide a means for them and their families to be secure in their own homes. I already requested the Department of Budget and Management through Secretary Florencio Abad for a housing program for both the BJMP and BFP. If the housing plan is similar to that of the PNP under its Pulis Kalinga housing project, we can have a four-storey building with 128 units having an average of 33 to 39 square meters per unit at an approximate cost of P22,500 per square meter. No less than the President made the assurance about this in his recent SONA, when he said: Tulad ng marami sa ating mga kapulisan, hangad ko rin na maibsan ang problema sa pabahay na dinaranas ng napakaraming kagawad ng BFP. Harinawa sa lalong madaling panahon ay mabigyan na ng maayos na pabahay ang inyong pamilya.

In closing, I want to thank you, the nations firefighters, for your dedicated and selfless service to the country and to the Filipino people. Your sacrifices and dedication preserve our way of life. Because of you, we can work and play better, dream our dreams of growth and prosperity, and function better as a society, secure in the belief that our loved ones are far from danger. I call on you to stand prepared for the challenges and responsibilities ahead. The world is changing and the realities are bearing down on us with much urgency. Our cities are more condensed; living in them makes our people more vulnerable to risk. Our people are more careless and more distracted especially when it comes to safety at home and in the workplace. I urge you to exhibit more passion in doing your job, always keeping in mind that you are in the noble profession of protecting properties and lives. Your performance in the name of public service shall always be written in the hearts of the people whose lives you touch. Carry on! Maraming salamat!
Two days before the start of Fire Prevention Month, the Bureau of Fire Protection received 38 brand new fire trucks acquired by the government from Austria. Another 38 are expected soon, procured under a soft loan package amounting to P1.1 billion. The acquisition is a welcome boost to the firefighting capability of the BFP, which is so lacking in fire trucks private groups have pitched in and bought their own vehicles for volunteer firefighting operations. Fires are a regular bane in these islands. Last year, 3,424 fires were recorded nationwide. In the past two months alone, the BFP recorded 198 small and major fires across the country, which left six people dead and 12 injured, and damaged property valued at nearly P15.6 million. As important as effective response to fires is prevention the theme this month. Summer is a season of fires, which spread quickly particularly in densely populated

communities of jerrybuilt wooden dwellings. Even solid structures of concrete, however, can be firetraps. The countrys deadliest fires occurred in concrete buildings with faulty electrical wiring and no fire exits. March, Fire Prevention Month, is a good time to ensure compliance with fire safety standards. Accidents happen, and fires can be triggered by strange circumstances, such as the recent inferno set off by fireworks in a nightclub in Brazil, which killed over 230 people. But preventive measures can minimize accident risks. Building owners themselves should consider it in their interest to comply. Property damage from fires is costly. For landlords and owners of commercial establishments hit by fires, settling civil claims of victims can be even costlier. Complying with fire safety rules makes good business sense. And compliance with safety rules is the best way to achieve the basic objective, which is to prevent the loss of lives.

Fires can be downright devastating in the Philippines. That is why every year a small business owner in the Philippines can expect to be paid a visit by the inspection team from the Office of the City Fire Marshal. The Office of the City Fire Marshal falls under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Fire Protection, which in turn falls under the jurisdiction of the Philippine Department of the Interior and Local Government. Every municipality has such an office, and one of the tasks undertaken by this office is to help promote fire prevention. It is a task that is not taken lightly. To underscore the importance of fire prevention nationwide, every March is hailed as Fire Prevention Month in the Philippines.

After the team undertakes their annual inspection visit of a small business, the owner of the business can expect to receive an After Mission Report that includes findings and recommendations. The findings section generally includes a check-list of the following: whether you have the appropriate business and/or occupancy permits for the building you are in; whether there are sufficient exits from the building and that these are not obstructed in any way; that the electrical system is up to code and does not pose any hazards; that an automatic emergency lighting system is in place and functioning; and, that there is an appropriate number of first-aid and fire fighting devices for the premises. The recommendations section of the after mission report generally indicates what steps, if any, the small business should take to remedy any potential fire hazards as a part of fire prevention for the building and its grounds. The list generally includes the following measures: unplug all electrical loads when not in use; submit fire insurance data and obtain proper coverage; have fire extinguishers serviced or refilled; install additional automatic emergency lighting if needed; keep all passages to fire exits free of obstructions at all times; attend a fire safety seminar; and, update/bring up to code the electrical system. The After Mission Report will advise you on how well your small business is faring in terms of fire prevention measures. Please take

the findings and recommendations seriously. Personal property and even lives could be at risk if you fail to act on the recommendations found in the report. Do the right thing and comply the time and effort required to meet the minimum safety measures outlined in the report will not be overly cumbersome, nor will such preventative measures cost very much. As a foreign small business owner you may think the above list is a little light. You would be right! Back home you probably took even more precautions at home or at your place of work in the area of fire prevention. Accordingly, I strongly urge you to follow the same guidelines you adhered to back home. When it comes to fire safety, an ounce of prevention really is worth a pound of cure! As a bit of a refresher, try and look out for the following: Make sure you have no overloaded circuits; Really look into fuse blowouts as they could be a sign of serious electrical problems; Get rid of and replace any frayed electrical cords; Dont let trash pile up; Clear out and store items that are rarely used; Dont allow smoking in high risk areas of your building; Make sure you properly use, store, and dispose of flammable materials; Check and maintain air-conditioning and ventilation equipment at regular intervals; and finally, Dont forget to buy battery-operated smoke detectors and check them regularly. I really urge all small business owners in the Philippines to reflect on their own fire prevention strategies. There is no need to wait for March to be reminded and take appropriate action! If there are any readers

who have additional suggestions and tips regarding fire prevention, please feel free to post for the benefit of all of us! And remember, be prepared, and always be profitable!
Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, It gives me great pleasure to extend to you all a very warm welcome on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources and to say how grateful we are to FAO and the UNDP who have accepted our invitation to convene this Regional Seminar on the Reclamation and Management of Sandy Soils, here in Nicosia. It is an opportune time to renew contacts and discuss problems of mutual interest with delegates from member countries of the Region. It is gratifying to note that the agenda of the Seminar covers a wide range of very interesting items relating to the physical and chemical properties of sandy soils and especially those directly related to aspects of water and fertility management. Although the extent of sandy soils in Cyprus is limited, and by no means comparable in importance to that in most member countries of the Region, yet where they are cropped, they may present special problems in the management of irrigation and fertilization. Under unsaturated moisture conditions, the unimpeded movement of water and nutrient ions imposes the necessity for effective and proper methods of irrigation in order to regulate moisture and ion movement, thus ensuring an efficient use of water and fertilizers, yet preventing through ease of leaching the build up of salinity from irrigation waters of marginal quality. Generally under our soil conditions sandy soil horizons overlay finer texture layers or intermingle in sequence of layers of varying textural classes. It is in this latter connection that their physical properties, such as hydraulic conductivity modify the properties of the whole profile. Naturally, a thorough knowledge of the behaviour of sandy soils and their internal drainage characteristics are of fundamental importance both in the process of reclamation and also in the prevention of salinity and secondary salinization.

We are aware of the tremendous effort made, and the large investment in funds and scientific effort by a number of member countries in reclaiming large areas of sandy soil and in making the desert bloom. We wish them every success in their noble endeavours to develop their land and water resources and increase agricultural production. We are only too anxious to hear our distinguished colleagues report on their recent research developments in the field of land reclamation and management. It has become commonplace to say, and repeat saying, that scarcity of water resources is the most severe constraint to the impetus of agricultural development. Yet this fact pervades omnipotently in our minds The increasingly serious situation relating to the world-wide decline of water resources has been amply focused by the important document, Water Problems affecting Agriculture Development presented to the recent Seventeenth Session of the FAO Conference. Indeed, this could provide the guidelines for a collective approach for efficient water use, water conservation and salinity control in sandy soils and for that matter, to other soil types. No matter how much we can do by ourselves on the national level, whether it be research or development, it is never enough. In a spirit of true cooperation, we in this region of the world., proud of nurturing all past and present civilizations and cultures, must join in an action-oriented effort to attack and solve the problems that beset land and water development. If on the national level we can, and must, pursue agricultural development as a multi-dimensional concept, encompassing the economic, social, institutional and physical elements of development, in a wider sense, it would be relatively easy to effect the necessary adjustments for a truly effective cooperation on the regional basis. This is fully consonant with our official position taken and the full support of the concept of international agricultural adjustment at the recent Seventeenth FAO Conference. In concluding, I wish you every success in your deliberations and a very pleasant stay in Cyprus. 2. Dr. M. H. Abbas, on behalf of the Director-General of FAO Mr. Chairman, Honourable Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is my privilege to address you, on behalf of the Director-General of the Pood and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, Dr. A H. Boerma, and welcome the participants to this Seminar on the Reclamation and management of Sandy Soils in the Near East and North Africa Regions. The Director-General requested me to express, on his behalf, our thanks and gratitude to the Government of the Republic of Cyprus for hosting this Seminar and for all the facilities which will undoubtedly highly contribute to the success of this Seminar. This magnificent meeting room with all modern interpretation equipment is but one example of these facilities. I wish to take this opportunity to welcome the participants from Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia and the representative of the Arab League; these participants have joined this series of technical seminars for the first time. I also wish to welcome Mr. Pavicic, the Resident Representative of the UNDP in Cyprus, and wish to thank this Programme for financing the Seminar. Mr. Pavicic will address you soon, on behalf of the United Nations Development Programme. Mr. Chairman, Honourable Delegates, it should be pointed out that this Seminar was held in accordance with the recommendation of the Regional Commission on Land and Water Use in the Near East. In fact, this is the fourth seminar held under the auspices of FAO. The first seminar dealt with improvement of saline and waterlogged soils and was held in Baghdad in December 1970. The second seminar dealt with efficient use of water at the farm level and was held in December 1971. The third was held in Cairo in December 1972 and dealt with reclamation and management of calcareous soils. Mr. Chairman, in view of the large areas in this region which are covered by sandy soils and sand dunes, and in view of the limited available cultivable areas, it becomes necessary to expand agricultural lands into some of the sandy soils. Therefore, it becomes essential to find out the ways and means of utilizing and maintaining this natural resource; of course, this is the purpose of this Seminar. I may add that there is a prevailing idea which indicates the high cost of the reclamation and management of sandy soils. With modem agricultural practices, it may, however, be economic to use some of these sandy soils.

There is another important consideration and that is the population growth which might necessitate the utilization of some of these sandy soils even though the cost of their reclamation and management may reach noneconomic limits. On this occasion I should like to advise that the latest figures available to FAO indicate that about 40% of the total area of the Near East is covered by sandy soils. Thus from the total area of about 13 million m, sandy soils cover an area of about 5 million m. Mr. Chairman, improvement and reclamation of sandy soils are not difficult to achieve in view of the advanced techniques in land reclamation and use of fertilizers and other inputs. We will have the opportunity to listen to experts at this Seminar on this matter. I am confident that the discussions held during the Seminar will lead us at the end to important technical conclusions on the subject of reclamation and management of sandy soils. In conclusion, I should like to wish you, on behalf of the Director-General of FAO, every success in your work. 3. Mr. V. Pavicic, Resident Representative of the UNDP in Cyprus On behalf of the Administrator of UNDP, it is my pleasure and privilege to welcome to Cyprus all the distinguished participants to this UNDP/FAO Seminar. He know that, basically, the main purpose of the Seminar is to exchange ideas. And participating in this exchange will be, on the one hand, senior Government officials and, on the other, high level experts of international repute. The result, it is hoped, will be to the benefit of those countries represented here, which are involved in the reclamation and management of sandy soils. Frankly, as a layman I do not know very much about sandy soils, but I know one good example how sandy soil has become good and fertile land. A great majority of you will remember an eminent colleague, Dr. Abdel Razzak Sidky, ex Minister of Agriculture in Egypt and retired Assistant Director-General of FAO for the Middle East Region. Dr. Sidky, whom I had the pleasure to meet in 1965 in Egypt, had a piece of land behind the Pyramids. I cannot recollect the exact year, but I think it

was in 1963/64, when Dr. Sidky sent samples of his land for analysis, and the reply was: Pure sand. Despite the disappointing news, Dr. Sidky continued to investigate all possibilities for the improvement of his land. At first, he brought water and then fertilizers. He planted tangerines, lemon trees and orange trees; later he planted mangoes. The whole operation from the very beginning was approached in a full scientific manner and today, after ten years, Dr. Sidky has an economic and sound project of his own on ex-sandy soil, with good profit and excellent prospects. This example shows, I think, what can be achieved when perseverance and a scientific approach are joined in marriage. Perhaps, it may also be a headline for other people - private entrepreneurs, co-operatives, and others. But let me return to the work of the Seminar. Personally, I feel one absorbs information best when the surroundings are congenial. Here, on the island of Aphrodite, you have the most pleasant framework possible. As hosts, you have an obliging and hospitable Government, on an island renowned for its beauty. As if this were not enough, at your disposal are new conference room facilities, of which you are the first international clients. You carry with you the best wishes of UNDP for a productive and successful Seminar, and a pleasant stay amongst us.

Fire Prevention: More Important Now than Ever!


September 15, 2009 IAFC On Scene: September 2009
Return to September issue of On Scene

The current economic recession exposes the need to focus on fire prevention even as fire chiefs work to balance significantly reduced budgets, especially given the need to maintain and provide adequate fire protection along with other emergency services to their communities.

However, the traditional priority placed on fire response necessitates a paradigm shift in the American fire-protection strategy to address the joint

issues of risk and cost as they relate to fires. This shift toward a greater emphasis on fire prevention is necessary if the fire service wishes to more effectively accomplish its mission to save lives and property. Changes to the built environment impact risk and cost The American fire-protection strategy traditionally has been response-oriented, requiring minimum staffing levels and quick response times to save lives and property. This strategy has remained unchanged during the past 30 years. During the same time, the built environment has changed significantly. The fire service has seen firsthand many of these changes. Some of those changes reduce risk, such as the development of new building materials and construction methods that are now included in model building and fire codes, referenced in the I-Codes developed by the International Code Council. Other changes have increased risk. There have been changes in the flammability of household furnishings; the fire load that leads to flashover occurs much sooner today than it did 30 years ago. Other changes increasing risk involve socio-economic factors that impact how Americans live and their attitudes about fire and other natural or manufactured hazards. The failure to reduce risk has a direct impact upon coststo the fire service community, to the building occupant or owner and to the public at large. Fire prevention is recognized Most fire departments recognize the importance and value of fire-prevention activities as part of the life-safety services they provide to their communities, even while these activities are often difficult to quantify and their benefits are challenging to measure. From the first America Burning report that outlined many significant recommendations for fire prevention initiatives to current efforts like Vision 20-20, fire prevention is recognized as a key element in Americas fireprotection strategy. The challenge for Americas fire service revolves around the struggle to adequately fund the response-suppression strategy while finding the resources for fire prevention. Unfortunately, at the very time fire prevention is needed to reduce protection costs, the economic recession has forced the reassignment of many fire-prevention officials to response companies to meet minimum staffing levels.

Three fire-prevention Es The three Es of effective fire prevention are engineering, education and enforcement. Engineering involves building materials and components, construction methods and the requirements found in model building and fire codes. Fireprevention engineering has seen the greatest participation from the fire service, including involvement in the model code-development process through efforts such as regional Code Action Committees and the Joint Fire Service Review Committee. These are initiatives between the IAFCs divisions and its Fire and Life Safety Section, the National Association of State Fire Marshals and the International Code Council (ICC) to put forth code-change proposals and represent the fire service at the model code public hearings. Other fire service organizations, such as the International Association of Fire Fighters, the National Volunteer Fire Council and state associations have increased their participation in recent code-development cycles. The fire service showed great participation in the model code process during the vote to require residential fire sprinklers in the 2009 International Residential Code last September in Minneapolis. Governmental members charged with providing for the public safety in the build environment, a coalition of fire service members and building officials from across the country voted to include those requirements in the model code. There was a tremendous effort by the fire service to participate in that final-action hearing because of the potential life-safety improvement expected with residential fire sprinklers. It was a way to begin the gradual paradigm shift toward fire prevention and away from suppression-response. The model code development process is very dynamic, with a three-year cycle to update the codes through a public and transparent vetting process that addresses issues of new materials, construction methods and minimum public and first-responder safety, cost and other factors. That process is certainly de-mining on all the participants, but is essential in todays fastpaced and technological world. The fire service must stay engaged in the model code-development process as there will be hundreds of code-change proposals heard at the ICC code development hearings in Baltimore Oct. 24 Nov. 11 that will, in some way, impact firefighter safety!

Attendance at model code hearings may not seem a budget or personnel priority in the current economic environment. However, because hundreds of code-change proposals affecting both public and first-responder safety will move forward, its imperative for the fire service and all governmental members responsible for safety in the built environment to participate to the greatest extent possible. Collectively, the fire service has tremendous knowledge, experience and expertise when it comes to safety in the built environment and what works, or doesnt work, in the model codes. That expertise should not go untapped for the two weeks of code hearings this fall. There is also the emerging issue of going green, environmentally friendly materials and construction methods that address environmental impacts and sustainability. The ICC has commenced an initiative to develop a model International Green Construction Code (IGCC) as part of the current code development cycle for the family of I-codes to be released in 2012. Traditional model codes have addressed the environments impact on buildings (fire, wind, rain, snow, flood, earthquake, etc.). The IGCC will be a model code addressing the impact of a building on the environment, in enforceable code language. It will focus on building design and performance. This is another area that must have the attention of the fire service to ensure minimum construction-safety levels are coordinated with green provisions aimed at promoting environmental safety. However, fire chiefs also need to focus on the other two Es of fire prevention to the best extent possible. The education component of fire prevention is the focus of many national initiatives, such as Vision 20/20 and Common Voices. Even in difficult economic times with scarce resources, the importance of fire-safety education is essential in preventing and reducing injury and death from fire. A huge challenge facing the fire service today is educating homeowners in every community about residential fire sprinklers and why they need to be part of new home construction as required in all the model codes. Providing factual information and dispelling all the myths created by commercials will ultimately lead to homebuyer acceptance and create demand for home sprinklers.

The fire service has moved to the all-hazards approach of emergency preparedness. Perhaps its time public education follows suit. There are many efforts in this area with fabulous resources at little or no cost. Ready.gov has National Preparedness Month in September, October is our traditional Fire Prevention Month and there is Building Safety Month each May. Each event presents unique opportunities to deliver important lifesaving educational messages to members of your community. Its important to always look for those teachable moments and capitalize on those opportunities to deliver important safety and preparedness messages to the public. The last of the Es, enforcement of existing building and fire codes, has a direct correlation to public and firefighter safety and property damage from all hazards, not just fire. There have been many fires in vacant buildings since the start of the recession. Vacant building fires have also been the subject of many good articles addressing the importance of code enforcement and fireground strategy to improve firefight safety when fighting fires at these buildings. Another great example of the importance of effective code administration comes from theCharleston (S.C.) Super Sofa Store fire on June 18, 2007. Building code violations played a significant role in the development of that fire and the tragic loss of nine firefighters. The 9 Days for 9 Brothers campaign for inspection and preplanning all of these type stores in every community was a tribute to the memory of those nine Charleston firefighters and an opportunity to prevent another similar event. IAFC Life Safety Section Board Member Bill Timmons started this tribute and I hope it will be an annual event of tribute and better code administration. Now more than ever, fire prevention is important. The path to substantially reducing Americas fire loss statisticscivilian and firefighter casualty, and direct and indirect monetary loss from fireis through comprehensive and sustained fire prevention initiatives. Every fire chief should keep fire prevention a priority in fulfilling the mission of saving lives and property.

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