Ocracoke's Volunteer Fire Department wants you to be safe. Each year, Fire Prevention Week is observed the first week of October. The theme for 2015 was “HEAR THE BEEP WHERE YOU SLEEP: EVERY BEDROOM NEEDS A WORKING SMOKE ALARM”.

According to statistics, half of all U.S. home fire deaths occur at night between the hours of 11:00 pm and 7:00 am, when people are most likely to be sleeping. Having a working smoke alarm in the home cuts the risk of dying in a fire in half. These facts underscore the extreme importance of having working smoke alarms in all bedrooms.

Three out of every five U.S. home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarm or no working smoke alarms. Smoke alarms can make a difference between life and death in a fire by alerting people in time to escape safely, but they need to be installed in all required locations, and they need to be working. Check the smoke alarms monthly.

The Open House at OVFD and the school visit were postponed because of the weather earlier in October. The school visit will be rescheduled. For more information about smoke alarms, visit the fire station or give us a call at 928.4692.