Upper Providence Students Participate in Fire Prevention Week

The following release was sent in to Patch by Jessica Lester, representing the Spring-Ford Area School District:

ROYERSFORD - firefighters made a visit to on Oct. 14 to teach students fire safety tips as part of Fire Prevention Week.

The fire company, which serves Royersford and parts of Upper Providence, brought its fire truck to the school and spoke to different groups of students throughout the day about what they can do to prevent fires, and what they should do if they ever experience a fire in their own homes.

"It is important for our students to learn about some of the simple ways in which they can protect themselves from fires and what they should do if they find themselves in an emergency situation," said Principal Dr. Melissa Patschke. "We welcome the opportunity for our children to interact with local firefighters and hear about this potentially life-saving information."

Fire Prevention Week is a national campaign that has been observed since 1922 on the Sunday through Saturday period in which Oct. 9 falls. It is held during this time to commemorate the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, which killed more than 250 people. Each year, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) establishes a different educational theme for Fire Prevention Week.

This year, the theme was "It's Fire Prevention Week. Protect Your Family from Fire!" According to the NFPA, 2,565 people died in home fires in 2009. For more information, visit www.nfpa.org.

Upper Providence Elementary School is located at 833 S. Lewis Road in Royersford.