Each day, approximately seven people die in house fires in the United States, and many of these deaths occur in homes without working smoke alarms. This week is National Fire Prevention Week, a great reminder to check your smoke detectors to make sure they are working, replace the batteries if need be, and discuss and identify with your family an escape route out of your home in case of a fire.
During National Fire Prevention Week, we also must recognize and thank Iowa’s heroic firefighters and fire departments for the work they do to keep us safe each and every day. In order to ensure these men and women have the resources they need to carry out their important duties, each year I help local fire departments across Iowa secure federal funding through initiatives like the “Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response” (SAFER) Program. This fiscal year, I was proud that eleven fire departments across Iowa’s Second District received grants totaling nearly $1.2 million. These grants will be used to obtain critical resources to best train and equip Iowa’s firefighters to continue keeping our communities safe.
As National Fire Prevention Week continues, please remember to take a few minutes to check your smoke alarms, come up with a plan of action in case of a fire, and thank your local fire department.
Sincerely,
Dave Loebsack
Iowa's Second District
