New Lakewood Fire Department Website
Yehuda Beer, the Lakewood Fire District administrator, the Lakewood Board of Fire Commissioners has announced the launch of its new Fire Department website, www.lakewoodfd.org, designed to enhance communication, safety, and engagement for the community.
Yehuda Beer said, “The new website showcases a user-friendly interface that provides residents, businesses, and visitors with easy access to information and resources to bridge the gap between our dedicated firefighters and the public they serve.”
Key features of the website include Fire Prevention Resources, such as resources on fire safety tips, and educational materials to keep families and property safe; up-to-date fire news about the latest fire incidents, safety alerts, and firefighting efforts; access to official press releases from Lakewood Fire Department ensuring transparency and clarity of communications; volunteer opportunities and information about becoming a volunteer firefighter; and contact information and contact details for Lakewood fire stations, its leadership team, and administrative offices.
The Lakewood Fire Department encourages all residents and stakeholders to explore the new website at www.lakewoodfd.org and take advantage of the wealth of information and resources available. The Lakewood Township Board of Fire Commissioners will continue to post their required public documents and other information in accordance with N.J.S.A.40A:14-70.2 on its website http://www.njfiredistricts.org/lakewoodfiredistrict1/Home.aspx.
For more information, contact Yehuda Beer, Administrator, Lakewood Fire District No. 1 at Office:(732) 364-5151 x6102 or Fax: (732) 370-4878
About the LAKEWOOD FIRE DEPARTMENT: The Lakewood Fire District is made up of a combination volunteer and career fire department under the leadership of Chief Jonathan Yahr, and Deputy Chief David Wolf who report to the Board of Fire Commissioners. The volunteer department was established in 1888 and has grown to include seven strategically placed fire stations. The volunteer firefighters respond to all structure fires, requests for mutual aid, many and varied other emergencies. The career division fire stations are manned 24/7 and employ 32 career firefighters and officers. These firefighters and officers work 24 hours on and 72 hours off schedule with two officers and six firefighters on duty each of four shifts. The career firefighters respond as first responders to all calls and are responsible to follow established protocols in requesting volunteer assistance as incidents dictate.
Lakewood Chamber to Host Comedy Show at The Strand Theater
The Lakewood Chamber is hosting a Stand-Up Comedy Show with Jeff Norris, Ellen Karis, and Eric Tartaglione, Thursday, October 26 at the historic Strand Theater, 400 Clifton Avenue, Lakewood, N.J.
Doors open at 6:00 p.m. followed by a buffet and a cash bar at 6:30 p.m. The show begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $40.00. A portion of the proceeds will fund a scholarship for a local high school student.
Register www.mylakewoodchamber.com . For more information, call 732-363-0012.
Jersey Shore Chamber to Host Women’s Conference October 17 and 18
The Jersey Shore Chamber of Commerce (JSCC), Wall Township, is hosting a Women’s Conference October 17 and 18 at The Shore Club, 700 Route 71, Spring Lake, NJ. The Conference will bring together leaders in business and industry who are committed to advancing women and commerce with the theme Aspire, Build, Create.
The VIP opening reception is Tuesday, October 17 at 5:00 p.m.; general admission begins at 6:00 p.m. for. The emcee is Dara Brown, NBC News. The breakfast keynote speaker on October 18 is Karen Kessler, a recognized leader in the public relations industry, and founder and president of Kessler PR Group, a public relations firm specializing in reputation management, crisis communications, and litigation support.
Natalya Johnson, the lunch keynote speaker, serves as Senior Counsel for Johnson & Johnson. She is a legal advisor focused on employment law and manages employment-related litigations. Prior to joining Johnson & Johnson, she represented private and public sector clients in federal and state litigation and trial matters.
The schedule for Wednesday, October 18 is Exhibitors from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Breakfast and Keynote Speaker from 8:00 to 9:30 a.m.; Morning Breakout Sessions from 10:00 to 11:45 a.m.; Lunch and Keynote Speaker from Noon to 1:30 p.m.; and Afternoon Breakout Sessions from 2:00 to 3:45 p.m.
The Platinum Sponsor is Fox Rothschild; Manasquan Bank is a Gold Sponsor; and The Connection and Greenbaum, Rowe, Smith & Davis LLP are Bronze Sponsors. Technology Sponsors are Shore Business Solutions and SHARP. Valerie Barba DDS is the Cocktail Sponsor; the Coffee Sponsors are Colleen Craig of Jersey Shore Marketing & Insights and Lena Budraitis, Financial Planner & Insurance Agent – Northwestern Mutual Financial Network Wall.
Panel topics include Aspire to a Career in Service; Build a Winning Corporate Culture; Captivate Your Community; Build Financial Confidence; Captivate Your Workforce with Hybrid Schedules; But Is It Working? The panelists and speakers include Melanie Willoughby, NJ Business Action Center; Assemblywoman Victoria Flynn; Kathy Guzman, NJEDA; Jenna Gaudio, Co-President, Vydia; Sarah Williams, Founder, Moms of Business; Corinne McCann Trainor, Fox Rothschild LLP (sponsor); Cathy Franzoni, COO, Manasquan Bank; Lisa Roettger, Sr. VP of Human Resources, Manasquan Bank (sponsor); Danielle Wolowitz, Shore Business Solutions (sponsor); Christina Zuk, Princeton Public Affairs; Jamie Bertram, VP Promotions & Entertainment, Jersey Shore BlueClaws; Jeralyn Lawrence, Attorney, Lawrence Law; and Patricia Nolan, ARC, Ocean.
For sponsorships, registration, or more information, contact Jersey Shore Chamber of Commerce at executivedirector@jsccnj.com., call 732-280-8800, or visit https://jerseyshorechambernj.com/womensconference/
About Karen J. Kessler: Karen J. Kessler She is the region’s most sought-after crisis and reputation management consultant, having counselled corporations, public institutions and individuals facing allegations of legal, business and personnel misconduct, political corruption, social media fallout, large-scale public investigations, and other sensitive matters.
The acclaimed documentary film “DIVIDE AND CONQUER: THE STORY OF ROGER AILES” profiled Kessler’s work on the Fox News legal case. Her commentary and interviews appear in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Star Ledger, CNN, MSNBC and Inside Edition, among others. She served as technical consultant to TV shows “THE GOOD WIFE” and “NASHVILLE”. Her work formed the scripts for the Oscar nominated films “Hustlers” and “Bombshell”.
She currently serves as a member of the NJ Advisory Committee on Judicial Conduct as well as the Committee on the Duration of Disbarment for Knowing Misappropriation. She chairs the Compensation subcommittee of the Board of Directors of Northfield Bancorp, Inc.
In 2022, Kessler was named a PRNews Agency Elite Top 100 recipient. In 2020 she received the NJBIZ Lifetime Achievement Award and was previously recognized by NJBIZ as among “50 Most Powerful Non-Profit Board Members” and as an annual NJBIZ “Power 100” recipient. She has been recognized as an “Influencer” on ROI-NJ’s 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 “Power Lists,” as among “50 Most Powerful Women” by SmartCEO, as among “40 Top NJ Businesswomen”, by Jewish Women International, as among “10 Women to Watch in the USA”, and by NJ Monthly Magazine as among the state’s “Leading Women Entrepreneurs”.
A graduate of Vassar College with a degree in economics, Kessler was inducted into Omicron Delta, NASDAQ-listed Telecommunications Company; Blue Cross/Blue Shield of NJ; the PNC Arts Center, and Drumthwacket Foundation. She is a Scholarship Fund Trustee at Princeton and Monmouth Universities
Natalya G. Johnson serves as Senior Counsel for Johnson & Johnson. She is a legal advisor focused on employment law and manages employment-related litigations. Prior to joining Johnson & Johnson, she represented private and public sector clients in federal and state litigation and trial matters. As a commercial litigator, she handled a wide variety of complex cases, including business disputes, insurance, real estate, education, and health law.
She currently serves as President of the Garden State Bar Association (GSBA). Under her leadership, the GSBA raised over a quarter of a million dollars and established its first endowed scholarship fund to advance various initiatives supporting the legal community, while providing scholarships to underrepresented law students. Johnson also led the creation of a legal education Substantive Law series, highlighting diverse and women speakers. Responding to the needs of the profession in real-time, Johnson created the GSBA’s Wellness and Mental Health committee, focused on lawyers, judges, and other legal professionals.
She sits on the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Alumni Leadership Council of Cornell Law School and previously served on the Executive Board of Directors of its Alumni Association. She is also a member of the President’s Council of Cornell Women. As past President of the Cornell Black Lawyers Alumni Network, Johnson led fundraising efforts in support of its George Washington Fields LLB 1890 Scholarship Fund and spearheaded alumni and mentorship programs around North America. Johnson co-founded the Advancement Initiative (AI) in 2017. AI’s objective is to harness the strength of personal and professional networks to foster mentorship and opportunities in law and business.
Committed to pro bono service, Johnson started her legal career as an attorney fellow with Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (VLJ). At VLJ, she helped eligible clients with criminal records address the civil legal barriers to successful community reintegration through its criminal record expungement clinic.
Beyond the law, Johnson previously served as a board member of the League of Women Voters NJ, a nonpartisan, grassroots organization working to protect and expand voting rights. Johnson speaks regularly on a variety of topics, including employment law, career management, diversity in the legal profession, leadership, and faith.
Johnson has been widely recognized for her professional and community achievements. In 2019, she was named one of the 40 under 40 Nation’s Best Advocates by the National Bar Association; as well as a 2020 New Jersey Law Journal New Leader of the Bar; and a 2020 Professional Lawyer of the Year honoree by the New Jersey Commission on Professionalism in the Law. Recently, she was named a ROI-NJ 2022 Influencer, a Black in-house Counsel’s 2022 Black Diamond award honoree, and recognized by the Executive Women of New Jersey as a 2022 Salute to Policy Makers honoree.
Johnson holds a B.A. degree from Cornell University graduating magna cum laude, and a J.D. from Cornell Law School.
The History of Lakewood Presented at the Lakewood Public Library
The Lakewood Historical Society and the Lakewood Heritage Commission are inviting the public to hear a basic History of Lakewood at the Lakewood Public Library, 301 Lexington Avenue, November 9 at 7:00 p.m., presented by Dr. Stan Liptzin, the chairperson of the Lakewood Historical Society and the director of the Lakewood Historical Museum.
Did you know that Lakewood was once called Bricksburg? Or that famous literary icons like Rudyard Kipling and Mark Twain once spent their winters vacationing in Lakewood? Do you know how Lake Carasaljo got its name?
The Lakewood Historical Society and Sheldon Wolpin Lakewood Historical Museum celebrates and preserves Lakewood’s rich and unique history. Dr. Stan Liptzin has been a resident of Lakewood since 1948. He will guide attendees on a journey through Lakewood’s history and evolution over the years from the time before Lakewood’s settlement, its founding and establishment as a town of sawmill and iron furnace industries, through its era as a popular winter resort town and training site for famous athletes, to its diverse and culturally rich present. Historic artifacts from the Lakewood Historical Museum will also be on display.
About Dr. Stan Liptzin: Dr. Liptzin was educated in the Lakewood Schools and graduated from Lakewood High School in 1955. He received a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in 1959, a Master Degree in Education in 1963 and his Doctorate in History of Education in 1975. Dr. Liptzin taught history in Lakewood High School for 32 years, also serving as Department Chairman of the History Department until in 1991. In 1991, until his retirement in 2001, he served a Central Office Administrator as Director of History and Foreign Languages for his last ten years serving Lakewood Education.
Dr. Liptzin was also coached the Baseball team in Lakewood for 32 years, winning three championships in 1973, 1980, and 1984. He is presently in four Halls of Fame—The Lakewood High School Alumni Hall of Fame, the Lakewood High School Athletic Hall of Fame, The New Jersey Shore Athletic Hall of Fame, and the New Jersey State Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame. In January of 2024 he will be inducted into the New Jersey State Interscholastic Coaches Hall of Fame. He is presently the president of three organizations: The Lakewood Historical Society, the Lakewood High School Athletic Hall of Fame, and the Rutgers Class of 1959.
Dr. Liptzin also taught History of Education Courses at Rutgers University and Ocean County College prior to his retirement. Stan Liptzin is married to Eileen Mininsohn Liptzin for 61 years. They have three children, Shari Rosenbloom. Debi Rothenberg, and Scott Liptzin. Their family has extended to nine grandchildren and four great grandchildren.
About the Lakewood Historical Museum: The Lakewood Historical Museum, Pine Park, Lakewood, N.J., is housed in Kuser Hall, a two-story, 16,000 square-foot former classroom building. Through the volunteer efforts of members in the Historical Society and the Heritage Commission, the first floor of Kuser Hall has been transformed into a showcase, featuring galleries of Lakewood memorabilia and artifacts. Funds are needed to restore the second floor of Kuser Hall, and to acquire and build an elevator.
Kuser Hall is the last remaining building of five that made up the Newman School, an exclusive preparatory boarding school for boys, which closed in 1942 as young men left for the war. The building, which the township acquired in 1964 through Green Acres Funding, was the math and science center of the school.
The Zzak G. Applaud Our Kids Foundation Presents the 6th Annual ‘Step into the Spotlight’ Soiree and Talent Competition
The Zzak G. Applaud Our Kids Foundation (AOK), a non-profit dedicated to providing engaging and immersive arts education to all NJ youth, has announced ‘Dance Through the Decades,’ its 6th Annual ‘Step Into The Spotlight’ Soiree and Talent Competition on Thursday, October 26, 2023, at 6:00 p.m. at the Lobster Shanty, Sunset Ballroom, Point Pleasant, NJ. The attire is dress in your favorite music decade or as your favorite music artist.
This annual event features active audience participation, a showcase of talent, and celebrity judges from the arts and entertainment industry and the business community. Contestants will vie for the Step into the Spotlight Award. The statewide nonprofit ArtPride New Jersey will receive the Arts Advocacy Award for its work advancing, promoting, and advocating for the value of the arts.
“Today’s arts students are tomorrow’s arts advocates,” said Adam Perle, President and CEO of ArtPride. “Arts education has the power to transform young lives. We are grateful for this award and honored to advocate for New Jersey’s incredible arts community of students, educators and artists.”
The event is dedicated to the life and memory of Carolyn Hester, one of the original contestants in the inaugural Step into the Spotlight Soiree. All proceeds support the Zzak G. Applaud Our Kids Foundation’s mission to give children the opportunity to find their voice, increase self-esteem, and provide positive reinforcement through the performing arts.
The lineup includes performances from a host of contestants, including nostalgic and dynamic blues and reggae duo Roots in Blue Stone. Jazz and musical theatre soprano Susan Peltz will join songwriter Thomas Pipola in front of the judges’ panel with Ms. New Jersey Senior America 2023 Ferlie Almonte, star of her one-woman inspirational EDUtainment show “Make Your Mess Your Message.” Evgenii Rozenfeld & Olha Novikova, the Ballroom Dancing Duo that competes in American Smooth style. Additional contestants will continue to be announced as the event nears.
Carol Stillwell, owner and president of Stillwell-Hansen, Inc., will join actor, producer, and writer Kim Berrios Lin on the judges’ panel. Other Step into the Spotlight Award judges include Chris Maltese, Vice President of Label & Artist Relations at international music label and distributor Vydia; and Anna Mastroianni, stunt woman, actress and entrepreneur. Judges Nick Ditri, one-half of the internationally renowned, platinum-selling duo Disco Fries; and Debra Dutcher, producer, “Back to the Future” on Broadway. Lou Morreale, a trained chef and the general manager of the JBJ Soul Kitchen. Morreale’s accolades include serving more than 700 entertainment artists and public figures, including President Obama, a feat that allowed him the honor and privilege to cook in the West Wing of the White House.
The Zzak G. Applaud Our Kids Foundation (AOK) has connected hundreds of students to the performing arts by funding artistic instruction and resources for students ages 7-22 with financial need. The Foundation also provides opportunities for young artists to give back to their communities through the AOK performance group, which performs at organizations throughout Ocean and Monmouth counties. They regularly perform at JBJ Soul Kitchen, run by the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, a non-profit community restaurant that serves paying and in-need customers.
Event tickets and sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information, visit the Foundation’s website, https://applaudourkids.org/. For additional sponsorship opportunities, further information, or media inquiries, please contact: Jodi Grinwald at jodi@applaudourkids.org.
About the Zzak G. Applaud Our Kids Foundation
The Zzak G. Applaud Our Kids (AOK) Foundation fully funds ongoing lessons in vocal instruction, dance, acting, and instrumental music. AOK connects children and teens to local performing arts studios and teaching artists during the school year and summer months—at no cost to families with a financial need. Its mission is to give children the opportunity to find their own voice, increase their self-esteem, give them a sense of belonging, and provide them with positive reinforcement through the performing arts. For more information about scholarships, support, or becoming a studio partner, please visit https://applaudourkids.org.
Eatontown Lions Club Celebrates 75 Years of Service
The Eatontown Lions Club, a 501(c)(3) organization whose motto is “We Serve,” will celebrate its 75 years of service to the local and world communities, Thursday, October 12, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Sheraton Eatontown, 6 Industrial Way E., Eatontown.
Lions clubs work to improve the environment, build homes for the disabled, support diabetes education, conduct hearing programs; and, through their foundation, provide disaster relief around the world.
The fee is $75 a person. R.S.V.P. to King Lion Linda Butler at lindabutler@optonline.net. Checks, payable to Eatontown Lions, can be sent to Eatontown Lions, P.O. Box 74, Eatontown, NJ 07724.
Lions volunteer their time, conducting service projects and raising funds. For example, The Eatontown Lions Club members screened over 1200 children, including preschool children as young as three years old, for vision problems at eleven New Jersey schools and day care centers. It is important to diagnose eye problems at an early age because often the conditions can be corrected then. After age seven, it is more likely the problem can be treated but not corrected.
The children were screened for several common vision conditions using a state of the art vision screener. It works like a camera to identify problems in just a few seconds. The screener can detect Myopia (nearsightedness); Hyperopia (farsightedness); Astigmatism (blurred vision); Anisometropia (unequal refractive power); Strabismus (eye misalignment); and Anisocoria (unequal pupil size).
Since its formation in 1917, Lions Clubs International has grown to include nearly 1.35 million men and women in 45,000 clubs located in 197 countries and geographic areas.
HISTORY of the International Lions Clubs: The International Association of Lions Clubs began when Chicago business leader Melvin Jones believed that local business clubs should expand their horizons from purely professional concerns to the betterment of their communities and the world at large. After contacting similar groups around the United States, an organizational meeting was held on June 7, 1917 in Chicago, Illinois.
The new group took the name of one of the invited groups, the “Association of Lions Clubs,” and a national convention was held in Dallas, Texas, USA in October of that year. A constitution, by-laws, objects and code of ethics were approved. A call for unselfish service to others remains one of the association’s main tenets.
After its formation, the association became international in three years when the first club in Canada was established in 1920. Major international expansion continued as clubs were established, particularly throughout Europe, Asia and Africa during the 1950s and ’60s.
In 1925, Helen Keller addressed the Lions international convention in Cedar Point, Ohio, USA. She challenged Lions to become “knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness.” From this time, Lions clubs have been actively involved in service to the blind and visually impaired, holding eye screenings. . In 1990, Lions launched its most aggressive sight preservation effort, SightFirst. The $200 million program strives to rid the world of preventable and reversible blindness by supporting desperately needed health care services.
Broadening its international role, Lions Clubs International helped the United Nations form the Non-Governmental Organizations sections in 1945 and continues to hold consultative status with the U.N
In addition to sight programs, Lions Clubs International is committed to providing services for youth. Lions clubs also work to improve the environment, build homes for the disabled, support diabetes education, conduct hearing programs and, through their foundation, provide disaster relief around the world.
ROI Is Real – Connect Recruiting Metrics to Revenue-Join HR Professionals Oct 12
Perhaps the greatest obstacle to creating a high-functioning talent acquisition strategy is the lack of understanding of its importance. Jessica Oberto, director of Process and Implementation, People Science, will help attendees learn the best tools to collect and analyze data at the breakfast meeting of JSAHR (Jersey Shore Association for Human Resources) professionals, open to the public, on Thursday, October 12 from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. at Jumping Brook Country Club, 210 Jumping Brook Road, Neptune.
Attendees will learn talent acquisition metrics that move the needle, hear success stories, understand the obstacles, and ways to solve getting the right data to be an effective talent acquisition partner.
Register at: http://jsahr.shrm.org/events or admin@jsahr.org or call JSAHR at 732-701-7155. Registration including breakfast is $35 for JSAHR members; $50 for non-members; $25 for each guest and those in-transition; and $10 for students with a valid ID.
Networking and breakfast is at 8:00 a.m.; announcements and introductions at 8:30 a.m.; and the program at 9:00 a.m.
JSAHR is a SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) affiliated chapter. This program is pending one (1) SHRM PDC and one (1) HRCI (Human Resource Certification Institute) recertification credit.
Lakewood Police Department Celebrates Its Women Police Officers
The Lakewood Police Department, Lakewood, N.J., recognized and celebrated its women police officers this September. National Police Woman Day is celebrated in September to acknowledge and celebrate the contribution of female police officers who enforce law and order around the country.
Today only about 10 percent of the police force in the United States is made up of women. National Police Woman Day hopes to encourage more women to join the service. Along with expressing gratitude to these officers, the day also hopes for a future where law enforcement bodies will have stronger female representation.
Police Chief Gregory Meyer said, “We acknowledge all the dedicated women of law enforcement, particularly some of the best who work here at Lakewood Police Department! Thank you for your service.”
History: The first policewoman in the United States was most likely Marie Owens. She was hired by the Chicago Police Department in 1891. Although police matrons were not a rare sight in prisons in New York City prior to this, they lacked the authority to arrest as Owens did. Alice Wells was hired by the Los Angeles police department in 1910 and was the first American-born woman police officer in the United States. Unlike Wells, Owens had been born in Canada.
In 1854, the first police matrons were hired by New York City to search and guard female prisoners, but they were civilians with no law enforcement authority. The role became quite popular among women and many started applying for similar positions in various parts of the United States.
In 1910, the Los Angeles Police Department appointed the first regularly rated policewomen, Alice Wells. Before her, matrons were seen as masculine and not very bright. Wells was a college graduate, a social worker, and had deliberately sought the position of a police officer. She soon became a pioneer in the national movement to have police departments hire women as officers. However, that did not really happen, and women were hired by quotas. This means they regularly faced discrimination, silent contempt, sexism at the workplace, and other double standards. Today policewomen are involved in all aspects of police work.
Model Railroaders Hold Fall Open House for the Public
Thomas the Tank Engine and some spooky trains will be making an appearance at the Fall Open House of The Ocean County Society of Model Railroaders, a 501(c)(3) organization, at Sheldon Wolpin Historical Museum, 500 Country Club Road, off County Line Road, Kuser Hall, Pine Park, Lakewood, on Saturday, October 14 and Sunday, October 15 from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Enjoy seeing both modern and traditional train displays, both passenger and freight trains, at the open house. Admission is free but donations are always gladly accepted.
For more information, contact Ted Bertiger, president, at captnkraft@aol.com or visit https://ocsmr.com or call 732-363-7799.
About The Ocean County Society of Model Railroaders: The Ocean County Society of Model Railroaders is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization, open Tuesdays and Fridays from 6:30 to 10:00 p.m. The Club is open every Wednesday from 2:30-4:30 p.m.
Fire Prevention Week — October 8 through 14, 2023
In conjunction with Fire Prevention Week, The Lakewood Fire Department is hosting Fire Prevention Day on Sunday, October 15, 2023, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Red Square, downtown Lakewood, at Third Street and Clifton Avenue. There will be interactive Fire Service demonstrations, apparatus demonstration, gift bags with Fire Safety information, and Fire Safety videos.
The history of Fire Prevention Week has its roots in the Great Chicago Fire, which began on October 8, 1871, but lasted 27 hours and incurred the most damage the following day. It remains one of the best-known fire disasters in the world. As a result, October 9, 1871, is the date most often connected with this tragic conflagration. In the end, the Great Chicago Fire killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures, and burned more than 2000 acres. While the origin of the fire has never been determined, there has been much speculation about how it began.
One popular legend was that Mrs. Catherine O’Leary was milking her cow when the animal kicked over a lamp, setting O’Leary’s barn on fire and starting the spectacular blaze. It is a less well-known fact that on the same day of the Great Chicago Fire, the Peshtigo Fire roared through Northern Wisconsin, killing 1,152 people and burning more than a million acres.
On the Great Chicago Fire’s 40th anniversary, the former Fire Marshals Association of North America (now the International Fire Marshals Association, or IFMA) sponsored the first National Fire Prevention Day, advocating an annual observance as a way to keep the public informed about the importance of fire prevention. In 1920, President Woodrow Wilson issued the first National Fire Prevention Day proclamation; and since 1922, National Fire Prevention Week has been observed on the Sunday-through-Saturday period in which October 9th falls. In addition, the President of the United States has signed a proclamation pronouncing a national observance during that week every year since 1925 making Fire Prevention Week the oldest safety commemoration.
Dedicated to raising public awareness about the dangers of fire and how to prevent it, the National Fire Prevention Association, or NFPA is the official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week.
According to NFPA, cooking is the leading cause of home fires, with nearly half (49 percent) of all home fires involving cooking equipment; cooking is also the leading cause of home fire injuries. Unattended cooking is the leading cause of home cooking fires and related deaths. In addition, NFPA data shows that cooking is the only major cause of fire that resulted in more fires and fire deaths in 2014-2018 than in 1980-1984.
“These numbers tell us that more public awareness is needed around when and where cooking hazards exist, along with ways to prevent them,” said Lorraine Carli, vice president of the Outreach and Advocacy at NFPA. “This year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign will work to promote tips, guidelines, and recommendations that can help significantly reduce the risk of having a cooking fire.”
Following are cooking safety messages that support this year’s theme, “Cooking safety starts with YOU! Pay attention to fire prevention”:
• Always keep a close eye on what you’re cooking. For foods with longer cooking times, such as those that are simmering or baking, set a timer to help monitor them carefully.
• Clear the cooking area of combustible items and keep anything that can burn, such as dish towels, oven mitts, food packaging, and paper towels.
• Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove. Keep a lid nearby when cooking. If a small grease fire starts, slide the lid over the pan and turn off the burner.
• Create a “kid and pet free zone” of at least three feet (one meter) around the cooking area and anywhere else hot food or drink is prepared or carried.
“Staying in the kitchen, using a timer, and avoiding distractions that remove your focus from what’s on the stove are among the key messages for this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign,” said Carli.
To learn more about Fire Prevention Week and this year’s theme, “Cooking safety starts with YOU! Pay attention to fire prevention,” visit www.fpw.org. Additional Fire Prevention Week resources for children, caregivers, and educators can be found at www.sparky.org and www.sparkyschoolhouse.org. Additional Fire Safety Information for parents, children and educators can be found by visiting the Fire District Website at www.lakewoodfd.org.
The above information was provided by the Board of Fire Commissioners of Lakewood Fire District No. 1, in conjunction with Fire Chief Jonathan Yahr, and the members of the Lakewood Fire Department. For more information, contact Yehuda Beer, Fire District Administrator 732-364-5151