2022 marks the 100th anniversary of Fire Prevention Week, scheduled October 9-15 this year. In 1922, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) sponsored the first Fire Prevention Week to highlight the need to educate people as to what to do to stay safe in a fire. "Fire Prevention Week is observed each year during the week of October 9, in commemoration of the Great Chicago Fire, which began on October 8, 1871, and caused devastating damage."

As a result of many improvements in building construction, code enforcement, and firefighting techniques, fires don't occur as frequently today as they did in 1871. And we are fortunate that they are, for the most part, much less deadly. However, we should not let that distract us from the fact that fires can still be tragic. We want all of our Salt Lake City neighbors to educate themselves on fire safety. When a fire occurs, knowing how to quickly evacuate the structure might mean the difference between safety and tragedy.

Visit NFPA's Fire Prevention Week site to learn more about how you can prepare yourself, family, and friends on how to best protect yourself from a fire and what to do if a fire does occur. Better yet, join SLC Fire for our annual Fire Prevention Week event on Thursday, October 6, 2022 at Fire Station 7. Find more details below!

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has dedicated the month of October to raising awareness about cybersecurity. It’s important to remember that while cybersecurity might seem complex, there are small things that everyone can do to better protect themselves and their families while online. The Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) highlights four key actions everyone should take toward improving their own cybersecurity:
 

1. Think Before You Click: Recognize and Report Phishing: If a link looks a little off, think before you click. It could be an attempt to get sensitive information or install malware.
2. Update Your Software: Don't delay -- If you see a software update notification, act promptly. Better yet, turn on automatic updates.
3. Use Strong Passwords: Use passwords that are long, unique, and randomly generated. Use password managers to generate and remember different, complex passwords for each of your accounts. A passwords manager will encrypt passwords securing them for you!
4. Enable Multi-Factor Authentication: You need more than a password to protect your online accounts, and enabling MFA makes you significantly less likely to get hacked.

 
If you want to learn more about making smart decisions with your personal cybersecurity, visit CISA’s website for more information!