Asia-Pacific
Sasebo kicks off Fire Prevention Week
Stars and Stripes
October 11, 2011
Flanked by the entire Sasebo Navy Base fire department, Commander Fleet Activities Sasebo Capt. Charles Rock, left, sits with Installation Fire Chief Gerald Clark and signs a proclamation Tuesday morning in front of the captain's office to declare Oct. 9-15 Fire Prevention Week at the base. In addition to fire drills and raising awareness with children on the base, the Sasebo department also does outreach with local Japanese school children. Fire Prevention Week is being observed nationwide this week in the U.S. and in DODEA schools around the globe. (Dustin Kelling/U.S. Navy)
Flanked by the entire Sasebo Navy Base fire department, Commander Fleet Activities Sasebo Capt. Charles Rock, left, sits with Installation Fire Chief Gerald Clark and signs a proclamation Tuesday morning in front of the captain's office to declare Oct. 9-15 Fire Prevention Week at the base. In addition to fire drills and raising awareness with children on the base, the Sasebo department also does outreach with local Japanese school children. Fire Prevention Week is being observed nationwide this week in the U.S. and in DODEA schools around the globe. (Dustin Kelling/U.S. Navy)
Commander Fleet Activities Sasebo Capt. Charles Rock, left, sits with Installation Fire Chief Gerald Clark and signs a proclamation Tuesday morning in front of the captain's office to declare Oct. 9-15 Fire Prevention Week at the base. In addition to fire drills and raising awareness with children on the base, the Sasebo department also does outreach with local Japanese school children. Fire Prevention Week is being observed nationwide this week in the U.S. and in DODEA schools around the globe. (Dustin Kelling/U.S. Navy)
Commander Fleet Activities Sasebo Capt. Charles Rock, left, sits with Installation Fire Chief Gerald Clark and signs a proclamation Tuesday morning in front of the captain's office to declare Oct. 9-15 Fire Prevention Week at the base. In addition to fire drills and raising awareness with children on the base, the Sasebo department also does outreach with local Japanese school children. Fire Prevention Week is being observed nationwide this week in the U.S. and in DODEA schools around the globe. (Dustin Kelling/U.S. Navy)
Commander Fleet Activities Sasebo Capt. Charles Rock, left, poses for a photo with Sparky, Fire Prevention Week's mascot, after signing a proclamation Tuesday morning to declare Oct. 9-15 Fire Prevention Week at the base. This year, Sparky celebrates his 60th birthday. (Dustin Kelling/U.S. Navy)
SASEBO NAVAL BASE, Japan — Base leadership kicked off Fire Prevention Week on Tuesday morning by signing a proclamation urging all servicemembers and their families to protect themselves and their homes against the threat of fire.
The week is sponsored by the National Fire Protection Association and has been observed in schools across the U.S. since 1920 when President Woodrow Wilson issued the first National Fire Prevention Day proclamation to commemorate the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, according to the NFPA website.
The Sasebo base department, including Sparky the Fire Dog, will hold activities throughout the week, including visiting the base and local schools, according to Assistant Fire Chief for Prevention Moses Gibbs III.Gibbs said that cultural differences and in the local laws can sometimes lead to tragedy.
“Prevention is the best practice,” said Gibbs. “We try and take that message to the Japanese schools too.”
From staff reports