PROCLAMATION 5968—MAY 2, 1989 103 STAT. 3027 IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this second day of May, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirteenth. GEORGE BUSH Proclamation 5068 of May 2, 1989 -'^• Fire Prevention Week, 1989 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation During the past year, fire claimed the lives of almost 6,000 of our fellow citizens. Many tiiousands more were severely injured by fire, and bil- lions of dollars of property was destroyed. Eighty-five percent of the deaths caused by fire last year occiured in residential properties. Fire is especially devastating to the most vulnerable members of our socie- ty: children and the elderly. This year, the United States Fire Administration has laimched a cam- paign aimed at the very young entitled "Curious Kids Set Fires." The National Fire Protection Association, the originator of Fire Prevention Week, has selected a companion theme: "Big Fires Start Small: Keep matches and lighters in the right hands." Complementing these efforts is a private sector initiative, "Plan to Get Out Alive," a house escape planning program developed with the assistance of the U.S. Fire Ad- ministration. All of these programs are designed to make the American public more aware of the dangers of fire in their homes. I commend the efforts of public officials, firefighters, business leaders, and community and volunteer organizations who are working together to bring about a safer America. I especially commend the men and women of the American fire service—^volimteer and career—^who risk injiuy and death to protect the lives and property of their fellow citi- zens. The great risks and sacrifices involved in their work are clearly evi- denced each year during the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Services at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland. On October 15 of this year, the families of firefighters killed in die line of duty and representatives of the Nation's fire service will gather from all over America to honor and pray for the 126 heroic individuals who per- ished in 1988. NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim the week begiiming October 8, 1989, as Fire Prevention Week. I call upon the people of the United States to plan and actively participate in fire prevention activi- ties not only this week, but throughout the year. I also ask all Ameri- cans to pay tribute to those firefighters who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our safety.
�
