Month: September 2022

Fire Prevention Week 2022

October 9th-15th, 2022, is Fire Prevention Week (FPW). This year marks the 100th anniversary of FPW. The NFPA has sponsored the public observance of Fire Prevention Week since 1922, and it was made a national observance in 1925. Fire Prevention Week is observed during the week of October 9th, in commemoration of the Great Chicago Fire which began on October 8, 1871. This devastating fire killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, and destroyed more than 17,400 structures. The goal of FPW is to teach the public how to stay safe in case of a fire. This year’s theme is “Fire won’t wait. Plan your escape. ™”

Plan & Prepare for Home Fires

Today’s homes burn much faster than older homes. You may have as little as 2 minutes to safely escape a fire in your home after the smoke alarm goes off.

You, your family, and your loved ones must take the steps needed to be prepared when a fire occurs. Your safety depends on early warning from smoke alarms and advanced planning. Plan and practice your home fire escape plan before a fire occurs. Make sure everyone in your household knows what to do. Children, older adults, and people with disabilities may need assistance to wake up and get out.

Make a Home Fire Escape Plan

Take the time to make a home fire escape plan for your home. Once you have a plan created, practice your home escape plan twice a year. Here are some steps you can follow to make a thorough home escape plan:

1. Draw a map of all the rooms in your home.
2. Mark two exits from each room (usually a door and a window). Mark a path from each exit to the outside.
3. Include the location of all smoke alarms in your home.
4. Choose an outside meeting place in front of your home where everyone will meet upon exiting.
5. Add “911” or the local emergency number to your plan.
6. Plan to call that number from a neighbor’s phone or a cell phone once you get outside.

Are Your Smoke Alarms Ready?

Mere seconds can differentiate a fire escape and a fire tragedy. When every second counts, early warning of a fire is critical. Smoke alarms can sense smoke before you can, but you must take care of them so that they will work when needed. Test your smoke alarm once a month and replace the batteries if they stop working.

You should have smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside of the sleeping areas (such as a hallway), and on each level (including the basement) of your home. Don’t put smoke alarms in kitchens and bathrooms. Choose an alarm that is listed with a testing laboratory, meaning it has met certain standards for protection.

Install combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms that are interconnected throughout your home so that when one sounds, they all sound, and everyone can hear them no matter where you are in the home.

If you are interested in learning more about fire safety or Fire Prevention Week, visit the NFPA’s website.

The Future of STEM is in Good Hands!

Some employees at Western States have been leading the charge for women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). Two of our Project Managers from Denver, Colleen Den Adel and Sarah Hansen, have been involved with a group called STEMblazers which is an organization that aims to inspire middle school and high school girls to pursue careers within the STEM field. With the future of STEM in rapid expansion, we are optimistic about what positive changes can be made. STEMblazers has chapters all over the state of Colorado, and with it rapidly expanding, a lofty goal to reach 1 million female students by the year 2030 has been set, and Western States’ finest will ensure that goal is met!

Colleen and Sarah help to run meetings a few times a month at Sky View Academy which consists of both middle school and high school students. At their meetings, they hear from various successful women in the STEM industry and engage the students with hands-on activities relevant to the speaker’s topic. “We are encouraged by their willingness to ask questions to the guest speakers and participate in the hands-on activities. It has been really great to see the girls explore, or at least think about, a new career possibility,” Hansen mentioned.

Both in their second year as mentors for the program, Colleen and Sarah saw a lot of success with their efforts last year, but their endeavors have not gone without obstacles. Dealing with a lot of student turnover from the previous year, they are having to adapt and roll with the punches to keep kids engaged at their meetings. When asked about their impact and approach Hansen said: “Our goal is to provide these girls with exposure to various opportunities within the industry and inspire them to pursue these careers with confidence.”

Even with the ups and downs, Sarah and Colleen are helping to make strides not only for young women but for the STEM field as a whole. Any industry can benefit from diversity and the perspective it brings. In an industry underrepresented by women (only 27% of STEM workers and only 11% of construction workers are women), the efforts of Den Adel and Hansen will hopefully contribute to the eventual redistribution of employment in the field and open more opportunities for women in a previously male-dominated industry. With such amazing leaders, it is safe to say that the future of STEM is in good hands!

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If you are feeling inspired and would like to seek employment/leadership opportunities, you too can apply and become a rockstar with us! Visit this page to see what openings we have. We would love to hear from you!