Smoking and Home Fires Transcript, Part 1

 Good morning everyone. My name is Gregory Cade and I am the head of the United States Fire Administration, and it is a pleasure and an honor to be here this morning. I'm responsible for supporting the nation's fire service, as well as implementing FEMA's initiatives for emergency preparedness, firefighter training and equipment. I appreciate you all being here this morning, as we begin an important new effort truly to save people's lives. 
 
 Today the United States Fire Administration is launching an important public safety campaign to help end what we believe is the number one cause of preventable home fires -- careless smoking. Specifically, smoking materials - especially cigarettes. Almost everyday somewhere in America someone dies in a fire started by a cigarette left in an ashtray or on the edge of a table,  or by someone who fell asleep while smoking. Every year about a thousand people die in smoking related home fires. And many more are injured. All too often the real victims are the firefighters who risk their lives trying to save others. In a few minutes you'll hear a little bit more about the impact of smoking home fires on firefighters, from the mother of a fallen firefighter. The tragedy is these fires were all easily preventable. It only takes a few moments to light a cigarette, and it only takes a few moments to  make sure that it's out. All the way, every time.  
 
 The United States Fire Administration's responsibility is to reduce fire deaths. Over the years we've worked very closely with firefighters across the country to get our message out. Every home needs a smoke detector. It needs to be tested regularly. It needs to be in working order and have working batteries in it. We've targeted the fire safety message to the vulnerable groups, like seniors  and parents of small children who cannot get out of a burning  building without planning and without help. With this campaign, we're focusing on smokers and people who live with smokers. 
 
 Just consider some of the facts. More than 23% of the adults in America smoke. That's about 46 million adults. In some states, the  percentage is almost 29%. Smokers are spread across all age groups, all racial and ethnic groups. One in four people killed in home fires caused by smoking are not the smokers - but family and friends. And one third of those  are children. 
 
 We recognize that this is no small challenge. There have been many efforts out there to get people to simply stop smoking. And a lot of the smokers are immediately turned off by the message about the health hazards of smoking. They feel ostracized. They believe they're careful with the smoking materials. Even with so many messages about quitting, people still smoke and people still die in home fires caused by careless smoking. When you think about it, really the only place left that a person can smoke is in their home. As long as people smoke, we need them to take the steps to prevent home fires caused by smoking.  
 
 Let me take a moment to show you the speed and the impact of smoking fires. This video is gonna show a cigarette dropped on a chair and what happens when it ignites. You'll have the opportunity to see first hand that it takes only a few seconds for the fire and smoke to consume the home.  Now we'd like to show you the short video.