Ask any firefighter and he or she will tell you that fire-prevention efforts save lives. That’s effort, not just talk.

October is Fire Prevention Month, with special emphasis put on fire-prevention during Fire Prevention Week, which begins Sunday and ends Oct. 10. The National Fire Protection Association adopted “Hear the beep where you sleep” as its theme for this year’s Fire Prevention Week. Simply put, that means be sure one can hear smoke detectors or fire alarms where one sleeps.

According to NFPA information, about half of home fire deaths occur between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. when most people are asleep. Working smoke detectors or fire alarms reduces the chance of dying in a home fire by half, according to NFPA. Smoke detectors of fire alarms should be located in each bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area and on every level of a home, including the basement.

Locally, one of the most-effective fire-prevention efforts is the annual EDITH program provided by Washington Fire-Rescue-EMS personnel. As part of EDITH, John Small Elementary School students develop plans to escape from their homes in case of fire.

Winners of the 2013 contest — fourth graders Jessica Mandoza and Olivia Paszt and fifth graders Nattryal Banks and Sara Hudson — talked about their program participation.

“I learned about fire escaping, how to get out, how to be safe,” said Sara when asked what participating in the project taught her.

“I think that it’s important to have two ways out and two ways in,” said Olivia when asked what she learned by taking part in the project.

“I learned safety’s first in everything. If you’re getting out of a burning building, save yourself and everyone else,” Jessica said.

“It taught me that safety comes first when trying to escape a fire,” Nattryal said in agreement.

Let’s hope the rest of us learn the lessons they learned.