Why NFPA and State Farm want you to check your chargers
Iain Hoey
Share this content
NFPA and State Farm launch 2025 Fire Prevention Week campaign
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and State Farm once again joined forces for the ninth consecutive year to support Fire Prevention Week, running from 5–11 October 2025.
The campaign, themed “Charge into Fire Safety: Lithium-ion Batteries in the Home,” aims to educate the public about the potential fire risks linked to lithium-ion batteries found in common household devices.
According to the NFPA, State Farm will distribute 4,782 Fire Prevention Week toolkits to local fire departments across 48 US states.
Each toolkit contains educational materials such as brochures, posters and magnets that departments will share at community events, schools and open houses.
Campaign focuses on household battery fire risks
NFPA Director of Public Education Kelly Ransdell said the collaboration helps extend vital safety information to more communities.
Kelly Ransdell, Director of Public Education at NFPA, said: “The proactive support we receive from State Farm each year strengthens our ability to reach the public with critical fire safety messages.
“It also allows us to focus on where risk is greatest – in homes, where the majority of US fire deaths occur each year.”
Ransdell explained that most household electronics, including smartphones, tablets, e-cigarettes, laptops and toys, use lithium-ion batteries that can present fire hazards if not handled properly.
She said the joint initiative with State Farm will help more residents understand how to buy, charge and recycle these batteries safely.
State Farm reinforces community fire safety mission
Rasheed Merritt, Assistant Vice President of Corporate Responsibility at State Farm, said: “Helping people manage the risks of everyday life is a fundamental part of our mission.
“Through our collaboration with NFPA and local fire departments, we are actively getting timely information to the public that can help reduce their risk to home fires.”
The NFPA has led Fire Prevention Week for more than a century, maintaining its role as the official sponsor of the campaign to reduce fire-related deaths and injuries.
Further details and resources for this year’s campaign are available at www.fpw.org.
Relevance for fire and safety professionals
The NFPA and State Farm partnership directly supports public education efforts that local fire departments depend on during Fire Prevention Week.
Fire safety officers, community risk reduction teams and training coordinators can use the distributed toolkits to improve outreach around lithium-ion battery risks.
Electrical safety specialists and residential fire investigators may also find the campaign’s focus on battery use and charging practices valuable for developing prevention messaging.
By emphasising home-based fire prevention, the campaign offers practical materials for departments seeking to engage residents and reduce domestic fire incidents linked to emerging battery technologies.