Fire Prevention Week observed Oct. 7 to 13

Canadians are being reminded to be fire aware during 2018 Fire Prevention Week which is observed on October 7 to 13.

This year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign “Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware. Fire can happen anywhere.” works to educate the public about three basic but essential steps to take to reduce the likelihood of having a fire – and how to escape safely in the event of one:

LOOK for places fire could start. Take a good look around your home. Identify potential fire hazards and take care of them.

LISTEN for the sound of the smoke alarm. You could have only minutes to escape safely once the smoke alarm sounds. Go to your outside meeting place, which should be a safe distance from the home and where everyone should meet.

LEARN two ways out of every room and make sure all doors and windows leading outside open easily and are free of clutter.

Working Smoke Alarms Save Lives

Smoke alarms are an important part of a home fire escape plan. When there is a fire smoke spreads fast. Working smoke alarms give you an early warning alerting you to get outside quickly!

- Install smoke alarms in every bedroom and outside each sleeping area.

- Install smoke alarms on every level of your home. - Test smoke alarms using the test button at least once a month or as recommended by the manufacturer.

- Change the battery in your smoke alarm once a year or if the low battery alarm chirps.

- When a smoke alarm sounds, get outside and stay outside.