Fire Prevention Week

Fire Prevention Week

October 5th to the 11th is acknowledged as Fire Prevention Week in Canada. From my last report you will see I spoke about the Whitby Fire Department Staff going door to door speaking to local residents and distributing information on Fire Prevention. This was to inform us on how to better prepare ourselves and homes over the next few months against certain hazards most notably fires. Living indoors again brings different issues than spending our time outdoors. Soon we will not be camping, swimming, boating or using our RVs which have their own hazards we need to concern ourselves with.

The indoor season has us cooking more indoors, using our fireplaces and furnaces more often. We also look for alternate sources of heat such as space heaters which can threaten our safety. Turning our furnace on is a challenge if it has not been recently cleaned or has a blockage caused by our local wildlife in the chimneys or pipes. Our leftover gas for the lawnmower is now often stored indoors and if stored improperly poses a risk for fire. Winter brings with it family celebrations, such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukah, Eid, New Years and Easter, etc. where often candles are used, not only for illumination but for atmosphere and if not used correctly can threaten our safety.

Ensuring all of our appliances, furnaces, smoke alarms and fire extinguishers are in good working order is something which should be done at this time of the year. Looking at our Fire Escape Plan making sure it is up to date addressing all changed health needs of all residents and pets in the home is something to look at. You could now be on crutches, using a cane or wheelchair which may not have been the case the last time your plan was updated. Changing your plan to reflect current circumstances and testing the changes would be helpful.

Often when children are in the home babysitters are used when parents go out. Babysitters should be informed about your emergency plans for your home. An emergency list of contact numbers should also be provided.

Fact sheets are provided on this web site regarding Fire Prevention on the following subjects:

http://www.fiprecan.ca/index.php?section=1&show=contact

Candle Safety, Fire Extinguishers, Cooking and Grease Fires, Fire Escape Plans, Safety Tips for the Home, Smoke Kills - Smoke Alarms, Safety Tips for the Office, Farm Safety, Quick Facts on CO, Fire Safety for Seniors, Babysitter's Fire Safety Guide and Danger Gasoline.  All Fact sheets can be printed from the web page.

Until next time.