Fire Prevention Week is coming up and the City of Charlottetown Fire Department is working with its colleagues in the industry to remind the public that they have a part to play in preventing fires.
The theme for this year’s Fire Prevention Week, which takes place October 7 to 13, is “Look. Listen. Learn.” It reinforces the message that fires can happen anywhere. Fire departments across the country are encouraging people to look for places in their homes or businesses where a fire could start. Once potential fire hazards are identified, they should be addressed.
- 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 know to meet.
- Learn two ways out of every room and make sure all doors and windows leading outside open easily and are free of clutter.
Leading up to Fire Prevention Week, the Charlottetown Fire Department will team up with the Crossroads and North River fire departments, along with other emergency personnel, for an event at Home Depot in Charlottetown (60 Buchanan Drive). This free event is open to everyone and will take place on Saturday, October 6 from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Firefighters will be on-site to answer questions and provide information on preventing fires, and there will be a BBQ and giveaways.
Some of the fire prevention tips that will be shared at the event, are also available through the National Fire Prevention Association. Some of those tips for identifying potential fire hazards and preventing fire are:
- Remove clutter from cooking areas, keeping anything that can burn away from the stovetop;
- Stay in the kitchen while cooking to keep a close eye on the stove. Set a timer if using the oven;
- Have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected each year by a qualified professional;
- Turn space heaters off when leaving the room or going to sleep;
- Plug major appliances directly into wall receptacle outlets and not into extension cords or plug strips;
- Blow out candles when leaving the room and keep candles a foot away from anything that can burn;
- Keep cigarettes, lighters, matches, and other smoking materials in a locked cabinet that’s up high out of sight and reach of children.
- Douse cigarettes and ashes in water or sand. Do not discard cigarettes in vegetation such as mulch, potted plants or landscaping, peat moss, dried grasses, leaves or other things that could ignite easily.
- Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment, including furnaces, fireplaces, wood stoves and portable space heaters.
At the conclusion of Fire Prevention Week, local firefighters will be stationed at McDonald’s (427 University Avenue) on Friday, October 12 to talk to the public about fire prevention between 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.
For more about Fire Prevention Week, visit: www.firepreventionweek.org
For more information on the Charlottetown Fire Department, visit: www.charlottetown.ca/fire