Pickering Fire Services honouring 100th anniversary of Fire Prevention Week

Pickering Fire Services is partnering with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Fire Prevention Week from October 9 – 15.

Fire will be hosting a drop-in community event at the Chestnut Hill Developments Recreation Complex on Saturday, October 15 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. where members of the public can learn important fire safety tips, meet Sparky the Fire Dog, tour fire trucks, and ask Pickering Fire staff questions.

This year’s Fire Prevention Week theme is ‘Fire won’t wait. Plan your escape’ and aims to educate residents on the important actions they can take to help keep themselves and those around them safe from home fires.

“Today’s homes burn faster than ever. You may have as little as two minutes, or less, to safely escape a home fire from the time the smoke alarm sounds,” said Lorraine Carli, Vice President, Outreach Advocacy at NFPA. “Your ability to get out of a home during a fire depends on early warning from smoke alarms and advance planning.”

“Emergencies can happen at any time,” added Pickering Fire Chief Steve Boyd. “It’s important to be prepared should you experience a fire in your home. We encourage you to create and practice a home fire escape plan so you and your loved ones know what to do as soon as your smoke alarm sounds.”

• Make sure your home fire escape plan meets the needs of all family members, including those with sensory or physical disabilities.
• Smoke alarms should be installed on every storey of the home and outside of all sleeping areas for additional safety inside every sleeping room.
• Know at least two ways out of every room, if possible. Make sure all doors and windows open easily.
• Have an outside meeting place a safe distance away from your home where everyone can meet.
• Practice your home fire escape plan at least twice a year with everyone in the household, including guests. Practice at least once during the day, and once at night.

Visit LetsTalkPickering.ca/PickeringFire to learn more about Pickering Fire Services or to ask Pickering Fire Services fire-related questions.