This week is Fire Prevention Week in North America.
100 Mile Fire Rescue chief Roger Hollander says it’s one longest-running awareness campaigns in history dating back to the Great Chicago Fire 0f 1871.
“A lot of people don’t understand the importance of fire prevention,” says Hollander.
“It’s extremely important to check around your home to make sure things are safe and a lot goes to that. This is something that is fairly exciting for us; it’s something the fire departments obviously enjoy speaking about.”
Fire Prevention Week runs from October 7 to October 14th and will wrap up in 100 Mile with an open house at the Firehall on October 14th starting at 10 am.
“For the second year in a row, British Columbians experienced a record-breaking wildfire season. These disasters damaged homes and infrastructure, challenged communities, displaced thousands of people and have put fire safety front and centre for families around our province,” said Jennifer Rice, Parliamentary Secretary for Emergency Preparedness.
“The annual Fire Prevention Week serves as a reminder to all British Columbians to learn about the dangers of fire, how to prevent it and how to keep your family safe by having and practicing an escape plan.”
This year’s theme is: ‘Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware – fire can happen anywhere.’ The goal according to a news release is to raise awareness about three simple steps that can help people reduce their risk and be better prepared in the event of a fire:
- Look for places fire can start. Take a good look around your home to identify potential fire hazards and remove them.
- Listen for the sound of the smoke alarm. You could have only minutes to safely escape 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 each room, and make sure all doors and windows leading outside can open easily and are free of clutter.