Look, listen, learn: a message for Fire Prevention Week

Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware. Fire can happen anywhere. Fire Prevention Week runs from October 7-13, 2018

The Muskoka Fire Prevention Officers are urging everyone in Muskoka to LOOK, LISTEN and LEARN about fire safety during this year’s Fire Prevention Week. This year’s theme of Fire Prevention Week, which runs from October 7-13, 2018, is “LOOK. LISTEN. LEARN. Be aware. Fire can happen anywhere.”

The theme focuses on three fundamental actions people can take to be fire-safe:

1. LOOK for potential fire hazards around your home. Take action to prevent fire from starting:

• Always stay in the kitchen while cooking. If you must leave, turn off the stove.
• Encourage smokers to smoke outside. Always extinguish cigarettes in large, deep ashtrays
  that cannot be knocked over.
• Check electrical cords for damage such as fraying or nicks. A damaged cord can expose wires
  and result in a potential shock or fire hazard.

“Everyone has a responsibility to protect their family and home from fire,” says Gravenhurst Fire Chief Larry Brassard. “Prevention is always the best course of action. Identify potential fire hazards in your home and take action to make sure a fire doesn’t start.”

2. LISTEN for the smoke alarms in an emergency. Make sure everyone knows the sound of the smoke alarms and can hear them in an emergency. Understand the signs of an activated smoke alarm including signalling devices and strobe lights. Early detection of fire provided by smoke alarms gives you the extra seconds you need to get out safely.”

3. LEARN two ways out of every room. Practice a home fire escape plan with everyone in your home before a fire starts so you and your family can get out quickly.

“Only working smoke alarms give you the early notification of fire and the time you and your family need to safely escape. Many fatal fires occur at night when everyone is asleep, so early warning is crucial to survival,” says Brassard. “Fire and smoke move faster than you. There’s no time to figure out how to escape your home AFTER a fire starts. Practice a home fire escape plan BEFORE there’s a fire so you can get out safely.”

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