With the multiple fire losses experienced in our community over the last year, the Huntsville/Lake of Bays Fire Department is urging families to practice their home fire escape plans and ensure all smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are working as part of Family Day this weekend.
Simple steps for home fire escape planning include:
- Develop a home fire escape plan and discuss it with the entire household
- Show everyone two ways out of each room, if possible
- Check that all exits are unobstructed and easy to use
- Determine who will be responsible for helping young children, older adults or anyone else who may need assistance
- Choose a meeting place outside, such as a tree or a lamp post, where everyone can be accounted fo
- If there is smoke, get low and go under the smoke to the nearest safe exit
- Call the fire department from outside the home, from a cellphone or neighbour’s home
- Once out, stay out. Never re-enter a burning building
“When a fire occurs, people may only have a few seconds to escape,” says Fire Chief Stephen Hernen. “We are urging people to develop and practice a home fire escape plan so that everyone knows what to do when a fire occurs. You must have working smoke alarms in the home as part of the plan. This will ensure people get the early warning needed to escape.”
It’s the law to have working smoke alarms on every storey of the home and to have working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms outside all sleeping areas.
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