Municipality of Port Hope Fire and Emergency Services is urging residents to LOOK, LISTEN and LEARN, about fire safety, in recognition of Fire Prevention Week, which takes place October 7 to 13, 2018 and will include a number of initiatives and events, including an Open House on Tuesday, October 9, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., to raise awareness about fire prevention and safety in the community.
“Everyone has a responsibility to protect their family and home from fire,” explains Fire Chief C. Ryan Edgar, Director of Fire & Emergency Services for the Municipality of Port Hope. “Fire prevention is always the best course of action, and so we encourage the community to identify potential fire hazards in their homes to ensure that they are fire-safety aware and we work hard to provide our residents with key information to best prevent a fire from occurring in their residences.”
This year’s Fire Prevention Week theme, ‘Look, Listen and Learn,’ focuses on three fundamental actions people can take to be fire-safe:
- 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.
- 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. Early detection of fire provided by smoke alarms gives you the extra seconds you need to get out safely.
- 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.
Municipality of Port Hope Fire and Emergency Services will host an Open House at each fire station on October 9, 2018 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., in support of Fire Prevention Week and this year’s campaign:
- Fire Station #1: 245 Ontario Street, Port Hope
- Fire Station #2: 4366 County Rd 2, Welcome
- Fire Station #3: 3585 Ganaraska Rd, Garden Hill
Each fire station will offer station tours, important fire safety information and fun activities for residents to participate in. This is a family-friendly event and will also feature an inflatable Fire Safety House, which will be located at Station #1.
Residents can also enjoy Coffee with a Firefighter, at a free, special event hosted at McDonald’s Restaurant (175 Rose Glen Road, N.), on October 12, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., where members from Port Hope Fire will be on hand to discuss fire prevention.
For more information about Fire Prevention Week or the Municipality of Port Hope Fire & Emergency Services, visit porthopefire.ca
More Information About Fire Prevention and Safety in the Home:
Fire can spread quickly and when you least expect it and you may only have a few minutes to escape. The Ontario Fire Code now requires that all homes in Ontario have working smoke alarms on each level of your home (this includes your basement). A smoke alarm on every level of your home can alert you and your family and provide you with the chance to escape. If you sleep with your bedroom door closed, a smoke alarm should also be installed in your bedroom – that way if the fire starts in your bedroom you will be alerted.
Carbon Monoxide Alarms are also mandatory in Ontario in all residential homes containing fuel fired appliances and/or an attached garage.
Your home is at risk of carbon monoxide:
- If your home/condo has a fuel-burning appliance or an attached garage – install a carbon monoxide alarm adjacent to each sleeping area.
- If you live in an apartment building, landlord/owners are responsible to install a carbon monoxide alarm.
- If your apartment contains a fuel-burning appliance, a carbon monoxide alarm needs to be installed adjacent to each sleeping area.
- If your apartment building contains a service room, a carbon monoxide alarm must be installed in the service room and adjacent to each sleeping area of all apartments above, below and beside the service room.
- If your building has an attached garage, carbon monoxide alarms must be installed adjacent to each sleeping area of all apartments above, below and beside the attached garage.
Carbon monoxide alarms will warn you of danger, but regular maintenance of all fuel fired appliances and solid fuel burning appliances will minimize the danger of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
