Protect Your Family From Fire - Fire Prevention Week takes place from October 9th through to October 15th, 2011

This year Fire Prevention Week takes place from October 9th through to October 15th, 2011. The theme this year is “Protect Your Family From Fire”. Yearly, the Halton Hills Fire Department observes Fire Prevention Week and uses the opportunity to educate our citizens young and old on fire prevention and keeping safe from the ravages of fire. This year’s campaign focuses on preventing the leading causes of home fires – cooking, heating, electrical equipment and candles. Additionally, it urges people to protect their homes and families with life saving technology and planning.

There are still people in the community that are complacent about fire. The Office of the Fire Marshal reports there is a 1 in 10 chance of having a fire in someone’s home. A place where people feel they are safe. Fire is a dangerous opponent, but by anticipating and eliminating fire hazards, you are much less likely to be affected by it.

Simple items such as making sure you’re always in attendance when cooking in the kitchen, keeping combustibles away from space heaters, hot water tanks and furnaces, replacing damaged electrical cords, never leaving a burning candle unattended and having an escape plan in place are just a few actions that people can take to protect themselves. The most important life saving technology is smoke alarms. Working smoke alarms provide the early warning of fire so that people have those extra seconds needed to escape a fire emergency. It’s the law in Ontario to have working smoke alarms on every storey of the home and outside all sleeping areas. Yet throughout North America, the Province of Ontario and in our community we still find residences without the proper protection.

Fire Chief Brent Marshall says, “The theme of this year’s Fire Prevention Week underscores the importance of making everyone aware that simple preventative measures can prevent disaster from occurring to them. It is the responsibility of each and every one of us to educate ourselves on the simple fire prevention measures we can take to save our lives, homes and everything we hold dear. I urge everyone to ensure their home is equipped with working smoke alarms, never leave cooking or a burning candle unattended, that heating appliances are serviced annually, and that every family has an emergency escape plan that is practiced regularly”.

The Halton Hills Fire Department has traditionally reserved the entire month of October to educate the public about fire safety. This year we are continuing with this tradition and spreading the message through displays at our Libraries, the Civic Centre, media messages, morning school messages on fire safety and senior’s meetings. Fire prevention staff will also be manning the information booth, at our normal posted times, at the Georgetown Marketplace to assist citizens acquiring information on all aspects of fire safety.

In addition to the aforementioned events, the Halton Hills Fire Department is launching an exciting new initiative, the Home Safe Home Courtesy Fire Safety Inspection Program. In selected areas of Halton Hills, Fire Department personnel will be going door-to-door in an effort to assist homeowners with simple fire safety issues in their homes. Watch for them in your neighborhood.

Mayor Rick Bonnette says, “This Fire Prevention Week, I call upon all citizens of Halton Hills to participate in fire prevention activities at home, work and at school. Each person must earnestly desire to provide a fire safe place in which to live and work by eliminating those fire hazards that can cause the loss of life and property. Halton Hills has been fire fatality free since July of 2004. Let’s keep this great record going”

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