Did you know that current fire safety standards in the home include a smoke detector in every bedroom?
Renfrew Fire Chief Mike Guest says Fire Prevention Week begins Sunday, October 9th and this year’s theme revolves around home escape planning.
Chief Guest says that the plan needs to include a common meeting location a safe distance away from the fire and where firefighters might need to be as they put out the flames.
It’s part of a busy week ahead of the Renfrew Fire Department, who will be hosting students from the Renfrew area to teach them the importance of fire safety.
Guest notes that the kids often leave the firehouse excited to put the knowledge to practice.
He goes on to add that home fire planning should include your home away from home.
As we head towards colder weather, Guest says mind your space heater: make sure it’s CSA approved and away from combustible things like clothes or furniture. Keeping your dryer’s lint trap free from buildup can keep it from getting into the exhaust and potentially creating a flame.
As of September, 86 people in the province have lost their lives to fires. Guest says many of those were preventable, and that in a number of cases there wasn’t a working smoke alarm in the home.
(written by Kasey Egan)
