Fire Prevention Week | Every Second Counts - Plan two ways out!

Posted on Tuesday, October 03, 2017

You and your family are fast asleep when the smoke alarm sounds. Do you know what to do?

Fire Prevention Week is October 8 – 14, 2017, and the perfect time for Caledon Fire & Emergency Services to remind all households to develop a home escape plan together and practice it. A plan includes working smoke alarms on every level of the home, in every bedroom and near all sleeping areas. It also includes two ways out of every room, usually a door and a window, with a clear path to an outside meeting place (like a tree, light pole, or mailbox) - a safe distance from the home.

“In a typical home fire, you may have as little as a few minutes to escape safely from the time the smoke alarm sounds. That’s why home escape planning is so critical in a fire situation. It ensures that everyone in the household knows how to use that small window of time wisely,” said Fire Chief Darryl Bailey. “This pre-planning is what everyone will draw upon to snap into action and escape as quickly as possible in the event of a fire.”

Home escape planning is one of the most basic but fundamental elements of home fire safety and can make the difference between life and death in a fire situation. Consider these additional tips and recommendations for developing and practicing a home escape plan:

• Draw a map of your home with all members of your household, marking two exits from each room and a path to the outside from each exit.
• Practice your home fire drill twice a year. Conduct one at night and one during the day with everyone in your home, and practice using different ways out.
• Teach children how to escape on their own in case you can’t help them.
• Make sure the number of your home is clearly marked and easy for the fire department to find.
• Close doors behind you as you leave — this may slow the spread of smoke, heat and fire.
• Once you get outside, stay outside. Never go back inside a burning building.

“Where’s Sparky?” Contest
To keep fire safety top of mind, Caledon Fire & Emergency Services will be hosting a number of open houses at various fire stations, along with an online contest – the “Where’s Sparky?” contest - during Fire Prevention Week. “Where’s Sparky?” will test Caledon residents to correctly name Sparky’s location and be entered in a draw to win prizes. For more information about Fire Prevention Week activities in Caledon and the “Where’s Sparky” contest visit www.caledon/fire.

Open Houses
There are a number of open houses scheduled for the month of October to recognize Fire Prevention Week. Residents are invited to attend and enjoy a complimentary pancake breakfast while learning more about general fire safety, making a home escape plan and house trailer safety. Below is a list of scheduled open houses. Details can be found at www.caledon.ca/calendar.

Saturday October 7, 2017 8 a.m. – Noon 28 Ann Street, Bolton
Sunday October 8, 2017 10 a.m. – Noon 2 Snelcrest Drive, Caledon
Saturday October 14, 2017 7 a.m. – 11 a.m. 19630 Main Street, Alton
Sunday October 15, 2017 9 a.m. – Noon 17177 Regional Road 50, Palgrave

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Media Contact:
Communications | Strategic Initiatives | 905.584.2272 | communications@caledon.ca

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