Fire Prevention Week

Details

Published on Saturday, October 25, 2014

By Richard Brown

Oct. 5-11 was fire prevention week; this year’s theme was working smoke alarms. Brian Mitchell, Ryan MacLellan, Josh Tait and Richard Brown of Rivers/Daly Fire Department were busy that week making presentations at Rivers Elementary School.

With the presentations came draws for flashlights (donated by Byron McMurachy), pencil cases full of Sparky (fire department’s mascot) supplies and smoke detectors. 

On Thursday, Oct. 9 our department put teachers’ and students’ fire drill skills to the test. We set up our fake smoke machine at the school’s northwest exit then smoked up the school to trigger the alarms and have a mock fire drill. Department members came to the school like it was the real deal and we made sure the school had been evacuated. The school did a good job. 

On Friday, Oct 10 we had another draw, this time for fire chief and deputy chief of the day. It was a fun time had by all. Nathan Oldenburger was our chief and Abby Jubinville our deputy chief. Rivers/Daly Fire picked Nathan up for school in the morning, took him to lunch and took him home from school; all these rides were done in style — in our fire engine. Abby unfortunately fell sick that morning and had to stay home. 

Rivers/Daly Fire Department wants to send a message to everyone about working smoke alarms.Manitoba law requires that working smoke alarms be located on every level of a home and outside all sleeping areas. For added protection, install smoke alarms in all sleeping areas too.

Your safety is your responsibility. Only working smoke alarms save lives. In fact, smoke alarms can increase your chances of surviving a fire by up to 50 per cent!

Make sure you:

• Test smoke alarms monthly.

• Change the batteries once a year.

• When a smoke alarm sounds, get outside and stay outside.

• Replace smoke alarms after 10 years. To determine the age of your smoke alarm, look at the back; you will find the manufactured date there.

• Immediately replace any smoke alarm that does not respond properly when tested.

• Develop and practise a home fire escape plan with everyone in your household. To print a copy of a home escape plan template, visit firecomm.gov.mb.ca/docs/fpw_2014_escape_grid.pdf.

It's very important to make sure everyone in your home knows exactly what to do if smoke alarms sound in a fire emergency.Sit down with everyone in your home and talk about how to escape from each room in the event of a fire; identify two ways out of each room if possible.

We want congratulate everyone who won during our draws and we extend our appreciation to the staff at Rivers Elementary school for your co-operation.