Your Home and Family: Fully Involved in Fire Prevention

Posted by on Thursday, October 1st, 2015 at 9:01am.

Fire can strike at any time. Protect your home and your family during Fire Prevention Week in Airdrie.

The Airdrie Fire Department will be conducting public education programs Oct 3 to 10, 2015 throughout the city. This year’s theme is “Hear the Beep Where You Sleep”, urging home owners and renters alike to ensure that every bedroom has a working smoke detector.

Fire Prevention Week kicks off Saturday, Oct 3 with Safety Day at the Chinook Winds Fire Station from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Families are invited to meet firefighters, try on their gear and check out interactive booths, including a simulator so that children will learn how to respond to a fire in a bedroom. Sparky the fire mascot and entertainer Mary Lambert will also be on hand.

Members will also be visiting Airdrie elementary schools throughout Fire Prevent Week to assist students during regular fire drills and stopping in at local businesses to review fire safety protocols.

In conjunction with the ConocoPhillips Home Safety Program, fire department officials will personally visit homes in the Airdrie communities of Luxstone, Meadowbrook and Jensen to test alarms and smoke detectors and to review safety and fire escape plans with residents.

These programs in Airdrie will run until the end of October.

Are you safe in your home?

Fire safety experts say that fire safety is much more than ensuring your home has proper, working smoke detectors. It is recommended that each household have a written escape plan with regular “rehearsals”, in the same way that children have drills at school. Re-think doors or windows which lock from the inside, unless a key is accessible for easy escape. Bearing in mind that in an emergency, people can panic. In full panic-mode, people don’t think clearly and often can’t recall simple information, including what number to dial in case of emergency (911), their own phone number and address. Take a look at where your outdoor barbecue is located. It should not be under a roof or overhang and well away from the side of the house or garage, especially if you have vinyl siding.

Fire safety is a 365-day of the year issue. Here are more home fire safety guidelines to help protect your family and your home.

In The Kitchen:

Don’t wear garments with long, loose fitting or flared sleeves.
Avoid using your stove if you take medication that makes you drowsy.
Don’t leave anything you are cooking on the stove unattended.
Keep baking soda or a lid nearby to smother flames.
Use a timer as a reminder to turn off the stove or appliances.
Check counter top appliances for frayed or damaged cords.

In The Family/Great Room

Wood-burning fireplaces should have a fire screen which completely covers the opening.
Don’t overload power bars and extension cords.
Don’t leave cigarettes in an ashtray unattended. Be mindful of ash or embers which may smolder for hours completely undetected before igniting into flame.
Keep matches or lighters away from children.
Don’t leave candles unattended.

In the Bedroom

Fire safety experts now recommend a smoke detector in every bedroom of the home. At minimum, at least one alarm outside sleeping areas and test them twice a year.
Double check that electric blankets or heading pads and curling irons have been turned off.
Check radios, television and lamps for frayed or pinched cords.
Assign bedrooms as non-smoking zones.

In the Basement

Flammable materials should be removed, including gasoline and propane tanks. Use only approved containers.

Inspect home heating appliances, such as furnaces and boilers, annually.
Fireplace and furnace chimneys should be cleaned regularly.

In the Garage

Flammable materials should be stored in approved containers far from possible heat sources.

Keep the area free of debris.
Avoid smoking and leaving smoking materials in the garage.
Install a fire extinguisher and learn how to use it.