Fire Prevention Week in Ottawa
Posted Oct 9, 2011 05:57:09 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Do you have a smoke alarm in your home? Does your family test it regularly? Is there an escape plan everyone knows by heart in case there is a fire?
If not, now might be the time to look in to making a few changes. It’s Fire Prevention Week in the capital and Ottawa Fire and the City of Ottawa want to remind you that there are easy steps you can take to make a big difference.
Mayor Jim Watson helped launch this year’s Fire Prevention Week, which runs Oct. 9-12, at an event at City Hall Friday. The theme is “Protect Your Family From Fire” and will focus on family escape plans and teaching children about the dangers of fire. Inviting Grade 2 and 3 students from Elgin Street Public School seemed a good way to start.
The students learned how often they need to check the smoke alarms (twice annually) and how many escape routes you need (two from every room in the house). They also learned about using fire blankets and how quickly a house can burn down.
Kim Ayotte, the Acting Deputy Chief of Community Standards, Education, Planning and Innovation with Ottawa Fire, said that in the last 20 years the time it takes for a home to become completely engulfed in flames has gone from more than 17 minutes on average to about 7 because of new building materials. That means families no longer have the time to think about getting out, they simply need to move.
That’s why it’s essential for every family to have an escape route that they memorize and practice regularly. He said a great opportunity to put your plan into practice is when the smoke detector picks up the steam from your shower or when you’re cooking.
“If you know what’s activated your smoke alarm it’s a perfect opportunity for you to test the performance of your family,” said Ayotte.
Bay Ward Councillor Mark Taylor also helped to launch this week of heightened awareness, saying that with Thanksgiving this weekend families can teach their children about candle safety. He said they are a great add-on for any celebration but they should never be left unattended. He also said he hopes all of Ottawa will be safer at the end of this week than they were before Fire Prevention week.
