Is your home fire escape plan ready?
Now, before a fire happens, is the time to prepare one and to practice using it.
TORONTO, Oct. 10, 2017 /CNW/ - Today the Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management kicked off Fire Prevention Week 2017 with a timely reminder: "Every Second Counts: Plan 2 Ways Out!"
Time is a critical factor in a fire. Fire and smoke spread so quickly that, despite the best efforts of fire departments and fast response times, firefighters may not be able to arrive in time to rescue you and your family. It is therefore essential that every home have a home fire escape plan so that everyone in the home knows what to do when there is a fire. Working smoke alarms and a home fire escape plan go hand in hand.
Key fire escape planning tips include the following:
• Have two ways out of every room, if possible.
• Identify anyone who requires assistance to get out of the home safely, such as small children and older adults.
• Make sure everyone in the home knows the sound of the smoke alarm.
• Test smoke alarms monthly.
• Choose a meeting place outside and make sure everyone knows where it is.
• Practice your home fire escape plan with all members of the household at least twice a year.
QUOTES
"There is no time to plan your escape after a fire starts. That's why it's so important to have a home fire escape plan that you practice on a regular basis with your family. Once you hear the smoke alarm, you need to react quickly and know ahead of time what to do."
— Ross Nichols, Ontario Fire Marshal and Chief, Emergency Management
QUICK FACTS
• Fire Prevention Week runs from October 8 to 14.
• Over the last five years, in 36 per cent of fatal home fires, there was no smoke alarm warning (in 18% there was no smoke alarm and in 18% the smoke alarm did not operate).
• Homes burn up to eight times faster than 50 years ago.
• It is the law in Ontario that homes must have working smoke alarms installed on every storey and near sleeping areas.
LEARN MORE
Find more important fire prevention tips and learn more about what to do in case of a fire.
ontario.ca/safety-news
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Tony Pacheco 10/10/2017 |
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