Fire Prevention Week a good excuse to be prepared

Sault Ste. Marie Fire Services is marking the 100th anniversary of Fire Prevention Week (FPW).

This year’s campaign — 'Fire won’t wait. Plan your escape' — aims to educate people about the steps they can take to prevent house fires.

Fire Prevention Week runs from Oct. 9 to 15. 

For more information, read the news release below: 

Sault Ste. Marie Fire Services is excited to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Fire Prevention Week (FPW), running from Oct. 9 to 15, 2022. This year’s FPW campaign, 'Fire won’t wait. Plan your escape,' works to educate everyone about simple but important actions they can take to keep themselves and those around them safe from home fires. 

“Fire travels fast. You may have as little as two minutes (or even less time) to safely escape a home fire from the time the smoke alarm sounds.” said public education officer Aaron Gravelle. “Your ability to get out of a home during a fire depends on early warning from smoke alarms and advance planning.”

Sault Fire Services encourages all residents to embrace the 2022 Fire Prevention Week theme.

“It’s important for everyone to plan and practice a home fire escape. Everyone needs to be prepared in advance, so they know what to do when the smoke alarm sounds. Given that every home is different, every home fire escape plan will also be different,” said Fire Chief Peter Johnson. “Have a plan for everyone in the home. Children, older adults, and people with disabilities may need assistance to wake up and get out. Make sure that someone will help them!”

Sault Ste. Marie Fire Services wants to share these key home fire escape planning tips:

• Make sure your plan meets the needs of all your family members, including those with sensory or physical disabilities.
• Smoke alarms should be installed outside each separate sleeping area and on every level of your home. For added protection, smoke alarms should be located in every sleeping room and they should be interconnected so when one sounds, they all sound.
• Know at least two ways out of every room, if possible. Make sure all doors and windows open easily.
• Have an outside meeting place a safe distance from your home where everyone should meet.
• Practice your home fire drill at least twice a year with everyone in the household, including guests. Practice at least once during the day and at night.

Sault Ste. Marie Fire Services is hosting a series of promotions in support of this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign, 'Fire won’t wait. Plan your escape.' To find out more about Fire Prevention Week in Sault Ste. Marie, please visit Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter (@saultfire) for more information and updates during FPW. 

For more general information about Fire Prevention Week and fire safety, please visit this website, fpw.org and sparky.org.