Fire Prevention Week

Did you know Sunday October 4th, 2015 to Saturday October 10th, 2015 is Fire Prevention Week? Although fire prevention is important year-round, Fire Prevention Week activities give us more opportunities to talk to you all about how to make sure your house and your community are fire safe.

This year’s Fire Prevention Week (Oct.4-10) theme, “Hear the beep where you sleep” encourages all Albertans to install smoke alarms inside each bedroom of their home. Please be encourage and ensure you have a working smoke alarms in or directly outside your sleeping areas.

While all homes in the province must have working smoke alarms, fire officials are now recommending Albertans increase safety by installing smoke alarms:

• Inside every bedroom
• Outside each separate sleeping area
• On every level of the home, including the basement

“Our province already has strong fire safety measures, but we’re encouraging Albertans to take safety inside their homes one step further. In a fire every second counts, so installing smoke alarms inside every room where people sleep can make a lifesaving difference.”
– Deron Bilous, Minister of Municipal Affairs

“Smoke alarms can save lives, but only if they are heard. An invaluable component of any residential emergency safety plan is to have working smoke alarms installed in sleeping areas and tested monthly. This way, Albertans will have a better chance of hearing the beep and exiting quickly in the event of an emergency.”

Do you know that approximately half of home fire fatalities result from fires occurring between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., when most people are asleep? Having a working smoke alarm significantly reduces your chances of dying in a fire.

The Government of Alberta’s May 1, 2015 Safety Codes Act (Alberta Building Code and Alberta Fire Code) requires all new homes built in the province to have smoke alarms located inside each bedroom. This is an added safety measure being implemented across North America for new home construction. For older homes, owners are encouraged to install the additional smoke alarms inside each bedroom for added protection.