Residents urged to “Learn the Sounds of Fire Safety” during Fire Prevention Week
Tim Brody - Editor
Fire Prevention Week runs from Oct. 3 – 9 and Sioux Lookout Mayor Doug Lawrance is encouraging residents to “Learn the Sounds of Fire Safety”, this year’s theme for the week.
Lawrance shared in a proclamation for the week, “The 2021 Fire Prevention Week theme, “Learn the Sounds of Fire Safety” effectively serves to remind us it is important to learn the different sounds of smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.”
Lawrance urges, “All the people of The Municipality of Sioux Lookout to “Learn the Sounds of Fire Safety”, and to support the many public safety activities and efforts of Sioux Lookout’s fire and emergency services.”
Lawrance shared in his proclamation, in part, that, “Smoke alarms detect smoke well before you can, alerting you to danger in the event of a fire in which you may only have just seconds to escape safely” and “Working smoke alarms save lives by providing early warning of fire so you and your family can safely escape.”
“Testing your alarms is the only way to ensure they are working properly and keep you and your family alerted in the event of a fire,” said Ontario Fire Marshal Jon Pegg in an Oct. 1 media release from the Ministry of the Solicitor General. “Get to know the sounds your alarms make. If the alarm doesn’t sound, install a new battery. If the alarm still doesn’t sound, replace the alarm with a new, certified one.”
“By law, every home in Ontario must have a working smoke alarm on every storey and outside all sleeping areas. Too often, fatal fires in the province occur in homes with no working smoke alarms. In 2019, over a third of residential cases of fire resulting in loss of life, injury, or property damage had either a non-functioning smoke alarm or no alarm,” the media release informed.
“When it comes to fire safety in your home, the most important action you can take to help protect yourself and your family is to install working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and test them regularly,” said Solicitor General Sylvia Jones. “Fire Prevention Week serves as an excellent reminder to make some noise and test your alarms to ensure they are working properly. I encourage everyone to “Get Loud” to keep safe.”
The province is issuing a challenge to the public to “Get Loud” to ensure everyone has working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in their homes.
The “Get Loud!” campaign is focused on educating Ontarians to recognize the different sounds smoke or carbon monoxide alarms make and identify if they need new batteries or the alarms need to be replaced.