The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
As a former volunteer firefighter and emergency responder, I have responded to many different and challenging emergencies. Over the years, I have been exposed to and encountered many dangerous situations at fires, motor vehicle crashes, and medical calls. In all my years of responding to fires, I can honestly say there was no honour in fighting a fire that could have been prevented. Seeing people lose their home, being injured, and the worst, losing a loved one to a fire was heart breaking. It was especially heart breaking, because some of the fatal fires I attended involved children. So many years of potential life lost! All of us need to learn how to protect ourselves, and family members from the hazards of fire. We all need to be made aware of and reminded to be responsible, to think, and to make time for fire safety! Fire Safety Facts Most fires occur between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. Smoking materials and cooking are two of the top causes of fire. Most fire-related deaths are caused by smoke not by fire. Smoke is quit and deadlyÉ it will cover you like a blanket. Fire and smoke travel very quickly, often with tragic consequences! A fire can engulf a home or cottage in five minutes or less. However, smoke can engulf a home in two minutes or less! Fire Safety Tips When you're asleep, your nose is asleepÉ working smoke alarms are CRITICAL for early detection of fire. Correctly locate, install, and maintain working smoke alarms on each level of your home or cottage, outside/near the sleeping areas, and in the bedrooms! Test your smoke alarms weekly by pushing the alarm test button. Test smoke alarms monthly with actual smoke from a piece of smouldering cotton string, incense stick, or candlewick. Carefully vacuum the inside and outside of a battery-powered unit with a soft brush attachment. If the alarm is electrically connected, shut off the power, and vacuum the outside vents only. Make sure you test the unit when you restore the power. Install new batteries every six months when you change your clocks in the fall and spring, or when needed. Replace smoke alarms every 10 years. Develop and practice a family home escape plan with two exits out of each room. In any building, always make note of where the exits are. If your clothing catches fire, don't run! Stop, Drop, and RollÉ Cool and Call for help. In smoke conditions, cover your mouth and nose with a cloth, and crawl low to the nearest exit. Never open a door without checking it for heat or to see if smoke is leaking in around the edges. Make your home 'Kid Proof' keep matches and lighters out of children's hands. (Matches and lighters are tools, not toys). Never store gasoline, propane, or other flammable products in the home. Never call the fire department from inside a burning home, even if it seems momentarily safe. Meet at a designated spot outside and send someone to call from a neighbour's house. Never re-enter a burning home. Many deaths occur because people go back. SafetyÉ it starts with you!
