(File photo/northeastNOW staff)

By Ben Tompkins

Fire Prevention Week

Melfort and District Fire Department host virtual Fire Prevention Week for second year in a row

Oct 7, 2021 | 12:02 PM

The Melfort and District Fire Department is teaming up with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week for more than 90 years, to promote this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign, “Learn the Sounds of Fire Safety.”

This year’s campaign, Oct. 3-9, works to educate everyone about simple but important actions they can take to keep themselves and those around them safe.

“What do the sounds mean? Is there a beep or a chirp coming out of your smoke or carbon monoxide alarm? Knowing the difference can save you, your home, and your family,” said Lorraine Carli, vice-president of outreach and advocacy at NFPA.

The Melfort and District Fire Department encourages all residents to embrace the 2021 Fire Prevention Week theme.

“It’s important to learn the different sounds of smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. When an alarm makes noise, a beeping sound or a chirping sound, you must take action,” said Shaun Stewart, Director of Protective Services and Fire Chief at the Melfort and District Fire Department. “Make sure everyone in the home understands the sounds of the alarms and knows how to respond. To learn the sounds of your specific smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, check the manufacturer’s instructions that came in the box, or search the brand and model online.”

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Unfortunately due to the pandemic, the Fire Department is unable to host an open house for the second consecutive year. Stewart said that they are extremely disappointed this year had to once again be in a virtual setting.

“This will be two years in a row that we have been unable to hold an open house for Fire Prevention Week,” said Stewart. “All the members in the fire department look forward to interacting with citizens outside of an emergency situation and this week has always been a fun time in the past. We are all extremely disappointed that we have had to cancel an open house again for this year. We only have 23 members in the department right now, so we are doing everything we can to stay healthy and COVID free.”

Stewart knows how important Fire Prevention Week is, but that this week is no more important than any others to learn fire safety.

“Fire prevention week is always important but no more important than fire safety any other day of the week or month of the year,” Stewart said. “For both inside and outside fires, it is very important to have an extinguishing source nearby (garden hose, fire extinguisher, etc) and to know that fire is a tool and not a toy and should be treated as such.”

Stewart also knows that people can learn a lot about fire safety during Fire Prevention Week and that this year’s theme is a good one.

“Fire prevention week is always important as it is theme-based and this year it is about knowing the sounds of your smoke detector or CO detector. When the alarms go off in your home having a fire escape plan and everyone knowing how to get out and where the family meeting place is extremely important”

And Stewart hopes that the citizens of Melfort will now have a better understanding of fire safety and that they will be able to effectively execute an escape plan, even in the middle of the night.

“I would like to know that the citizens of Melfort have an escape plan for their homes and practice them. It is one thing to have it on paper but another to walk through them and know how to do it at 3 a.m. when they wake up from a deep sleep,” Stewart said.

The Melfort and District Fire Department wants to share safety tips to help you “Learn the Sounds of Fire Safety.”

The tips include:

• A continuous set of three loud beeps—beep, beep, beep—means smoke or fire. Get out, call 911, and stay out.
• A single chirp every 30 or 60 seconds means the battery is low and must be changed.
• All smoke alarms must be replaced after 10 years.
• Chirping that continues after the battery has been replaced means the alarm is at the end of its life and the unit must be replaced.
• Make sure your smoke and CO alarms meet the needs of all your family members, including those with sensory or physical disabilities.

For more general information about Fire Prevention Week and fire prevention in general, you can visit the Fire Prevention Week website.

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Ben.Tompkins@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter @BenTompkins_8