Fire dept. offering school tours during Fire Prevention Week

The theme of Fire Prevention Week in October is “Fire won’t wait — Plan your escape” and the Moose Jaw Fire Department (MJFD) is partnering with the National Fire Protection Association to celebrate the 100^th Anniversary of Fire Prevention Week.

The dates are Oct. 9 to 15, and the MJFD wants to educate everyone about the simple but important actions that will keep them and the people around them safe from home fires.

“In a house fire you may have as little as two minutes to safely escape from the time the smoke alarm sounds,” said Cathie Bassett, the MJFD Public Education Officer. “It’s important for everyone to plan and practice a home fire escape, and given that every home is different, every home fire escape plan will also be different.”

Here are some key tips the MJFD wants residents to remember as they create their home fire escape plans:

• Make sure the plan takes everyone into account, including family members with sensory or physical disabilities
• Smoke alarms should be installed in every sleeping room, outside every sleeping area, and on every level of the home. Alarms should be interconnected so that when one sounds, they all sound
• Make sure all doors and windows open easily. If possible, know at least two ways out of every room
• Have a designated gathering point at a safe distance from your home so that everyone knows where to meet after escaping the fire. Designated gathering points are essential to verify everyone is out of the structure
• Practice a home fire drill at least twice a year with everyone in the household, including any guests. Have a night fire drill and a day fire drill — disorientation and panic are common reactions to emergencies, so preparing for different conditions is essential

The MJFD is hosting two full days of fire hall tours for students from several schools in the Prairie South School Division and Holy Trinity Catholic School Division.

Tours will be on Oct. 12 and 14.

Visit fpw.org and sparky.org for more information on Fire Prevention Week and on fire prevention in general.