RELEASE — Sunday, Oct. 6 marks the beginning of Fire Prevention Week. Kingston Fire & Rescue (KFR) has teamed with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to promote this year’s campaign, “Not Every Hero Wears a Cape. Plan and Practice Your Escape!”
This campaign aims to educate all Kingstonians about the small but important actions they can take to keep themselves and those around them safe. “Having a home escape plan in place and working smoke alarms can be the difference between life and death,” says Chief Fire Prevention Officer Ted Posadowski.
In Canada, most fire deaths occur in the home, where people believe they are most safe. Canadian fire departments respond to roughly 25,600 structure fires per year.
“Home fires continue to pose a significant threat to safety,” says Lorraine Carli, NFPA’s vice president of Outreach and Advocacy. “In a typical home fire, you may have as little as one to two minutes to escape safely from the time the smoke alarm sounds. Escape planning and practice can help you make the most of the time you have, giving everyone enough time to get out.
While this campaign focuses on home fires, these messages apply to virtually any location. “Situational awareness is a skill people need to use wherever they go,” says Posadowski. “No matter where you are, look for available exits. If the alarm system sounds, take it seriously and exit the building immediately.”
KFR is hosting a series of events in support of this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign, “Not Every Hero Wears a Cape. Plan and Practice Your Escape!”, including:
Public Events
- Oct. 6 from 9 a.m. – 11 a.m. at Station #3: Attend a FREE pancake breakfast at Station #3, 211 Gore Rd. Kids (and kids at heart) will be treated to tours of the station, fire trucks and have an opportunity to meet Sparky, the fire dog.
- Oct. 8, from 2 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. at the Calvin Park branch, 88 Wright Cres., and from 7 – 7:30 p.m. at Isabel Turner branch, 935 Gardiners Rd.: Learn about fire prevention and home escape planning by attending one of these two FREE sessions. Both sessions will be the same, and both are open to adults and families. Children seven and older are welcome to attend, if accompanied by an adult. To avoid disappointment, please register in advance online or by phone at 613-549-8888 as of 9 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 28.
- Oct. 10, 6 p.m., Richardson Stadium: KFR in partnership with the Queen’s Gaels, awarded 10 pairs of tickets to youth who successfully completed their home escape plan between Sept. 16 and Oct. 2. These lucky winners will participate in a half-time firefighter challenge at the game, and receive their own KFR hero kit. Want to attend this special game? Purchase tickets online or at the Queen’s Gaels box office.
- Oct. 11, Meals on Wheels & Diner’s Club: KFR’s fire prevention team will provide an information session that will focus on home escape planning, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.
In addition to these public events, KFR will also be visiting workplaces and Kingston General Hospital to discuss escape planning.
To find out more about these events, please follow Kingston Fire & Rescue on social media. Get general information about Fire Prevention Week and home escape planning.
Release: Kingston Fire & Rescue
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
