To kick off Fire Prevention Week, which runs Oct. 6-12, the Prince Albert Fire Department host-ed an Open House at the Fire Hall on 15th Street on Sunday. The afternoon included many activities and a chance to meet local firefighters.
Battalion Chief Jay Zablocki of the Prince Albert Fire Department said the open house allowed visitors to get a first-hand look at the preparation that goes into fighting fires, and gain some insight into how to stop fires from starting and spreading.
“We want the citizens of Prince Albert to be aware of the equipment we have,” Zablocki said. “It’s a good promotion that we open to the people. On a daily basis we have people calling and asking about smoke detectors, what they need in their house, home safety, things like that.” “We want to make sure we’re open to those conversations and answer the questions that the people need answered,” he added.
This year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign is “Smoke alarms: Make them work for you!” The focus on working smoke alarms comes in response to National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) data, which shows that the majority of home fire deaths continue to occur in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
“Test them monthly, make sure they’re installed in proper locations in your homes. Make sure your batteries are working,” Zablocki said. “Smoke alarms have a 10-year date of service from the date of manufacture, things like that that people need to be aware of, and we can answer those questions when people come through.”
Zablocki said the department’s call numbers seem to be rising, which makes the week even more important.
“There’s obviously an influx of, we call them outside fires, and those are encampment fires from homeless encampments that are around the city. People drive by, see smoke, come up out of a bush or shrubs around town,” he explained. “It’s not something that has just arisen. It’s just steadily inclined for sure or increased and there’s not really any end insight as far as that goes. It’s just the social economic issues of the day and age.”
As part of Fire Prevention Week, the fire department is hosting school and pre-school fire station tours. To book a tour, call 306-953-4200. michael.oleksyn@paherald.sk.ca
