Fire prevention starts with you

Oct. 7, 2019 9:00 a.m.
The City of Vaughan calls on the community to practise home fire escape planning during Fire Prevention Week 

Vaughan Fire and Rescue Service (VFRS) is encouraging the Vaughan community to practise their home fire escape plan as part of Fire Prevention Week running from Sunday, Oct. 6 to Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019.

This year’s theme, “Not Every Hero Wears a Cape. Plan and Practice Your Escape!”, reminds everyone to make sure they know where to go when the alarms sound. This is why it is important all households have working smoke alarms and develop and run through a step-by-step guide for escaping from a fire.

Smoke and fire can spread quickly. Be prepared in advance with these simple steps for fire prevention planning with your family:

  • Assess the needs of everyone in your home
    • Identify anyone who requires assistance to get out of the home safely, such as small children or older adults
  • Make sure that you have working smoke alarms on every storey of the home and outside all sleeping areas
    • Ensure everyone in the home knows the sound of the smoke alarm
  • Identify all possible exits, including doors and windows, and make sure they work
    • Know two ways out of all rooms, if possible
  • Everyone must know what to do when the smoke alarm sounds
    • Assign someone to help those who need assistance
    • Identify a safe meeting place outside
    • Call the fire department from a neighbour’s home or cell phone
  • Practise your home fire escape plan
    • Have everyone participate
    • Make changes to your plan if necessary
VFRS is hosting a series of events during Fire Prevention Week, including a pop-up on Wednesday, Oct. 9 at the Maple GO station from 5:30 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. to discuss fire prevention safety with commuters.

For more information, visit vaughan.ca/fire.

QUOTE
“The men and women of Vaughan Fire and Rescue Service are devoted individuals who have answered the call of public service. They have dedicated their lives to ensuring the safety and protection of our residents, visitors and public spaces we use every day. It’s important that the citizens of Vaughan practise and implement a fire escape plan so everyone knows what to do and where to go when an alarm goes off. Fire Prevention Week serves as a great reminder of this important task and the community is encouraged to do this on a daily basis. Fire prevention starts with you. I am grateful to the men and women of Vaughan Fire and Rescue Service for their hard work and dedication to the community and beyond.”
- Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua

QUICK FACTS
  • Fire Prevention Week is part of a nation-wide campaign to teach children, adults and teachers how to stay safe in a fire.
  • This year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign is “Not Every Hero Wears a Cape. Plan and Practice Your Escape!”
  • VFRS’s commitment to ensuring the safety of the public has helped them earn 100 per cent on the Citizen Satisfaction Survey. Their innovative approach to fire prevention was recently awarded the 2019 Bronze Award for Innovative Management through the National Institute of Public Administration of Canada (IPAC) and is a testament to the positive impact they have on the community.

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