Fire Prevention Week Important Information
Fire Prevention Week Ideas
Your Family's Home Safety Action Plan: You and your family have minutes to get out safely once the smoke alarm sounds. Develop your safety action plan.
Make A Home Fire Escape Plan: Plan your home fire escape plan with this guide
Ideas For Educators: National Fire Prevention Week is sharing ideas provided by fire- and life-safety educators across North America to inspire creativity and help you reach your community with potential life-saving messages for Fire Prevention Week.
Carbon Monoxide Safety
Carbon monoxide (CO) is often known as the "silent killer" as it is an odorless, tasteless, invisible gas that is produced whenever any fuel is burned. If inhaled over a period of time, it blocks oxygen from entering your body. For every one hour of exposure, it takes the body six hours to rid itself of carbon monoxide.
Some household appliances burn these types of fuels such as: fireplaces, furnaces, clothes dryers, gas stoves and hot water tanks. Other examples of these fuels are: wood, coal, charcoal briquettes, heating oil, gasoline, diesel, propane, kerosene, barbeques and camping stoves or anything with an internal combustion engine or gasoline powered.
Over the winter months, many people spend time in fishing shacks, and set up fuel-burning heaters and grills inside their shack to stay warm and for cooking. NEVER use a grill inside and NEVER use a fuel-burning heater unless well vented.
Exposure to CO causes flu-like symptoms such as headaches, nausea, dizziness, drowsiness, confusion, impaired judgement, loss of manual dexterity, and even loss of consciousness. In severe cases, carbon monoxide poisoning can cause death in people and pets.
What can you do to make sure you and your family stay safe wherever you are?
- Ensure you have a CO alarm on every level of your home, and outside of each separate sleeping area.
- Test all of your CO alarms monthly to make sure they are working properly.
- Have your heating system inspected by a qualified professional and serviced every year to ensure it is working properly.
- Replace your CO alarm every 10 years, or when you hear the "end-of-life" signal sound, which is one "BEEP" every 1 minute.
- When travelling, staying away from home or in your fishing shack, bring a travel CO alarm with you.
REMEMBER: If you hear "BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP", that's your CO detector warning you that there is carbon monoxide present, and you must get outside to a fresh air location, and call 9-1-1 IMMEDIATELY!
Checking your Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms
Take the time to check your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms to ensure they are working properly. Do you know the different sounds your smoke and carbon monoxide alarm makes?
Did you know, if your smoke alarm or carbon monoxide alarm "chirps" once every minute, the battery is low or it's time to replace the unit?
Following are some tips to help you keep those you love safe:
- Change the battery of your smoke and carbon monoxide alarm every year.
- Test all smoke alarms at least once a month by pressing the "test" button to be sure the alarm is working.
- Replace your smoke alarm and carbon monoxide alarm every 10 years, or when you hear the "end-of-life" signal sound, which is one BEEP every minute.
- If your smoke or carbon monoxide alarm sounds, get out, stay out and call 9-1-1 or your local emergency number.
- If you have family members who are deaf or hard of hearing, there are devices that can alert them in case the smoke alarm sounds.
- Get the whole family involved in making a Home Fire Escape Plan showing two ways out of every room. Include in your plan any support for older adult family members, or those who may need extra help to ensure everyone gets out safely.
Make sure to practice your Home FIre Escape Plan twice a year, during the day and at night so everyone will know what to do in case of an emergency.
REMEMBER: Pick a meeting place for you and your family to gather together while you wait for help!
Other Related Links
Office of the Fire Commissioner
National Fire Protection Association
Contact Us
Manitoba Municipal Relations
The Office of the Fire Commissioner
1601 Van Horne Avenue East
Brandon MB R7A 7K2
Telephone: 204-726-6855
Fax: 204-726-6847
Toll Free: 1-888-253-1488
