St. Catharines firefighters are going into neighbourhoods across St. Catharines on Saturday afternoons in December with information for residents about how to protect themselves and their families from fire over the holidays.
Have a happy and fire-safe holiday
St. Catharines firefighters are going into neighbourhoods across St. Catharines on Saturday afternoons in December with information for residents about how to protect themselves and their families from fire over the holidays.
St. Catharines firefighters will go door-to-door to discuss fire safety starting Saturday, Dec. 2. Part of St. Catharines Fire’s Alarmed for Life fire safety awareness program, firefighters will offer home safety checks and test smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms.
“We care about the safety of our residents and want to help them be safe over the holidays,” said Deputy Fire Chief Frank Biancucci. “We know smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms and home escape plans save lives and we are bringing this message right to our residents.”
Home safety checks are completely voluntary: residents don’t have to invite firefighters into their homes. Should firefighters discover a property is missing working smoke alarms or carbon monoxide alarms during the Alarmed for Life home visit they will offer to replace the batteries or install new alarms for a minimal fee to cover the costs of the devices.
“This program is all about education,” said Biancucci, adding firefighters have already visited 4,000 homes between August and November this year. “We are working on visiting every home in St. Catharines in the next few years and we have an opportunity to visit 500 more homes over the next three Saturdays. The hustle and bustle of the holidays can dramatically increase the risk of having a fire so this is a good time for us to discuss home fire safety with residents.”
Residents who don’t receive a visit from firefighters but want to discuss smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms, home fire safety or have other questions can call 905.688.5601 ext. 4224
Holiday home safety
The deputy fire chief urges residents to pay special attention when cooking during the holidays and to drink responsibly. Careless cooking is the leading cause of fires in Ontario and the second leading cause of fatal fires any time of year. Biancucci said holiday festivities can add more distraction and reminds everyone to stay in the kitchen when cooking.
“All too often, fires are started by unattended cooking. In many cases alcohol is involved.”
Smoking is another leading cause of fires during the holiday season and the deputy fire chief suggests people smoke outside. Whether inside or out, smokers must always extinguish cigarettes in large, deep ashtrays. Smokers should never extinguish cigarettes in plant pots because they may contain peat moss, shredded bark and other material that can easily ignite. Biancucci said ashes should be emptied in a metal container, not the garbage can, and put outside.
The deputy fire chief offers the following tips to enjoy a fire-safe holiday season:
- If a pot catches fire, don’t try to move it. Cover the pot with a lid to smother the flames and turn off the burner.
- Keep things that can burn, such as cooking utensils and paper towels, away from the stove as they can easily ignite if they are too close.
- Before going to bed make sure all cigarettes are properly extinguished and the stove is off.
- Check sofas and chairs for cigarettes that may have fallen between the cushions.
- Use flameless candles.
- If you use traditional candles keep them in sturdy fire-proof holders and away from children, pets or anything that could catch fire.
Never leave candles unattended. - Keep candles and cigarettes away from Christmas trees and decorations.
- Make sure real trees always have enough water so they don’t dry out.
- Develop and practise a home escape plan with everyone in the home.
Visit www.stcatharines.ca/SafeAtHome for more home fire safety tips.
