City Fire Marshal encouraging people to focus on fire prevention

Oct 9, 2018 | 5:30 AM

Fire Prevention Week is underway with a theme of Look, Listen, Learn.

City Fire Marshal James Kostuk says residents should spend some time this week looking for potential hazards.

“Take a good look around your home, be preventive, and make sure you stop the fire before it even starts. So, you are looking for potential hazards in your home.”

Listening to a smoke detector is also an important thing to do during the week.

“You need to have a working smoke alarm in your home. What people don’t realize is that smoke detectors need to be replaced every 10 years, regardless of the make or model.”

Kostuk explains this is a good time to plan your route out.

“You want to practice your home escape plan. Learn two ways out of every room. When fires happen, the fire grows very quickly, and a lot of smoke is produced with the materials we use today. So, you need to be able to get out quickly. You need to know how to open your windows and which door you are going to use in case of an emergency.”

Firefighters will be talking about their week-long promotion two times during the week. On Wednesday, crews will be at the Prairie Mall from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. They will also be at the Woman’s Show on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

by Justine Kelsie