Older and Wiser

1) Be prepared for fire. Know exactly what to do and where to go if there is a fire. Plan Your Escape!!!!

2) Smoke alarms protect everyone. Have a smoke alarm installed on every level of your home - especially near sleeping areas. Test the alarm every month. Make sure everyone can hear the smoke alarms from all areas of your home.

3) If you smoke.... Use large, deep ashtrays and always make sure your cigarette butts are out. Never smoke when you are lying down, if you are drowsy, or in bed.

4) Don't reach for danger!! Wear tight-fitting or rolled-up sleeves when cooking and don't reach over a hot burner. If a pot catches fire, cover it with a lid and turn off the burner. Never leave your cooking unattended.

5) If your clothing catches fire.... Lower yourself to the ground, cover your face with your hands and roll over and over to put out the flames. If you can't do this, grab a towel or blanket and smother the flames.

6) Crawl low under smoke. Most fire victims die from smoke, not flames. Smoke always rises so you must get down on the floor where the air is cleaner. Crawl on your hands and knees to safety.

7) Keep them at least 1 meter (3 feet) away from everything----including you. A slight brush against a heater could set your clothing on fire.

If you would like the Fire Department to give a presentation to your group, please contact us at 905-640-9595

We have a new addition to our Public Education Division. Sparky, the Fire Dog Mascot, was kindly donated by Lafarge of Stouffville.

Sparky does make public appearances. Please contact us to arrange for Sparky to visit your classroom, community club or group.

Community clubs/groups and schools are also welcome to attend either of our fire stations (Ballantrae or Stouffville) for a station tour/public education presentation, or we will gladly come and visit your location.

Please call 905-640-9595 for further information or to make arrangements for your tour.

Fire Prevention Week in October is kicked off by a day set aside for “Junior Fire Fighting Training Camp”. This program is organized by the York Region Fire Prevention Officer's Association. The “Great Escape” fire safety contest is held at all schools in York Region during the months of May and June complete with pizza lunches for the classes involved. Contest winners, one child from each municipality, spend the day learning fire safety tips and performing firefighting duties. This is the fifth year for the program involving the Ontario Fire Marshal, the Regional Chairman, Mayors, Fire Chiefs and of course our Junior Fire Fighters. It has been a very well attended and much enjoyed event, the contest forms go to the schools at the end of April, and the pizza lunches are delivered in June.

Risk Watch was developed by the National Fire Protection Association and is the first injury prevention program available for use in schools. The Risk Watch program is designed to address children aged 14 and under.

Risk Watch targets the eight major areas that injure or kill children. The Risk Watch program teaches children the skills and knowledge they need to make positive choices about their personal safety.

The Risk Watch curriculum is divided into five age-appropriate categories and covers the following topics:

• motor vehicle safety
• fire and burn prevention
• choking
• suffocation and strangulation prevention
• bike and pedestrian safety
• falls prevention
• firearms injury prevention
• poisoning prevention
• water safety

For further information please contact the Fire Prevention Division at 905-640-9595.

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Smoke Alarms
Smoke Alarms Save Lives

1) Install smoke alarms, it is the law. In accordance with the Ontario Fire Code, every home must have working smoke alarms.

2) Fatal fires usually occur at night when people are sleeping. A working smoke alarm will detect smoke and sound an alarm to alert you, giving you time to escape.

3) Install smoke alarms on every level of your home and near sleeping areas.

4) Because smoke rises, place alarms on the ceiling. If this is not possible, place them high up on the wall. Do not install smoke alarms near bathrooms, heating appliances, windows or close to ceiling fans.

5) Test your smoke alarms every month.

6) Remember to change your batteries twice a year. A good time to change batteries is when we change our clocks, in the spring and fall. If the low battery warning beeps, replace the battery immediately.

7) Carefully vacuum the inside of your smoke alarm every six months.

8) Smoke alarms do wear out, so if you think your alarms are more than 10 years old, replace them with new ones.

For further information please contact the Fire Department at 905-640-9595.

For information on changes to the smoke alarm law please click here.