Medicine Hat Fire Station - CHAT News File Photo

By Charles Lefebvre

Fire Prevention Week

Firefighters stress importance of home escape plans

Oct 9, 2019 | 4:38 PM

tMEDICINE HAT, AB —Medicine Hat Fire Services is reminding residents that they should have a plan in place at their home on how to escape in case of a fire.

Fire Prevention Week runs during the first week of October, with this year’s week running from October 6-October 12.

Curtis Noble, a fire prevention officer with Medicine Hat Fire Services, says this year’s focus is on having escape plans in your home ready in case of a fire.

“We’ll be visiting all of the schools in the city, along with some seniors’ complexes, and talking about the importance of making a fire escape plan, and practising it with your family,” he said.

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Noble says when you’re planning an escape route for your home, you should have at least two ways out of every room in your home, a working smoke detector and a place for your family members to meet outside of the home.

He adds taking time as a family to practice the escape is important.

“We don’t want the first time for someone to be escaping from their home, and not having practised it before,” he said. “It’s very important that the family practices their escape plan, and everybody knows what they’re doing.”

In addition to having an escape plan for your home, Noble says this week is also good to ensure your smoke alarms are in good working condition.

He adds firefighters are also stressing the importance of paying attention while cooking, noting many of the structure fires they respond to in the city originate in the kitchen.

“Paying extra attention while you’re cooking at the stove, not leaving it unattended, not putting combustibles by the stove, those types of things can help prevent cooking fires,” he said.