Fire & Prevention Safety

Campfire Safety – Sitting under the stars by a crackling fire has its appeal. It’s where stories are told, sing-a-longs happen, and meals are cooked over an open flame. Campfires bring family and friends together. There’s nothing quite like enjoying the great outdoors with a roaring fire, gooey s’mores and a night sky full of stars. But that wonderful campfire is also a big responsibility. Campfire mishaps can cause accidents and even wildfires. That’s why it’s important to learn how to be safe with your campfire. In this lesson we want to prevent these mishaps, and wildfires so families like yours can enjoy this experience in beautiful forests, other wildlands, and even your backyard for years to come.

Candle Safety – There is a special beauty and tranquility to candles. They may be pretty to look at but a lighted candle is an open flame and they can cause home fires, and home fire deaths. Using candles safely in your home is incredibly important. Burning an open flame indoors should be taken seriously at all times to keep you, your family and your property safe. Fire can be deadly. Remember, a candle is an open flame, which means that it can easily ignite anything that can burn. It is a potential fire hazard if it is not carefully monitored.

Electrical Safety
Electrical distribution equipment poses serious fire safety threats that can be fatal, especially when equipment is used incorrectly. Flipping a light switch. Plugging in a coffeemaker. Charging a laptop computer. These are second nature for most of us. Electricity makes our lives easier. However, we need to be cautious and keep safety in mind. Unfortunate events occur because owners do not know about electrical safety. You will want to know these electrical safety tips to prevent any unwanted accidents and keep you safe.

Fire Extinguishers – Being prepared is your best defence against a fire in your home. Reduce your family’s risk of fire-related injury or death by following a few safety tips. House fires can be highly dangerous or even deadly, so it’s important for everyone in your family to be aware of proper fire prevention and safety. Fire spreads quickly.
Remember fire extinguishers play a vital role in any fire protection plan in any environment. They are a first aid response to fire, used to extinguish or control small fires, often in emergency situations and can help prevent catastrophic damage to property and even loss of life. They are not intended to be used on out-of-control fires – fires that have reached the ceiling or endanger you the user (Fires that have smoke, explosion hazards, or leave no escape route). Fire extinguishers apply an agent that will cool burning heat, smother fuel or remove oxygen so the fire cannot continue to burn. A portable fire extinguisher can quickly control a small fire if applied by a properly trained individual.

Fire Safety – Being prepared is your best defence against a fire in your home. House fires can be highly dangerous or even deadly, so it’s important for everyone in your family to be aware of proper fire prevention and safety. Fires are a serious risk and can spread quickly. These fires can stem from things like negligent cooking, improperly discarded smoking material and even faulty electrical equipment. Reduce your family’s risk of fire-related injury or death by following a few safety tips.

Get Out & Stay Out – From the time your smoke detector starts to go off, you have as little as three minutes to escape. Smoke will fill up the room and it will make it harder to see where things are. Children are the most at risk of dying from the smoke inhalation or being badly burned in a fire. That is why it is important to know what you should do when the smoke alarm or CO alarm sounds. We follow our fire escape plan to get out of the building and stay out.

Home Escape Planning – Children are the most at risk of dying or being badly burned in a fire. They are the most vulnerable because they may not know how to escape a fire safely. From the time that your smoke detector starts to go off, you have as little as three minutes to escape. That’s why it is important to create a fire escape plan and practice your plan until everyone in the household can evacuate in less than three minutes. Every second counts when you are trying to escape a fire. Everyone must know what to do and where to go when the smoke alarm sounds. We can work with you to create a fire escape plan in just a few minutes.

Kitchen & Cooking Safety – Cooking brings family and friends together, provides an outlet for creativity and can be relaxing. But cooking can be dangerous. The NFPA Home Cooking Fires Report names cooking fires as the leading cause of an average of 470 daily fires in the home – especially when frying food! Cooking related injuries happen frequently too. Children under 5 are more likely to be hurt by touching hot cooking equipment or scalded by hot liquids than by actual fire. By following a few safety tips you can protect your family from injury or even a potentially devastating home fire.

Matches, Lighters & Candle Safety – Most fires set by children happen when kids play with matches, lighters, fireworks, stoves, cigarettes, and candles. Candles may be pretty to look at but a lighted candle is also an open flame and they are a cause of home fires and home fire deaths. Children set fires for many reasons; they may be curious about fire, crying for help, or engaging in delinquent behaviour. We should never allow children to play with lighters or matches. A building can burn down in just minutes. One match can set an entire room on fire in two minutes. A whole house in five. Let’s have a look at some matches, lighter, and candle safety for children and teach them that matches and lighters are tools for adults and not toys for kids.

Smoke & CO Alarms – You can die in a fire at home, especially at night or early in the morning when you are asleep. More people die from breathing in smoke and poisonous gases (like carbon monoxide) from a fire than from being burned. When there is a fire, smoke spreads fast. Working smoke alarms give you early warning so you can get outside quickly. Smoke alarms are a key part of a home fire escape plan.
During a fire, carbon monoxide gas is being produced. Carbon monoxide (CO) is a poisonous gas that is created when common fuels such as natural gas, oil, wood, or coal burn incompletely. This colorless, odorless, tasteless gas is often called the “silent killer” because it is undetectable without using detection equipment, such as a CO alarm.
Working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms give early warning of danger and are the most important ways to prevent fatal fires and CO poisoning. This course helps you learn how to work with your alarms to keep yourself and your family safe.

Smoking Safety – The place where we feel safest — at home — is where most smoking-materials structure fires, deaths, and injuries occur. Smoking materials are the leading cause of fire deaths. The respiratory health hazards of smoking are well-publicized, but a lesser-known fact is that smoking materials are a leading cause of fire-related deaths in Canada. The most commonly ignited items in these fatal fires are mattresses and bedding, upholstered furniture, and floor coverings. Smoking material fires are preventable. We can reduce the risks by following some safety tips, in this course.

Stop, Drop & Roll – A technique taught to minimize injury in the event that someone’s clothes catch fire is “stop, drop and roll”. If done correctly, “Stop, Drop and Roll” can extinguish the fire (on clothing/hair/person) quickly and likely reduce the severity of injury. Your instinct may be to run or pat the fire out with your hands, but the “Stop, Drop & Roll” method is the most efficient method to put out a clothing or hair fire. Learn more on “Stop, Drop & Roll” in this course.

Wood Stove Safety – As the temperature drops outside, wood and pellet stoves may be fired up inside the home. What you may not realize is that heating equipment is one of the leading causes of home fires during the winter months. Burning too much wood at once can cause tar and creosote to build up in your chimney or stove pipes, which creates a fire hazard. Dry and well-seasoned wood will not only minimize the chance of creosote formation, but will give you the most efficient fire. Dive in to this course to learn more tips on wood stove safety.