Calgary,
13
October
2022
|
22:17
America/Denver

Calgary Fire Department visits 86 homes during annual smoke alarm blitz

As part of 2022 Fire Prevention Week running from October 9th to 15th, members of the Calgary Fire Department, along with representatives from ATCO, visited the South Hill Mobile Home Park to install, test and replace smoke alarms, and remind residents about the importance of having and practicing a home escape plan.  ATCO crews joined this evening’s mission to inspect and install carbon monoxide alarms. In total, 60 smoke alarms and 56 carbon monoxide alarms were installed in 86 homes.

“We know that fires can double in size every 30 to 60 seconds, and it matters greatly how quickly both the residents and fire service responds,” said Fire Chief Steve Dongworth. “The theme for this year’s Fire Prevention Week is Fire won’t wait. Plan your escape. You can prepare yourself and your family for a fire emergency by ensuring you have working smoke alarms and having two ways out of every sleeping area.”

A hundred years ago, typical home contents and construction materials burned much slower than the plastics, synthetics and lightweight products that are now found in our homes. Homes are now burning hotter and faster than ever, so today, you have less than two minutes to get out of the house safely from the time a fire starts and your smoke alarms sounds.

For ATCO, Fire Prevention Week is an opportunity to connect with Calgarians and give them information and resources they need to keep themselves and their families safe. “We often work alongside the Calgary Fire Department to help protect our communities,” says Chris Bottoms, Customer Service Supervisor with Natural Gas Distribution for ATCO “Installing a carbon monoxide alarm can save lives. Carbon monoxide is an invisible, silent and odourless toxic gas and is often referred to as the ‘silent killer’. We encourage everyone to test their alarms and visit atco.com to download a carbon monoxide prevention checklist.”

Through the CFD’s Home Safety Program, Calgary firefighters have visited more than 432,000 homes since 1996. This program is designed to share important home safety information, inspect smoke alarms and, when needed, replace smoke alarm batteries or replace and install smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.

Fire Prevention Week is held annually by fire departments across North America. To learn more about Fire Prevention Week, visit calgary.ca/firepreventionweek .

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