Calgary's junior fire chief appointed; will promote cooking safety for Fire Prevention Week

Calgary's fire department has a new junior fire chief, "keen to share messages of safety and fire prevention."

Eleven-year-old Mustafa Mohammadi was handed his fire helmet in Tuscany on Wednesday.

Then he was whisked away in a fire engine and treated to lunch by his new colleagues.

CFD chief Steve Dongworth says Mohammadi will be a great ambassador.

"He's keen to share messages of safety and fire prevention, and we can't wait to support him as our junior fire chief," Dongworth said.

"We wouldn't have such a successful junior fire chief program without our partnership with Alberta Children's Hospital.

"The impact of their dedication and support of the Calgary Fire Department and all our junior fire chiefs can't be overstated. We sincerely thank them for their continued participation and for introducing us to Mustafa."

It's a partnership Stacy Kelly, from the Family and Community Resource Centre with Alberta Children's Hospital, says everyone is happy to see continue.

"The program helps to promote important initiatives and our shared values around safety, teamwork and leadership," Kelly said.

Mohammadi will promote Fire Prevention Week and its theme for this year, which is focused on "the importance of keeping cooking areas free of distractions and staying in the kitchen while cooking."

Fire Prevention Week runs Oct. 8-14.

HOT TIPS

The Calgary Fire Department recommends the following:

• Keep an eye on what you're heating up;
• Keep pot handles pointed at the back of the stove; and
• Keep kids and pets a metre away from heat sources.

CFD also has a handy, multi-lingual video on cooking safety available to view on YouTube.