Working alongside the Alberta Fire Commissioner’s office and ATCO, members of the Calgary Fire Department blitzed the community of Penbrooke Meadows, installing 35 smoke alarms and 44 carbon monoxide detectors as part of Fire Prevention Week.
Fire Prevention Week runs from Oct. 6 to 12 and each year, the local fire department chooses an area of the city based on when homes were built, targeting those which are likely to have the highest concentration of expired smoke alarms.
"We know that fires can double in size every 30 to 60 seconds, and it matters greatly how quickly both the homeowner and fire service responds," said Fire Chief Steve Dongworth in a release.
The theme for this year’s fire prevention week is Stand By Your Plan, along with promoting the importance of cooking safely to prevent house fires.
“Kitchen fires are the number one cause of house fires in our city and we want to build awareness of how to prevent them,” said Dongworth.
“You can protect yourself and your family by looking for places fires can start, listening for the sound of your smoke alarm and learning two ways out of your home in the event of an emergency."
Along with the annual smoke alarm safety blitz, firefighters have visited more than 431,000 homes through the Home Safety Program since 1996.
Fire Prevention Week was proclaimed in Canada in 1919 to commemorate the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, as well as a major fire that destroyed the Centre Block of the Parliament buildings in Ottawa on Feb. 3, 1916.
More information on Fire Prevention Week CTVNwe.
