Do You Have a Fire Escape Plan for Your Home in Brampton?
Published October 6, 2017 at 2:56 am
Over a four-year period from 2010-2014, about one of every 338 households reported a home fire per year, according to a recent National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) survey. A house fire
Over a four-year period from 2010-2014, about one of every 338 households reported a home fire per year, according to a recent National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) survey. A house fire is a scary thought – especially when it comes to your own home. Nevertheless, it’s always better to be safe and have a home fire escape plan.
If you don’t have a fire escape plan in case of a house fire, there’s no better time than the present to create one. According to Brampton Fire and Emergency Services, creating and practicing a home fire escape plan is actually quite simple.
Here are three easy steps to creating an escape plan, thanks to Brampton Fire and Emergency Services:
• With all members of your household, draw a map of your home marking two exits from each room and a path to the outside from each exit.
• Practice your home fire drill twice a year. Conduct one at night and one during the day with everyone in your home, and practice using different ways out.
• Teach children how to escape on their own in case adults can’t help them.
“Fires in the home today spread faster than ever,” said Brampton Fire and Emergency Services Acting Chief Peter Gatto. “You could have less than two minutes to escape your home once the smoke alarm goes off, so we want every Brampton resident to develop and practice a home escape plan today.”
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The NFPA survey found that half of American families do not have a home escape plan. Here in Brampton, it’s important to remember “Every Second Counts – Plan Two Ways Out!” as part of Fire Prevention Week this year from October 8-14.
If you need more motivation to create an escape plan from your Brampton home, consider this: according to the NFPA survey, three out of five home fire deaths in 2010-2014 were caused by fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms. It’s a worrisome thought, but hopefully, it will encourage more Bramptonians to take preventative measures, such as ensuring you have a working smoke alarm.
You’ll also want to be careful when you cook – cooking-related fires are the leading cause of home fire injuries, after all!
“Our firefighters do an outstanding job responding to emergencies, but each of us have a responsibility to understand the ways we can help protect ourselves and our families in the event of a fire,” said Mayor Linda Jeffrey. “Fire Prevention Week is a time filled with activities which are designed to remind all of us of the importance of being prepared – when you see a fire truck out around the city, be sure to stop by and speak to our firefighters.”
A special kick-off and flag-raising ceremony was held yesterday, October 5, 2017, at 11 a.m. at City Hall for the week.
For more information about Fire Prevention Week in Brampton, click here.