Affordable dining, steak, seafood & pasta. Restaurant Banquets Catering “Take a Fireman out for Lunch” (2 for 1 complimentary lunch) 985-9192 COWICHAN LUMBER UD. Protect your Home and Family. Install smoke detectors and know 2 ways out. antenatentyeaem ORSON NEWS photo Terry Peters TOO MANY British Columbians have died in fires that might have been preventable through awereness or eésily put out with a five extinguisher. Firefighters fost the battle against the blaze thet destroyed this North Vancouver home. Luckily, no one was injured. Increased loss of life shows the need for safety education FORTY-SEVEN PEOPLE died in fires in British Col- umbia in 1992, which is four more than in 1991. While the total number of fires in the province decreased, some fire statistics, like this one, worsened, B.C. fire commissioner Rick Dumala reports 7,660 fires occur- red in the province in 1992, down from 7,671 in the previous year. The number of. persons injured in fires in 1992 was 479, compared with the previous year’s 416. The total-dollar cost of fire losses in the province decreased to $165 million, compared with $175 million in 199!. Of the 47 fire deaths, 21 of the victims were men, nine were - women and 17 were children, up from 13 children in 1991, Eight of the fire fatalities involved people over 60 years old. Thirty-six of the 47 fatalities occurred in one- or two-family dwellings. Of the 36, 18 were in residences which had no smoke alarms, compared with 12 of 35 in 199}. Two deaths occurred in situa- tions where a smoke alarm was not functioning because of dead or missing batteries. In the case of 10 fatalities, smoke alarm’ func- tionability could not be deter- mined. Check fire extinguishers regularly NATIONAL FIRE Prevention Week (Oct. 3-9) - may be. a good time to become reacquainted with your fire extinguisher -— at home or at your place of work. Fire extinguishers do not take the place of our local fire depart- ments and their highly trained personnel, but can be a viable and effective means of combatting small fires, at work and at home. To serve that purpose, the ex- tinguisher needs to be in proper BUNDAY « WEDNESDAY + FRIDAY working order, easily accessible and operated correctly. Be- sure you know the location of all ex- tinguishers and are familiar with their use. Fire extinguishers should be in- spected monthly and maintained by a qualified technician. If you need advice in this tegard, contact the Fire Preven- tion officer of the three North Shore fire departments- Microwaves require caution WITH THE popularity of microwave ovens comes an increased potential for burn injuries. One of the most common scald burns related to microwave use results when steam. escapes when plastic wrap or a lid is removed from an item that’s been heated. Always use caution when removing coverings and lids. Puncture plastic wrap before heating foods in the micro- wave when such a covering is used. One of the more risky practices with microwave ovens is heating formula or milk in the baby bottle. This can result in potentially serious scald burns of babies. Safety authorities say most reported injuries have in- volved bottles with disposable plastic liners which may burst when the bottle is shaken or while the baby is being fed. The use of a baby bottle warmer may provide a greater safety factor than other: methods of heating. Be sure to read and follow the direc- tions very carefully. “Plan to get out alive.” Proud supporters of our a 7 ‘ RT local Fire Departments 4 4556 West 10th, Vancouv Supporters of our Local Firefighters é Bee Ce SALUTES THE NORTH & WEST VANCOUVER FIREFIGHTERS 880 WEST 15TH STREET NORTH VANCOUVER Honouring the North Shore Fire Departments PROUD SPONSORS OF THE FIRE SAFETY HOUSE PROGRAM 915 W. Ist, North Van 985- Ltn Proud supporter of the North and West Vancouver Firefighters | 4522 Marine Drive, W.Van. 925-9600 222-140 1s In support of the North & West Vancouver Firefighters 1582 Marine Drive West Vancouver 926-0307 NORTH VAN FURNITURE 1470 Pemberton Ave. North Vancouver 9856-1232 HOUSEHOLD FURNISHINGS | NSIGNMENT