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KNOWING how to
get out of your home
during a fire can save
your life, Cathy
McGregor, minister
responsible for the
Office of the Fire
Commissioner, said
recently, —

People in B.C. are being
encouraged to develop
escape routes from their
homes. to mark Fire
Prevention Week, Oct. 8-14.
The week’s theme — The
Great Escape — focuses on

. the effectiveness of fire
_ escape planning to prevent
= Joss of life. ~~

“Fire Prevention wi eek i isa.

“chance for us to promote fire
. safety in our communities,”
said ‘McGregor. “Spending .
- one hour to: plan a fire escape
route could mean the differ-
“ence between life and death
’ for a loved one.” | -

‘In’ 1998, 26 people died ®

_ because of fires in -homes.:
~ Causes included heating and
_ cooking |» ¢quipment . and

smoking. Most fatal’ fires ©

~ occurred: between 10. p.m.
oaand 8 a.m: and in many cases,
. smoke alarms that could have
7 woken’ sleeping residents

~" were not working.

‘Smoke alarms should ' be:

“tested once a month. At least

-Cocicall Reception and Hors oeuvre

twice a year, people should
practice home escape plans.

“In the past few years
there have been several
examples of families escaping
fires by drawing on what they
learned during family. fire
drills,” said fire commission-
er Rick Dumala, “Most tires
occur at home, and people
need to be able to get out
quickly.”

As part of its public
awareness efforts, the Office
of the Fire Commissioner has
provided fire departments in

B.C. with pamphlets to dis-

tribute. to. elementary
schools. About 400 fire
. departments will hand out
380,000 copies of The Great
Escape, which includes fire
prevention tips and a guide
for developing a home escape
plan. Fire departments will
‘also provide public education
on the effective use of smoke
alarms and. how to identify

- hazards at home.

“For information on ‘Fire
. Prevention : Week: events in
your. community, contact
your local fire department. «-
Here. are: a few tips to

remember. when developing ©

your fire escape plan:

:M@ Practice fire drills regular-
ly. They can be fun, but also
stress the serious aspect. -

B Make sure you have at
least one smuke ‘detector_on

* Paiing by. “danis Byth

Can save Ii

each floor, and check to
make sure they are working
properly. Having a smoke

detector can cut your risk of

dying in a fire by half.

i Make sure eve yone knows
at least hwo ways out of each
bedroom. Beware of stairs as
they can become a chimney

. for smoke, hot gas and fire.

B® A window is usuaily the
aleernative exit. Be sure
screens can be removed easi-
ly from the inside. If the win-

dow is too high off the
‘ ground, a folding escape lad-

der can be provided. Adults
can gently drop children out
of a second-floor window by
lowering them by their arms.
& Do not risk serious injury
by jumping in panic from a
high window. Stayin the
room and close the door
tightly. Open a window a lit-
tle and sit on the floor to get
fresh air. Hang out a sheet to
show rescuers where you are.
B Never. open aa door with-
cut checking to see ifit is het
or if smoke is leaking in
around ‘the. edges. A hot

door is a warning — do not:

open.
& Try to keep doors closed at
night, particularly basement,
kitchen and bedroom doors.
@ Remember, never go back
into'a burning. building for

~ any reason, including retriev-

ing clothes, toys or pets.

Visual Arts § Show = North Vancouver Community Arts Council
: -, Official Opening by Mayor Barbara Sharp f

., Organization sponsors:

GA vores Shore
EPP Ares Commission

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; Strate the skilts needed to navigate te technical trails and structures.’

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