Saturday October 2, 2021 | LANGFORD, BC [Updated October 6, 2021]
by Mary P Brooke, Editor | Island Social Trends
Today’s display of fire prevention week information at Westshore Town Centre was the first such public presentation since COVID first hit about 20 months ago.
As part of this Fire Prevention Week (October 3 to 9), today’s four-hour display (10 am to 2 pm) in the middle of the mall offered information and handouts about fire safety in and around the home. This year’s theme was about learning the sounds of safety alarms: fire alarm bells, smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms.
Adults and kids were keen to ask fire safety questions of Langford Fire Rescue Assistant Chief of Fire Prevention Lance Caven and Captain Simon Chadwick.
Info at the booth covered how to use a carbon monoxide detector, the importance of having a fire extinguisher at home, and sprinkler kits for setup on house rooftops.
Kits for kids:
The shopping bags went fast when the booth set up for 10 am. The kits in plastic bags, for kids, included coloured pencils, an activity guidebook to “Learn the Sounds of Fire Safety”, reminders like “When the Smoke Alarm Sounds, Get Out and Stay Out”, a pamphlet about testing smoke alarms (and knowing the difference of the sounds of smoke alarms vs Carbon Monoxide alarms).
The usual mantra to “check your smoke alarms twice a year, when daylight savings time starts and ends” may not apply much longer in BC, if the province shifts to staying on daylight time going forward. Caven suggests now making picking two times per year that work for your household, and stick to that.
And what would a kid’s kit be without a sticker or two? Including one or two featuring Sparky the fire smart mascot.
There’s also a colouring sheet from the National Fire Protection Association, to colour and cut out Sparky, and share his adventures on social media with the hashtag #fireprevention week.
Learning the sounds:
What is your alarm telling you? Beeps and chirps coming out of alarms mean action is required.
Smoke alarms:
- A continuous set of three loud beeps means smoke or fire. Get out, call 9-1-1-, and stay out.
- A single chirp every 30 or 60 seconds means the battery is low and must be changed.
- Chirping that continues after the battery has been replaced means the alarm is at the end of its life and the unit must be replaced.
Carbon Monoxide (CO) alarms:
- A continuous set of four loud beeps means carbon monoxide (CO) is present in the home. Go outside, call 9-1-1 and stay out.
- A single chirp every 30 or 60 seconds means the battery is low and must be replaced.
- CO alarms have an ‘end of life’ sound; the sound varies by manufacturer. Chirping that continues after the battery has been replaced means the alarm is at the end of its life and the unit must be replaced.
There are smoke alarms and devices that alert people who are deaf or hard of hearing. These devices include strobe lights that flash to alert people when the smoke alarm sounds. Pillow or bed shakers designed to work with smoke alarms also can be purchased and installed.
Easing back into public sessions during COVID:
The Langford Fire Rescue service is still going easy on public interface during COVID. Last year they didn’t host their Hallowe’en fire hall open house, and that’s the same for this year. Normally in October there would be a Fire Expo at the Metchosin Fire Hall, but that was skipped last year and isn’t happening again this year.
The Langford Fire Rescue annual open house (usually held during Fire Prevention Week) would have been tomorrow, October 3, but that was cancelled again this year(as in 2020) due to COVID health and safety protocols.
There have been a few sessions in school classrooms with kids during COVID. That usually involved showing a Sparky fire safety video and talking about fire safety plans, how to escape a fire, and what firefighters wear (so kids won’t be scared if they see firefighters show up in full gear).
===== LINKS:
Fire Prevention Week 2021 – Smoke detectors save lives (Government of Canada)
National Home Fire Safety Week (Canada)
Langford Fire Rescue (City of Langford)
