Fire Safety Gazette October 6-12, 2013 It s Fire Prevention Week Department of Public Safety Prevent Kitchen Fires -- Get Cooking With Fire Safety!
Fire Chief for a Day This is your chance to be Fire Chief for a Day! Kyle Bernard of Sussex Elementary School was the winner of Fire Chief for a Day on December 14, 2012. Kyle spent the day at the Sussex Fire Department along with his classmates, Sussex Fire Chief, members of the Fire Department, and other fire officials. His name was chosen as part of the annual Fire Safety Gazette contest. Kyle had a very busy day with the department. He was awarded a prize package and certificate, and was presented with his own personalized bunker gear. He also got to drive around town in a pumper truck with Sparky the Fire Dog, and finished the day off with a pizza party shared with his classmates. Sussex Deputy Fire Chief Bob Candy, Kyle Bernard with Sparky the Fire Dog, and Fire Chief Bill Wannamaker. The Office of the Fire Marshal has a fire safety draw each year. Enter for your chance to be Fire Chief for a Day and receive one of 27 prize packs to be awarded to New Brunswick students. Fill out the form on Page 8 and return it to the address on the entry form for your chance to win. A total of 27 names will be drawn and will receive a prize package from the Office of the Fire Marshal, the NB Association of Fire Chiefs, and the NB Association of Fire Prevention Officers. From these names, one student will become the lucky winner of becoming Fire Chief for a Day. 2
Fire safety games! Unscramble the words yast owl peacse rsceue fase _ tretaby _ oskme laram acwlr _ wot texis _ 2 _ Read the following paragraph and fill in the gaps with the words listed below. Word Search Look for and circle the following words: If a fire happened, the smoke would not SMOKE YEAR HEAT KITCHEN DOORS STOVE wake you up, but instead put you into a STAY LOW HOT SAFETY sleep. Smoke alarms warn us if there is a and will give you time to ALARM SMELL FIRE TRUCK CHIMNEY ASHES get out safely. They should be tested once a to make sure they re working properly. If you detect a fire, call. Keep all your closed. Use your family s to get out of your home as quickly as possible. Word List: 9-1-1 deeper doors fire escape plan month S T A Y L O W S S F M B H E A T T A I D O A R A X O F R T R K Y L R V E E W J I E A P E T T D G T V R Q N Y R O U C S M E L L U O C H I M N E Y C R S E H S A K S K S L N X Z H O D 3
9-1-1 is for emergencies only! Call 9-1-1 if there is an IMMEDIATE threat to your health, safety or property: Serious accident Crime in progress Fire Emergency medical situation Poisoning 9-1-1 To help you, we have to find you! 4 Display your civic address number! Every owner of a residence or business must display their civic address number so that it s clearly visible from the main roadway. This is so that emergency responders can find the address quickly in an emergency. Please display your civic number: in a high position with year-round visibility, in a colour that contrasts with the building, mailbox or signpost (reflective numbers are best), and in a size large enough to be easily seen from the road. Questions? Call 1-888-353-4444
Homework for grownups! Home Fire Safety Checklist Grown-ups: is your home safe from fire hazards? Take 20 minutes to inspect your home. Go from room to room and answer the questions below. Give yourself one point for each yes answer. When you re done, add up the points to find out how fire safe your home is. Cooking Safety Does a grown-up always stay in the kitchen while food is cooking on the stove? Are stove tops and counters clean and uncluttered? Are there pot holders within easy reach of the stove? Are pot handles turned inward so they can t be bumped? Are curtains and other things that can burn well away from the stove? Do you have a portable ABC fire extinguisher installed in your kitchen? Yes No Heating Safety Are portable space heaters always turned off when grown-ups leave the room or go to sleep? Are space heaters at least one metre (three feet) away from anything that can burn, including people, furniture and pets? Does your fireplace have a sturdy screen to catch sparks? Has your chimney been professionally inspected and cleaned during the past year? Has your furnace been serviced by a professional in the past year? Are propane tanks and other fuels stored outside your home? Electrical Safety Are extension cords used safely? (NOT under carpets or across doorways)? Are electrical cords in good condition, without cracks or frayed areas? (A grown-up should unplug lamps and appliances before inspecting the cords.) Are kitchen appliances toaster, coffee-maker, microwave plugged into separate, outlets? (NO EXTENSION CORDS) Smoke Alarms / Home Fire Escape Are there smoke alarms on every level, including the basement, and outside each sleeping area? Are the batteries working in all your smoke alarms? (Have a grown-up push the test buttons to find out.) Do you have a carbon-monoxide detector installed if you are burning wood, propane or natural gas? Are all the exits in your home clear of furniture, toys and clutter? Does your family have a home fire escape plan that includes two exits, usually a door and a window, from each room? Has your family picked a safe place to meet outside after you exit your home? Have you practised your home fire drill within the last six months? Do you know what phone number to call in the event of a fire? What s your fire safety score? If you answered yes to all of the questions, congratulations! You ve done your homework for fire safety. If you answered yes to 10 to 14 questions, you re going in the right direction, but you ve got some work to do. If you answered yes to fewer than 10 questions, have a look around and make the changes you need so that your home is fire-safe! 5
Kids can make a difference! Alexander LaBeurque Age 5, Kindergarten, Rothesay Elementary School Alexander LaBeurque with Karen Trecartin, Firefighter/Fire and Life Safety Officer, Kennebecasis Valley Fire Department. On a late Saturday night on Nov. 10, 2012 while Alexander, his brother Andy, age 3, and his mom were sleeping, the fire alarm in their apartment building began to ring. Alexander s mom woke up and went into his room and woke him up so they could leave the building. Alexander jumped out of bed and went into action. The local fire department had just been to his school earlier in the year, and his family had a fire escape plan. Someone in another apartment was cooking and fell asleep, filling the building with smoke, Alexander said. I knew what to do to keep everyone safe. He woke his brother and got on the floor, staying low until they reached their door where he felt it to make sure it was not hot. They opened the door and crawled down the hallway to the outside so they could go to their meeting place at their cousin s apartment next door. Before going to their meeting place, Alexander said, We have to wake everyone up and let them know they have to get out. They stayed together and knocked on all the windows of the other apartments to alert them of a possible fire. Alex Russell s Story Alex Russell Grade 5, Lakefield Elementary School On an early rainy, windy morning on September 9th, 2012, Alex Russell was awakened by the sound of crackling outside of the partially open window of her bedroom. When I got up and looked out the window, I could see flames coming from my neighbour s house across the street, she said. Alex ran into her parent s room and woke them up. Her mom called 9-1-1, and her father went across the street to ensure everyone was escaping from the house. The fire department arrived on scene and extinguished the fire, but the home was a total loss. Because of Alex s reaction and quick thinking to alert her parents of the fire, the family all got out safe and sound. Alex knew what to do! The Kennebecasis Valley Fire Department went to Alex s school and presented her with a recognition certificate for her bravery and quick thinking. 6
Draw lines to match up the questions with the correct answers! QUESTIONS 1 How many smoke alarms should you have in your home? 2 How often should you test and replace the batteries in your smoke alarms? 3 When escaping from a fire, should you run, walk, or crawl? 4 What should you do with matches and lighters if you find them? 5 What should you do if you are the first one out of a burning building? A B C D E ANSWERS Wait at the place where you and your family decided on and practiced in your home fire escape plan. NEVER go back inside for pets, toys or any other reason. GET OUT AND STAY OUT. You should have at least one smoke alarm on every level of your home, and outside sleeping areas. You should crawl low to avoid the smoke and heat. You should check the batteries once a month and replace them at least once a year. You should leave them alone and tell an adult about them. Did you know? Fun facts about firefighters! Firefighters used to be called bucket brigades. Firefighters used to make a long line and pass buckets full of water down the line and throw it on the fire to put it out. The clothing worn by firefighters can weigh up to 27 kilograms (60 pounds)! It has reflective striping so that other firefighters can see each other in smoky or dark places. There are dogs that are specially trained to help firefighters in finding the cause of a fire. There are three common types of fire trucks: Pumper trucks, which rely on attaching hoses to fire hydrants for water. Tanker trucks, which can carry more than 3,800 litres (1,000 gallons) of water. Ladder trucks, which have a long ladder on top, to help firefighters reach fires in high places. 7
Draw your own escape plan Here is an escape plan to show you how people would leave the house you see here. Meeting Place $ Student Name: Age: Phone Number: Home address: Grade: K 1 2 3 4 5 Teacher: School: Did you like the Fire Safety Gazette games? YES NO Did you show your parents the Fire Safety Gazette? YES NO Did you learn about fire safety? YES NO This is the escape plan my family would use if we had to leave our home in a hurry. I am going to practise it often, so I will be able to remember it. If I have friends staying over, I ll show it to them too! Fire Prevention Week - Entry Form Please be sure to complete this form for the draw on November 15, 2013 and return it to your teacher for mailing. Entry forms should be mailed to reach our office on or before November 15, 2013. Comments: One entry per student, please. Send entries to: New Brunswick Office of the Fire Marshal 65 Brunswick Street, Second Floor, Fredericton, NB E3B 1G5 8 Design 9266