Although the recent spike in COVID-19 across New Brunswick has garnered much of the public attention, Oct.3 to Oct.9 marks Fire Prevention Week.
This year the theme is “Learn The Sounds Of Fire Safety”.
“Recognize when your smoke alarm is beeping if it’s a low battery or if it’s beeping because something is burning and you need to get out,” says Steve Richardson, Fire Prevention Officer with the Moncton Fire Department.
The same goes for your carbon monoxide detector, which prevents poisoning from the “silent killer” according to Richardson
He says although some models are built to last a decade, due to the basic wear and tear changing it every five years would be ideal.
When it comes to batteries, households are encouraged to make the change when the clocks adjust for Daylight Savings Time.
“It’s a very small expense for a very important safety device,” says Richardson.
While Fire Prevention Week has a theme, it also promotes general awareness and prevention of fires.
In Moncton, Richardson says there are many causes of fires, but he has seen a considerable amount started from smoking.
Throughout the Winter, Richardson says smokers may use a container for the empty butts that is usually safe due to snow or rain. However, as the warmer weather rolls in, the container becomes highly flammable and can cause a fire.
“If you’re going to smoke…have it in a wet container or a closed container that’s designed for that,” says Richardson.
The Fire Prevention Officer encourages anyone in the region with questions on fire safety to reach out to the Moncton Fire department.
