“Stay Fire Smart! Don’t Get Burned.”
That’s the motto of Fire Prevention Week in Saugeen Shores, underway until this Saturday.
Fire Prevention officer Jeff Dahms says the school visits by firefighters is going on this week and there will be a county wide fire drill this Friday at all schools.
Dahms says some of their emphasis this year is on following simple safety rules so as not to suffer burns of any type.
He says it ranges from keeping hot foods and liquids away from table and counter edges where they can be knocked over to making sure you have tamper-resistant receptacles to prevent a child from sticking an object into an outlet.
Each year roughly 3 thousand people die as a result of home fires and burns and more than 200 thousand individuals are seen in the nation’s emergency rooms for burn injuries.
Dahms says in the bigger picture, it’s not so much the burn itself but the pain and trauma one goes through, long after the severe burn is gone.
However, Dahms points out the traditional suggestions during fire prevention week still apply.
He says smoke detectors should be checked to make sure they’re in working order and batteries should be replaced.
He also urges all families to come up with an escape plan at their home should a fire break out.
Dahms says it doesn’t hurt to practice that escape plan throughout the year as well.
