Fire Safety Information

Home Escape Planning Grid

• Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, boiling, grilling, or broiling food.
• If you are simmering, baking, or roasting food, check it regularly and stay in the home.
• Keep anything that can catch fire away from your stovetop.
• Turn pot handles inward so that they cannot be easily knocked over.
• Prevent burns by use oven mitts when checking or removing food from the oven or stove. 
• Loose clothing can hang down onto stove burners and catch fire. Wear short, close-fitting, or tightly rolled sleeves when cooking.
• Have a "kid-free zone" of at least 3 feet (1 metre) around the stove and areas where hot food and drink is prepared or carried.
• Always keep a lid nearby when cooking. If a small grease fire starts, slide the lid over the pan and turn off the burner. Leave the pan covered until it is cool. Never put water on a grease fire!
• When in doubt, just get out! If you have any doubts about stopping a small kitchen, just get out. Close the doors behind you as you and other in the home leave to help contain the fire.

Never ever put water on a grease fire. Watch this video to see why.

Smoke Alarms can mean the difference between life and death in the event of a fire.

• Working smoke alarms need to be located on every level of your home, including the basement, and outside of all sleeping areas.
• For added protection, smoke alarms can be located in each bedroom.
• Only working smoke alarms save lives. Ensure you test your smoke alarm once a month using the test button.
• Change the batteries in the spring and fall and as needed. Or, invest in an alarm with a 10 year battery so you will not have to change the battery for the life of the smoke alarm. Remember to still test the alarm each month.
• Smoke alarms have a life of no more than 10 years, and need to be replaced as per manufacturer specifications.
• Make sure everyone in the home understands the sound of the smoke alarm and knows how to respond when they hear it.

**Please be advised that the "no time to spare" link takes you to a video recreating the events of a fatal fire, illustrating the importance of working smoke alarms being in the right locations in your home.

In a fire, every second counts, there is no time to spare**! 

Working smoke alarms give you the extra notice you need to get out safely in the event of a fire. 

Find out more information about Smoke Alarm and Carbon Monoxide Alarms. 

Home Escape Planning is a key component to fire and life safety.

A home escape plan should include the following:

• A map of each level of your home, showing all doors and windows.
• Indicate 2 ways out of every room.
• Make sure someone knows to help children and anyone in the home who needs assistance to wake up and get out.
• Teaching children how to escape on their own in case you cannot help them.
• Identifying a meeting place outside, a safe distance from the home.
• Teach everyone to not leave the meeting place until at least 2 people are there, so someone can advise the fire department who is out of the house already and who is not accounted for yet.
• Practice your home escape plan at least twice a year.
  • When practicing, use different ways to get out to become familiar with your options.
  • Make sure all windows and doors can easily be opened, if needed.
  • Practice closing doors and windows behind you as you go.
  • Once you are out, stay out! Never go back in for people, pets or things.
  • Go to your meeting place.
  • Call 9-1-1 from a cell phone or neighbour's phone, once at least 2 people are at the meeting place.