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Fire Prevention Week 2024: October 6 – 12, 2024

Cranbrook, BC (October 4, 2024) – The importance of having working smoke alarms in your home to keep you and your family safe is the key focus of Cranbrook Fire & Emergency Services, as we head into Fire Prevention Week 2024, which runs from October 6 to 12, 2024.

Smoke alarms reduce the risk of dying in a home fire by more than half.  Roughly three out of five fire deaths happen in homes with either no smoke alarms, or no working smoke alarms.

“Smoke alarms serve as the first line of defense in a home fire, but they need to be working in order to protect people,” says Chris Churchill, Fire Prevention Coordinator with Cranbrook Fire & Emergency Service. “This year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign really focuses on the importance of teaching the simple but critical steps to make sure you have smoke alarms in all the needed locations, and that they are working properly.”

•    Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area (like a hallway), and on each level (including the basement) of the home. 
•    Make sure smoke alarms meet the needs of all family members, including those with sensory or physical disabilities.
•    Test smoke alarms at least once a month by pushing the test button.
•    Replace all smoke alarms when they are 10 years old. 

For more information about Fire Prevention Week and smoke alarms, visit fpw.org.