News Flash

COQUITLAM, B.C., Oct. 6, 2022 – This year's Fire Prevention Week celebrates its 100th anniversary with the theme “Fire Won’t Wait. Plan Your Escape.” Every year, Fire Prevention Week educates people about simple but important actions they can take to keep themselves and those around them safe from home fires.

During Fire Prevention Week, Oct. 9 to 15, Coquitlam Fire/Rescue is reminding everyone that there are certain steps that need to be taken to ensure fire safety both at home and in our parks. In a fire, seconds can mean the difference between a safe escape or a tragedy. 

Coquitlam residents are encouraged to create and practice an escape plan for their home, and get everyone in the household involved. Steps include:

• Drawing a floor plan of the home that shows all doors and windows
• Identifying two ways out of every room and an outside meeting place 
• Making sure windows and doors are not blocked
• Conducting a practice drill with everyone in the home, starting by pressing the smoke alarm test button to sound the alarm
• Talking about and practicing the escape plan with all members of the household on a regular basis
• Ensuring all household members know what the smoke alarm sounds like

A downloadable Fire Escape Plan handout and other fire safety information and resources can be found at www.coquitlam.ca/seasonalsafety. 

Important Fire Safety Tips for all Household Members

You may have as little as two minutes (or even less time) to safely escape a home fire from the time the smoke alarm sounds. Your ability to get out of a home during a fire depends on early warning from smoke alarms and advance planning.

If an intended escape route is blocked, planning a second way out in advance can save precious seconds when lives are on the line. 

Every room should have two ways out, aisles should be clear and an outside meeting place should be assigned. All family members should be familiar with the plan, and the entire family should practice escaping at least twice a year, both at night and during daylight hours. Children should be taught how to escape on their own in case no one is able to assist them.      

What to Do in Case of a Fire

• If your smoke alarm sounds, use the escape route you have practiced with your family if it is safe to do so
• If you have to escape through smoke, get low and go under the smoke to make your way out
• Close the doors behind you as you leave
• Go to your agreed-upon meeting place
• Once out, stay out –do not go back inside

General Fire Safety Tips

• Sleep with your mobility device, glasses, and phone close to your bed.
• Keep pathways like hallways lit with night lights and free from clutter to make sure everyone can get out safely.

Tips for People with Physical Disabilities 

There are alarms and devices customized for people who are hard of hearing or deaf. Research the different products and select the ones that fit the needs of the people in your home. Some examples include:

• When the smoke alarm sounds, strobe lights flash to alert people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
• A pillow or bed shaker should be used to wake and alert someone. This device is activated by the sound of a standard smoke alarm. 
• Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors can be installed that use a low-frequency sound and may work better to wake a sleeping person who has mild to severe hearing loss.

Don’t Let Our Parks Go Up in Smoke

In light of the recent wildfire at Minnekhada Regional Park, Fire Prevention Week is an opportunity to remind residents and park users of the steps to take to reduce and limit the risk of fire as we enjoy an unseasonably warm and dry October.

Protect yourself, your family and our community by following some simple tips found here.

Smoke Alarms Required by Law

B.C. law requires all homes to have smoke alarms. Landlords are also required to ensure their rental properties have working alarms. Smoke alarms are proven to save lives, but only if they are functioning. Make sure your household is protected by:

• Having a working smoke alarm on each floor
• Replacing batteries each spring and fall when the clocks change (unless batteries are the 10-year type)
• Testing smoke alarms monthly and keeping them free of dust (tip: vacuum occasionally)
• Replacing smoke alarms at least once every 10 years

For more information about fire prevention, contact the Fire Prevention Division at 604-927-6400 or visit www.coquitlam.ca/seasonalsafety. 

Media contact:
Bob Hieltjes
Assistant Fire Prevention Chief 
firerescue@coquitlam.ca
604-927-6400