Coquitlam Fire/Rescue is reminding everyone that working smoke alarms are essential for home safety during Fire Prevention Week, October 6 to 12.
COQUITLAM, B.C., October 3, 2024 – Coquitlam Fire/Rescue is reminding everyone that working smoke alarms are essential for home safety during Fire Prevention Week, October 6 to 12. The proper installation and regular testing of smoke alarms helps ensure all household members have the warning they need in the event of a fire.
Smoke spreads quickly, and functional smoke alarms provide critical early alerts that give you and your family the time needed to escape safely.
Smoke alarm safety tips:
- Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside of each separate sleeping area (hallway or landing), and on every level of your home, including the basement.
- Ensure 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.
- With upholstery attachment, vacuum lightly around the smoke alarm annually.
- Replace all smoke alarms when they are 10 years old or if they do not respond when tested.
- Make sure everyone in your home knows the sound of the smoke alarm and what to do when it goes off—have a home fire escape plan and practice it regularly.
Cooking Safety
While smoke alarms are essential, fire prevention is just as important. Kitchen fires remain one of the leading causes of home fires, and knowing how to cook safely can reduce the risk.
All household members should be aware of these important cooking safety tips:
- Stay in the kitchen while frying, grilling, or broiling food. If you need to leave, even briefly, turn off the stove.
- Check food regularly when simmering, baking, roasting, or boiling, and use a timer as a reminder.
- Keep flammable items—such as oven mitts, towels, and food packaging—away from the stovetop.
- Establish a kid-free zone of at least 1 metre around the stove and hot food preparation areas.
- Ensure you have a kitchen fire extinguisher and know how to use it.
- If a cooking fire occurs, get out immediately and close the door behind you to help contain the fire before calling 9-1-1.
- For grease fires, never use water. Instead, put a lid on the pot, turn off the heat, and call 9-1-1.
By following these guidelines, you can significantly reduce the risk of a kitchen fire in your home. For more information, visit coquitlam.ca/SeasonalSafety.
Media contact:
Bryan Eberle
Assistant Fire Prevention Chief
FireRescue@coquitlam.ca
604-927-6400
We acknowledge with gratitude and respect that the name Coquitlam was derived from the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ (HUN-kuh-MEE-num) word kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (kwee-KWET-lum) meaning “Red Fish Up the River”. The City is honoured to be located on the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm traditional and ancestral lands, including those parts that were historically shared with the q̓ic̓əy̓ (kat-zee), and other Coast Salish Peoples.