Scugog Fire Department seeks home escape heroes
durhamregion.com
OrilliaMattersKristy-Lynn Pankhurst is Scugog’s new fire prevention officer. She plans to ramp up Scugog’s Alarmed For Life program in the fall to coincide with Fire Prevention Week. - Jason Liebregts/Torstar
SCUGOG — You don’t need to be a superhero to help your family to safety if a blaze breaks out at home.
That’s the message the Scugog Fire Department is aiming to get out to the community over Fire Prevention Week, which will run from Sunday, Oct. 6 to Saturday, Oct. 12. During that time, the local emergency service will look to share information about fire safety at area businesses, organize school fire drills and give residents an informal opportunity to chat with Scugog firefighters.
The theme for the 2019 edition of Fire Prevention Week is: ‘Not Every Hero Wears a Cape. Plan and Practise Your Escape.’
“The No. 1 thing is home escape planning. You can be a hero in your own home. When the smoke alarm goes off, you need to know what you’re doing and get out of the house,” said Kristy-Lynn Pankhurst, Scugog’s new fire prevention officer. “A typical house fire can spread in one to two minutes, so you really have no time to think. You need a home escape plan.”
It’s important, she stressed, that plans are in place to help children and seniors, as well as pets. In the event of a fire, continued Pankhurst, everyone in the home should meet at a designated safe spot outside, call 911 and not go back inside the house.
As part of Fire Prevention Week, fire officials will be on hand at various businesses to hand out safety literature and answer questions from residents. They’ll start on Oct. 4 at the Port Perry Walmart, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and will bring the fire safety trailer to the Cartwright Fields’ fall festival in Nestleton a day later, from 12:30 to 5 p.m.
Firefighters will also set up a display table at the Port Perry RONA store on Oct. 6 (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) and will also be at the Scugog Arena that day, from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m., for the Port Perry MoJacks game.
On Oct. 7, there will be a ‘Coffee With A Firefighter’ at the Port Perry McDonald’s (8:30 to 10:30 a.m.) as well as both the Reach Street and Hwy. 7A (beside Vos’ Independent) Tim Hortons from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. That evening, Pankhurst and fire Chief Mark Berney will ride along with Domino’s Pizza deliveries; homes that allow the fire officials in to test their smoke and carbon monoxide alarms will get their pizza for free.
The meet-and-greets will continue Oct. 8 at Vos’ Independent (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.) and Canadian Tire (2 to 4 p.m.) before firefighters venture out in the community to carry out the Alarmed For Life program, knocking on doors and asking to check alarms.
Chief Berney will hand over the reigns to the ‘Junior Fire Chief’ on Oct. 9, and school fire drills will be carried out on Oct. 10. The next day, firefighters will be set up at Foodland (10 a.m. to noon) and Home Hardware (2 to 4 p.m.).
“We’re really getting out there this year,” said Pankhurst.
The Scugog Fire Department is also looking to recruit as many as 10 volunteer firefighters for the Port Perry station — applications will be accepted until Oct. 11.
For more details on the Fire Prevention Week events, visit the events calendar at www.scugog.ca.