Oct. 4, 2024 – St. Catharines Fire Services will be out in the community during Fire
Prevention Week and throughout October urging residents to maintain working smoke
alarms in their home.
This year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign theme – “Smoke Alarms. Make Them
Work for You!” – strives to educate everyone about the critical importance of having
working smoke alarms in the home.
Fire Prevention Week begins this Sunday, Oct. 6 and runs through Oct. 12.
This year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign urges three calls to action – install, test,
and replace your home’s smoke alarms.
Fire safety – including working smoke alarms – saves lives.
“Most fatal residential fires did not have working smoke alarms,” Fire Chief David Upper
said. “Help us help you to change that statistic by installing smoke alarms, test them
monthly, replace the batteries, and practice your home escape plan.”
Working smoke alarms are required by law in Ontario on every floor and outside all
sleeping areas of the home. Smoke alarms should be replaced when they are 10 years
old or if they stop functioning properly when tested.
Fire Services encourages everyone in the home to participate in the creation of an
escape plan, so they know what action to take in an emergency. And once you’re out of
the house during an emergency situation, stay out. Household escape plans should
consider everyone’s needs, including children, older adults, and people with disabilities.
People should also make an escape plan for their pets.
Again this year, Fire Services is extending its traditional week-long campaign
throughout the month of October.
Residents can come out to these, and many other, Fire Services’ events this month:
• Oct. 5: Open House at Fire Station 4
Drop in anytime between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the station at 427 Merritt St. for
station tours, fire safety activities, fire department vehicles, meet the Firefighters,
and enter a chance to win a suite to the Niagara Ice Dogs game on Oct. 11.
A company will inspect residents’ fire extinguishers and extinguishers will be
available for sale.
• Oct. 8: Open House at Fire Station 5
Drop in anytime between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the station at 149 Martindale Rd.
for station and fire truck tours, meet the Firefighters, fire safety activities and the
chance to win prizes.
Fire crews will host pop-up kiosks throughout the community, including a presence at
Pumpkinville on Oct. 19 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Happy Rolph’s Animal Farm, 650
Read Rd., and firefighters will be visiting select schools to conduct fire drills for
students, so they know what to do when an alarm sounds.
For all Fire Services’ fire prevention and fire safety community events, visit
stcatharines.ca/FirePreventionWeek and watch the City’s social media channels for
details.
Visit stcatharines.ca/FireSafety for more information about creating a fire escape plan
and other home safety tips.