Government Relations Minister Jim Reiter has officially proclaimed October 5 -11 as Fire Prevention Week in Saskatchewan and Legislative Secretary to the Minster of Government Relations Victoria Jurgens helped raise awareness about the role working smoke alarms have in fire safety in the home in Prince Albert today.Marking this year’s theme, “Working Smoke Alarms Save Lives. Test Yours Every Month!”, Jurgens, along with the provincial Emergency Management and Fire Safety branch, the Prince Albert Fire Department, school officials and students enrolled in the High School Emergency Services Training Program visited Riverside Community School and St. Francis elementary schools to discuss fire safety. Seven hundred kindergarten to Grade 8 students were each provided with a smoke alarm to take home for their parents or caregivers to install.“Smoke alarms are one of the most important safety devices you can have in your home,” Jurgens said. “Many investigations into fires, especially those involving fatalities, find that there were not smoke alarms or, if there were smoke alarms, they were not working or had been disabled. Smoke alarms can be a life-saving difference in the event of a fire.”“It takes a community to educate a child,” Riverside Community Public School Principal Mona Markwart said. “The importance of fire safety and fire prevention as demonstrated through receiving a smoke alarm will impact our students’ futures as well as their well-being today. Through this gift they will not only be helped to recognize the dangers of fire, they will become more aware that others care about them and their safety.”

“We are proud to be joining forces with the non-profit National Fire Protection Association and the province during Fire Prevention Week,” Prince Albert Fire Chief Jason Everitt said. “Working smoke alarms save lives and this is an opportunity to remind local residents about the importance of having working smoke alarms in the home and testing them monthly.”



In a related Fire Prevention Week activity, Emergency Management and Fire Safety staff will be working with the Prince Albert Fire Department at a smoke alarm exchange in Prince Albert’s Gateway Mall on Thursday, October 9, from 10 am to 1:30 pm.



It is recommended that there be a working smoke detector in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home including the basement. Replace smoke alarms that are 10 years old or if testing shows they aren’t responding properly. Make sure everyone in the home recognizes the sound the home’s smoke alarms make and understands what to do if they hear it.



Fire Prevention Week is recognized across North America. To learn more about Fire Prevention Week, smoke alarms and how working smoke alarms help save lives, visit www.firepreventionweek.org.



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For more information, contact:



Dan Palmer

Government Relations

Regina

Phone: 306-787-2155

Email: dan.palmer@gov.sk.ca

Cell: 306-526-8295