This year’s Fire Prevention Week, from October 6 to 12, comes with an essential message for Portage la Prairie residents: “Smoke alarms: Make them work for you!” The Portage Fire Department is leading the charge to ensure every home in the community is better protected by working smoke alarms.
Brad Bailey, the Fire Chief and Director of Public Safety for the City of Portage la Prairie, shared his excitement about the week.
“We welcome it every year. It's a fun time for our staff to get out and make contact with lots of kids throughout the community. We'll be out in the schools with our Fire Safety Trailer educating some kids and getting the word out.”
Throughout the week, the fire department will visit eight schools, where they plan to interact with around 1,000 students.
But the focus isn’t just on fun; it’s on education. Smoke alarms save lives, and Bailey wants to make sure everyone in Portage knows that.
“Smoke alarms are fairly affordable, or if you can't afford them, you can always contact the fire hall, we do have some that we could find for you. What we would ultimately like to see is a smoke alarm installed in every bedroom, and one on every floor. Because they are the first notification you'll get in the event of a fire.”
Bailey also highlighted the importance of regular maintenance.
“Look for the smoke alarms with 10-year lithium-ion batteries. You basically pull the tab on them, you put them up and they are good for 10 years. If you still have the old kind, we go back to the regular; change your batteries when you change your clock. We want to remind everybody to test their smoke alarms by pushing the little button on them, they'll hear the beep. Change your battery out, and you should be good for the year.”
In addition to basic tips, Bailey stressed the need to consider all household members when selecting smoke alarms.
“One thing that gets overlooked is to make sure that they work for everybody in your house. There are people with sensory or physical disabilities, you might need ones with flashing LED lights or different audible sounds. Just make sure that they will alert everybody, keep them in good shape. Don't steal batteries out of them, because they truly are the thing that is going to alert you in the event of a fire and get you out of the house.”
For more information on Fire Prevention Week and ensuring your home is equipped with working smoke alarms, Bailey encouraged residents to reach out to the Portage Fire Department.
“We just want to thank everybody that supports us throughout the year. We like to get out into the public and interact with people. We definitely look forward to this time of year when we can do that. We are looking forward to a fun Fire Prevention Week and getting our message out to the citizens of Portage, and the RM of Portage la Prairie.”