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Fire prevention week

Fire Prevention week began Sunday across Canada.
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Fire Prevention week began Sunday across Canada.

In 1919, Fire Prevention Week was proclaimed in Canada to commemorate the Chicago fire of 1981 and the major fire that destroyed the Centre Block of the Parliament buildings in Ottawa on Feb. 3, 1916.

This year, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week for 99 years, has announced ‘Learn the Sounds of Fire Safety’ as the theme for Fire Prevention Week.

“Smoke alarms have played a leading role in reducing fire death rates over the past 40 years, but we still have more work to do in maximizing their effectiveness,” said Lorraine Carli, NFPA Vice President of Outreach and Advocacy.

According to the latest NFPA report, almost three out of five home fire deaths occur in homes with no smoke alarms (41 per cent) or smoke alarms that failed to operate (16 percent).

From beeps to chirps, this year’s campaign works to better educate the public about the sounds smoke alarms make, what those sounds mean, and how to respond to them.