SUNDRE — The annual Fire Prevention Week, which this year runs Oct. 4-10, serves as a reminder for people to freshen up on fire smart safety tips to get ready before the snow starts to fall.
“This is the time of the year that we remind everybody to check their smoke detectors and CO alarms, clean out your chimneys before winter comes and you start firing up the wood stove, and just remind the community to be fire smart coming into the winter,” said Alex Clews, the Sundre Fire Department’s acting chief.
“Everybody’s doing a great job so far of being fire smart. We’re just reminding everybody that there’s always checks you can do to make sure that we stay fire smart,” said Clews.
This year’s theme — Serve Up Fire Safety in the Kitchen — underscores the importance of being mindful never to leave the stove unattended when preparing a meal and “just making sure that people are aware of the hazards with cooking,” he said.
“Leaving stoves on unattended isn’t a good idea at all. And grease fires, you don’t put them out with water, because that just makes it even worse,” he said.
The chemical reaction involved essentially results in a sudden and explosive fireball, quickly spreading the flames and making a bad situation much worse, even if just a small amount of water is used in an attempt to douse a grease fire.
In such an event, the best course of action is to starve the blaze of oxygen by completely covering it with the pot’s lid, effectively snuffing out the fire, he said.
Additionally, smart kitchen habits include keeping stovetops clear of clutter and any flammable materials, as well as to exercise caution and never be complacent, he said.
“It only takes a second for things to turn from good to bad.”
While the Sundre Fire Department has traditionally hosted community events in tandem with the annual Fire Prevention Week, the COVID-19 pandemic threw some proverbial gears into the wrenches this year.
“Unfortunately we weren’t able to do our normal pumpkin carving and junior chief of the day,” he said.
Instead, the Sundre Fire Rescue Society’s Facebook page is hosting a giveaway for youth, he said.
“There’s a little contest on there that the fire prevention officer’s looking after, and there’s some pretty cool prizes to be given away.”
The department, which has 17 active members, also conducts an annual recruitment effort in conjunction with Fire Prevention Week, he said.
“Every year, October is our recruitment drive. So, we are now recruiting for paid, on-call firefighters,” he said, explaining that volunteers became paid, on-call firefighters a while back following some changes mandated by the municipality.
“If anybody is interested in more information or wanting to fill out an application, they can get a hold of the fire hall” at 403-638-4044, or alternatively by email at [email protected], he said.
Additionally, any residents or business owners who might have questions or concerns about their home or building is welcome to reach out to the fire hall to make arrangements for an in-person visit. Voicemail messages are checked regularly, he said.
“Or call on a Wednesday night — there’s usually everybody around. I would be glad to come help and look over things, and make sure everything’s good.”
