By Mike Anderson
The annual Georgina Fire Department Open House at the Sutton Fire Hall drew more than 600 people on Saturday.
Residents enjoyed a free BBQ, kids activities, and a thrilling firefighter relay race.
But in addition to the fun and games, there was also an opportunity to learn about fire prevention and public safety.
This year’s theme was “Smoke Alarms: Make Them Work For You!”
Sem De Baat, an electrician who hopes to become a volunteer firefighter with Georgina Fire, spoke to residents about checking their smoke detectors to ensure they were in working order and not past the manufacturer’s expiry date.
De Baat says smoke detectors expire every ten years and must be replaced.
He also stressed that the batteries in smoke alarms should be changed every six months.
“Whenever your clock changes — spring forward or fall back — is a good rule of thumb,” he said.
De Baat added homes should also have a carbon monoxide detector.
“Some people think they only need smoke alarms, but you need carbon monoxide alarms as well,” he said.
“There may be a faulty furnace, or you may park your car in your garage, where the remote start feature could malfunction. Then you have your car running in your garage without knowing.”
“If you have carbon monoxide detectors, those can go off while you’re sleeping and you’ ‘ll be able to exit the house safely.”
Georgina Fire Chief Ron Jenkins also stressed the importance of having working smoke alarms on every floor of your home and outside sleeping areas.
“Still, after all of our efforts, after all the public messaging, roughly 30 per cent of our homes fail to have working smoke alarms,” Chief Jenkins said.
“They may have bought a smoke alarm, set it on the counter, and just never installed it. Or they’ve installed it, it’s gone off while they’re cooking, and they have removed the battery, or they don’t change it.”
“Seconds count in a fire. They need to ensure that the smoke alarm is working. That’s your notification. Roughly, when a fire starts, you have about two minutes. That could be even less, depending on the nature of the fuel. For instance, most furniture is made with petroleum products. The smoke coming off creates flammable vapours that increase the speed and intensity of a fire.”
The highlight of this year’s open house was a volunteer firefighter relay race, with two teams competing against each other.
Both teams raced to complete five separate skill challenges, including putting on firefighting gear, crawling through a culvert, and dragging mannequins representing fire victims across the finish line.
Deputy Fire Chief Lorianne Zwicker was pleased the relay was a hit with the crowd. But she says it had an important underlying message.
“One of the skills we wanted to show is how long it takes to get that gear on. And when you’re calling 9-1-1, we are gearing up completely for a structure fire. The next one, the culvert, shows how we have to stay low under the smoke, demonstrating to residents that if you are in an environment with smoke, you have to stay low.”
According to Zwicker, Georgina Fire will recruit at least 15 new volunteer firefighters in January.
She says the relay race is a good way to show potential candidates what they will be required to do.
“It shows what’s going to be expected of you if you’re out there,” she said. “You do have to be in good shape.”
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