Fire Prevention Week in the Battlefords

Early October is once again a time of fire prevention activities as North Battleford held its annual Fire Prevention Week Oct. 8-14.

A number of events were planned for the week with a goal of encouraging people to prevent fires and to stay safe in a fire situation.

This year’s theme, according to acting fire chief for the city of North Battleford Trevor Brice, is “everybody planning two ways out of their property in case of fire.”

“Having a plan of what to do in case of fire, and getting out, staying out and calling the fire brigade out. That’s the general theme,” said Brice

Another key part of the week of prevention activities was encouraging people to sign up for the enhanced “Eyes that Care” community safety campaign that recently launched.

Participants who commit to the initiative receive a solar-powered light they can mount on their property, so they are able to see what is going on around their homes and in the neighbourhood at night. The thinking is the lights will deter criminal activity in the area.

The events of the week included a number of information booths set up in area locations such as Walmart and Canadian Tire to help spread information about fire prevention.

The annual Beef on a Bun event returned to the fire hall Wednesday during the noon hour. It’s an event for the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 1756 with the proceeds going to their charity fund.

The event brought out a large crowd of local residents who bought beef, cole slaw, cake and refreshments for $5 each. Sign-up forms for the Eyes that Care program were available as well, along with an example of the safety light that is being supplied.

Another hallmark of Fire Prevention Week is the Fire Chief for a Day event held on Friday. Nine kids selected from area schools are given the opportunity to spend a day at the fire hall and learn all aspects of the fire department and its equipment.

As Brice said, prevention activities make up an important function of the fire department’s mandate.

“It’s really important for us to engage with the community,” said Brice. “There are a lot of simple things we can ask people to do that will reduce fires, and at the end of the day reducing fires saves lives.”