Sunday marked the official start of Fire Prevention Week in Canada.

In 1925, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed Fire Prevention Week a national observance, making it the longest-running public health observance in our country. During Fire Prevention Week, children, adults, and teachers learn how to stay safe in case of a fire. Firefighters provide lifesaving public education in an effort to drastically decrease casualties caused by fires.

This year’s theme is called “Not Every Hero Wears A Cape,” and is teaching homeowners to have several escape routes planned ahead of time, in the event of a fire.

“We’re encouraging people to practice an escape plan, to map one out with your family so that everybody knows where the meeting place is, and everybody understands that you don’t go back in.” said Rosetown Fire Chief Dennis Ogg.

Ogg also explains that it is preferable to have two ways out of every room. If possible, a window and a door should be made into escape routes. It is also important to make sure that both the window and the door can be opened quickly.

If someone is unsure about what items in their home could pose as a hazard, a call to the fire department is recommended. Firemen will come to your home and check for any safety hazards, as well as inform you of any improvements you can make.

The number of fires in the West Central Region has drastically decreased in the last several decades, as Ogg explains.

“The amount of fires, particularly structural, is down from what it used to be 20 years ago or 30 year ago. The building code has changed a lot of that; homes are safer than they were. We heat them differently. We heat with natural gas instead of wood or coal, so that’s made them safer.”

As always, it is recommended to have a fire alarm on every floor of the house, as well as one in every sleeping area. It is also important to check the fire alarms once a month, and to replace the batteries twice a year.