Real Estate: Canadians Warned to Do More About Fire Safety

homefireEconomics. Do you want to know how to be fully prepared in the event of a home fire emergency? Fire Prevention Week in Canada is October 4 – 10. Canada's fire chiefs are urging Canadians to be fully prepared for a home fire emergency. Precautions taken today could save a life during a real emergency.

Canadians Warned to Do More About Fire Safety

(NC) A new national survey shows that Canadian households are failing to make the grade when it comes to following fire safety recommendations designed to save lives.

The eighth annual Duracell Fire Safety Survey reveals that fewer than one in five Canadians (14%) practiced a home fire drill at least once in the past year, a drop from 22% in the 2008 survey.

More Canadians are also failing to change home smoke alarm batteries regularly. Only 62% of homes surveyed said they had changed alarm batteries at least once in the past year as recommended, down from 66% in the 2008 survey.

Fire Prevention Week in Canada is October 4 – 10 and Canada's fire chiefs are partnering with Duracell to urge Canadians to make a better effort at being fully prepared for a home fire emergency, warning that precautions taken today could save a life during a real emergency.

“Knowing exactly what to do when fire breaks out, including having working smoke alarms as the first line of defence, is crucial for home fire safety,” said Bruce Burrell, president of the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs (CAFC), Duracell's partner in the 2009 national fire safety survey. “We encourage all Canadians to take our message to heart this year and maximize home safety.”

The CAFC and Duracell remind Canadians to make a point of refreshing smoke alarm batteries at least once annually and suggest that an easy way to remember is to change alarm batteries when resetting home clocks each fall or spring or during Fire Prevention Week.

“In addition to replacing the batteries in home smoke alarms when changing the clocks, Canadians can use this time as a reminder to review their home fire escape plan and practice a fire drill as a family,” said Burrell.

More information about home fire safety is available online at www.duracellfiresafety.com.

The eighth annual Duracell Fire Safety Survey was conducted by Angus Reid Strategies on May 26 and 27, 2009, with a randomly selected, representative sample of 1,007 adult Canadians who are Angus Reid Forum panelists.

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