Fire Prevention Week: Don’t Wait, Check the Date

KAMLOOPS – This year’s Fire Prevention Week theme is “Don’t Wait – Check the Date!”

Smoke alarms save lives, but did you know that they have an expiration date?

Smoke alarms that are more than 10 years old should be replaced, which is the message Kamloops Fire Rescue is promoting during this year’s Fire Prevention Week.

From Oct. 9 to 15, fire departments across B.C. and North America will be educating the public about the importance of fire safety and having working smoke alarms.

Fire Prevention Week is held annually and highlights an important theme in fire education. This year’s theme “Don’t Wait – Check the Date!” focuses on raising awareness that smoke alarms expire and replacing smoke alarms every 10 years will help keep families safe.

To find out how old a smoke alarm is, look at the manufacture date on the back of the alarm. The alarm should be replaced 10 years from that date.

Students in Kindergarten through Grade 3 will be invited to enter to win the Fire Prevention Week 2016 iPad Contest. The contest is jointly sponsored by the Office of the Fire Commissioner, the BC Fire Chiefs’ Association, the Fire Training Officers’ Association of BC, the Fire Prevention Officers’ Association of BC, FortisBC, and the First Nations’ Emergency Services Society of BC. A student in each of BC’s five fire regions will win an iPad, as well as one student from a First Nations band-operated school.

For more information on fire safety tips, including Fire Prevention Week resources, visit the government of B.C. online.