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You’re never too young to start thinking about fire safety

It is up to you to keep yourself safe. That is what Barrhead Regional Fire Services (BRFS) captain Shawn Rachkewich told a group of Barrhead Elementary School (BES) Grade 1 students last Wednesday as a prelude to Fire Prevention Week, which runs Oct.
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Barrhead Regional Fire Services (BRFS) captain Shawn Rachkewich reminds Barrhead Elementary School students about having an escape plan in case of fire during an Oct. 2 visit.

It is up to you to keep yourself safe.

That is what Barrhead Regional Fire Services (BRFS) captain Shawn Rachkewich told a group of Barrhead Elementary School (BES) Grade 1 students last Wednesday as a prelude to Fire Prevention Week, which runs Oct. 6 to 9.

Rachkewich is a 10-year BRFS veteran.

“You are the only ones that can keep yourselves safe from a fire,” he said, noting that is why it is important to know what to do in case of a fire.

Rachkewich said fires can break out at any time of year but noted they are especially prone to happen in the fall.

“People turn on their furnaces, start using their fireplaces and space heaters after forgetting about them for four months,” he said. “That is when accidents can happen, which is one of the reasons why Fire Prevention Week is in the fall to remind us we need to remember to check these things.”

Rachkewich said one of the best ways to protect oneself is to have a plan of how to get out of their house in case of fire.

“You want to have at least two ways out of any room,” he said, noting if they were in their bedroom that would most likely mean a door and a window.

Rachkewich added that once they get outside, they should go to their family’s predetermined meeting spot.

“Nothing is scarier for a parent than when they can’t find their child,” he said.

As important as having an escape plan is, however, it is only good if a person can remember it.

That is why he said it is important to practice their escape route, Rachkewich said.

“Fire is a scary thing and it is easy to forget what you know so you want to get to the point when you can do it automatically without thinking,” Rachkewich said.

He also suggested that families should practice their escape plans in the dark.

“Smoke from the fire can make it difficult to see,” Rachkewich added.

And that is why, he said, it is important if they are ever trapped inside a burning building, they should not to hide, under beds or in closets.

“When we come into a room it is smoky and dark, so we use the walls as a guide and we try to make ourselves as big as possible because we might not be able to see someone, but we can feel them if we bump into them,” Rachkewich said.

He added that they should also get as low as they could to the ground so they can breathe easier as smoke rises.

Rachkewich then said if they were ever trapped where a fire is on the other side of a door, keep it closed, noting that it provides a barrier between them and the fire.

“That door’s very important, more important than I ever knew before I became a firefighter,” he said.

The other thing people can do to protect themselves from fire is to make sure they have working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors on every floor of their home.

“They [Alberta Building Code] almost want you to put a smoke detector in every inch of your home,” Rachkewich said.

The Alberta Building Code requires that there must be at least one smoke detector on every storey. Smoke detectors also need to be installed in every bedroom as well as area connecting the bedroom with the rest of the story, ie hallways.

“I don’t blame them because new homes burn so much faster. From the time the smoke detector goes off, you only have one or two minutes to get out,” he said.

Rachkewich concluded by reminding students never to play with matches lighters or candles.


Barry Kerton

About the Author: Barry Kerton

Barry Kerton is the managing editor of the Barrhead Leader, joining the paper in 2014. He covers news, municipal politics and sports.
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