Cottage Safety
(NC)—Fire departments and safety officials are reminding cottagers that by following a few simple steps, your summer can be free of tragedy.
“Before you can truly relax and enjoy the great outdoors at the cottage, you need to know your family is fire-safe," says Carol Heller, an avid outdoorswoman and fire safety specialist at Kidde Canada, the country's leading fire safety product manufacturer.
Ironically, although most Canadians look to cottages as places to relax and forget about the stresses of the city, having working smoke alarms and an escape plan at leisure properties is just as vital if not more so than in urban homes, due to a seasonal property's often remote location.
"Simply given the distances fire departments must travel in cottage country, should a fire break out you need maximum time to escape,” Heller notes. “So start the new season right by being extra vigilant – it can prevent family tragedy."
Follow these four simple fire safety tips to have a fun-filled summer:
1. The National Fire Protection Association recommends that cottagers install one working smoke alarm on every cottage level and outside sleeping areas, as well as at least one CO alarm if you have a fireplace, woodstove, gas water heater or any gas or propane appliances. In Ontario this is law.
2. A fire extinguisher is required for marine use, which type you need depends on the size of your watercraft and provincial regulations. Never store your fire extinguisher on your boat over winter. If you do, check to ensure it is still fully charged when you return your boat to the water. If not, replace it.
3. Often over-looked, especially for renters, is the extreme importance of knowing the cottage's exact address, as well as the township and fire emergency numbers. Calls to 911 are often untraceable by fire departments because they are frequently made on cell phones. So make sure you can give full address information to 911 so they know which fire station to summon.
4. Carol Heller of Kidde Canada says, “Remember, smoke alarms wear out after 10 years and CO alarms after seven years. So bring your fire safety equipment up to date, and ensure batteries are always fresh.”
More cottage fire safety tips can be found on the www.SafeAtHome.ca web site.
- News Canada