Fire prevention week addresses fire safety
According to Mr Hendrick Sibara, from the EMS, the objective of the awareness campaign was to remind residents about the importance of having smoking alarms in homes and to ensure the alarms are tested on a regular basis.
In the spirit of Fire Prevention Week on October 14, the Ekurhuleni Emergency Services (EMS) joined forces with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to educate residents of Arebaokery Hospice about the importance of working smoke alarms.
Fire Prevention Week ran from October 13 to October 17 and this year’s theme was Working smoke alarms can make a life-saving difference.
According to Mr Hendrick Sibara, from the EMS, the objective of the awareness campaign was to remind residents about the importance of having smoking alarms in homes and to ensure the alarms are tested on a regular basis.
“Working smoke alarms can assist in detecting fire or smoke early, giving everyone enough time to get out before the fire gets deadly,” said Mr Sibara.
According to the NFPA, most fires kill at least two people and in 2013 alone, eight house fires killed at least five people.
Community members were also taught about some of the leading causes of fires.
Some of the leading contributors to fire include heating, smoking materials, candles and unattended cooking.
Residents were urged to be extra careful when dealing with fire-related activities.
Various hospices around Tembisa will have fire alarms installed by the EMS; which includes old age homes within the area as well as other non-profit organisations in Tembisa.
