The City of Calgary Fire Department plans to visit 23,200 homes in the next six months as they unveiled their Home Safety Program yesterday.
“This is a broader program now. We used to focus strictly on smoke detectors, now we are trying to focus more on public safety,” said Fire Chief Bruce Burrell.
The Home Safety program was developed from the remnants of the Residential Smoke Alarm Program that has been operating since 1996.
From May to October, fire crews will be going door-to-door and going through homes using a Home Fire Safety Checklist that identifies hazards in the home such as checking electrical cords, replacing batteries in smoke alarms and removing flammables from the furnace. The checklist was developed in response to a fire in Parkdale that killed three people earlier this year.
“The goal of the Home Safety Program is to assist residents to become more aware of hazards in their homes and take precaution and reduce the potential for fire and injury,” said community safety coordinator Garth Rabel.
Rabel said it’s all about prevention and being prepared.
“Don’t wait for Calgary Fire Fighters. Download the information off their website and start to take responsibility for your own risks,” said Rabel.
The Fire Department will be targeting single family and multi-family buildings in 32 districts. The program does not target apartment buildings.
