Residents Can Prevent the Next Mississauga Fire

If you could do a few simple things that could save your family and home from fire, would you do them? Replacing smoke and carbon monoxide alarms every 10 years, replacing alarm batteries once a year and staying in the kitchen while cooking, does this sound difficult? These simple actions could mean the difference between seeing your family in the morning and devastation yet many residents are still gambling with their safety.

October 9 to 15 is National Fire Prevention Week.  As such, Mississauga Fire and Emergency Services (MFES) is asking residents to prevent the next fire in Mississauga. According to MFES, 80 per cent of all fires in the city happen in homes and most of those are due to unattended cooking.

“The majority of the fires that happen in Mississauga today are preventable,” said Jamie Zimmerman, Assistant Chief, Fire Prevention and Life Safety, MFES. “This is very frustrating because it is so simple for residents to stay safe. Replace alarms, change batteries, prepare and practise a home escape plan. That’s it. Do those simple things and anyone can be the hero in their own lives.”

To support Fire Prevention Week, MFES will be at various locations throughout the city to talk to residents about what they can do to keep their homes and families safe. A full schedule of fire prevention activities in Mississauga can be found here.

MFES is partnering with The Mississauga Steelheads for their game against the Kitchener Rangers on October 23 to further promote the importance of fire prevention. Fire Chief Tim Beckett and other special guests will drop the puck at 2 p.m. Water bottles will be given to the first 2,500 ticket holders.