MPP JOURNAL for the week of October 8, 2021 |
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Fire Prevention Week in OntarioThe week of October 7-13 has been declared Fire Prevention Week in Ontario. This year, this special week began with the first official Firefighters Memorial Day in the province. On Firefighters Memorial Day we pay tribute to those Ontario firefighters who have fallen in the line of duty. This year, we will also honour the hundreds of New York City firefighters who died working to save thousands of innocent victims at the World Trade Centre. Our thoughts continue to be with the firefighters and other emergency personnel who responded to the horrific events in New York City, Washington and Pennsylvania. They, and their families, are in our prayers. Firefighters everywhere have willingly taken on the risks of a dangerous job. They put their lives on the line each time they respond to a call. Tragically, they sometimes pay the ultimate price as they work to protect the rest of us. In Ontario, we are privileged to have highly trained, professional men
and women protecting our communities and we cannot help but regard our
firefighters with the highest respect and appreciation. We depend on fire in our daily lives. We use it to cook, to keep warm and make tools and equipment. But fire can also be lethal. An uncontrolled blaze can quickly turn deadly, producing choking smoke, dangerous emissions and deadly flames. Tragically, 75 people died in home fires in Ontario last year. Many of these fires were caused by human error and were preventable. The Office of the Ontario Fire Marshall, and the Ontario Government, want to reduce that number and eventually eliminate fire deaths and injuries completely. That's why, during Fire Prevention Week, the Ontario Fire Marshall is launching a series of initiatives to help educate residents and save lives. For more information on how to make your home safer from fires, please
contact your local fire department to go to www.gov.on.ca/ofm/pubsafet/fireperweek.htm.
This web site contains Ontario fire services are among the best in North America, but the onus remains with the individual to prevent fires. More that 25 per cent of all home fires start in the kitchen, with cooking fires being the leading cause of home fires and injuries in the province. There are some simple things we can do to increase safety in our own homes. For example, smoke alarms are still the most effective early warning devises available today. Having working smoke alarms in your home will greatly increase your chances of escaping to safety should a fire occur. When the alarm sounds, everyone in your home must know what to do and where to go. I encourage everyone to develop a home escape plan and practice it with the entire family. A more detailed list of fire hazards and safety tips can be found on
the web site indicated above. The initiatives launched during Fire
Prevention Week are effective tools for year-round protection against home
fires. Safety counts, so please be smart and stay alert.
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Community Office
244 Broadway, Orangeville, ON L9W 1K5
Phone: (519) 941-7751 Toll Free: 1-800-265-1603
Fax: (519) 941-3246
Website: www.davidtilson.ca