Sunday, October 6, 2019 marks the start of Fire Prevention Week!

The majority of fire-related deaths and injuries in Canada take place in residential properties, so building a personalized home fire safety plan will make sure that everyone in your family knows what to do in an emergency. The theme of the National Fire Protection Association‘s (NFPA) 2019 Fire Prevention Week is: Not every hero wears a cape – Plan and Practice your Escape.

This year, the NFPA wants to educate North Americans about the small but important actions they can take to keep themselves and those around them safe. In Canada, most fire deaths occur in the home, where people believe they are most safe. Canadian fire departments respond to roughly 25,600 structure fires per year. In 2015 alone, structure fires caused more than 1,400 injuries and almost 200 deaths.*

“These numbers show that home fires continue to pose a significant threat to safety,” said Lorraine Carli, NFPA’s vice president of Outreach and Advocacy. “In a typical home fire, you may have as little as one to two minutes to escape safely from the time the smoke alarm sounds. Escape planning and practice can help you make the most of the time you have, giving everyone enough time to get out.”

The NFPA says that situational awareness is a skill people need to use wherever they go. No matter where you are, look for available exits. If the alarm system sounds, take it seriously and exit the building immediately.

Not every hero wears a cape – Plan and Practice your Escape.

Fires everywhere are unpredictable and can spread quickly.

To highlight the importance of fire safety in the home, Red River Mutual partnered with the Office of the Fire Commissioner, the Firefighters’ Burn Fund of Manitoba, and the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service to produce this video which demonstrates three simple steps you and your loved ones can take to reduce your risk of injury in the event of a house fire: Plan. Practice. Escape.

• Plan make a home escape plan
• Practice your plan to make sure everyone knows what to do
• Escape have a safe meeting space

Working With Your Insurance Company

For the majority of homeowners, a house fire qualifies as their worst nightmare and losses caused by a fire can take years to fully bounce back from.

Aside from practicing some basic fire prevention at home, you can stay prepared for a worst-case scenario by understanding what happens in the aftermath of a fire. Knowing how to work with your insurance company after a loss will make the claims process go much smoother and save you from additional heartache.

Beyond the Classroom

Red River Mutual is a major sponsor of the Firefighters’ Burn Fund of Manitoba Fire Safety Trailer Program. This program has seen 22 Fire Safety Trailers deployed throughout the province of Manitoba since 2011. The trailers provide interactive fire safety training and emergency response service education to young people who learn about fire safety through the use of props, such as smoke machines and heated doors that simulate a real house fire.

For more fire prevention tips, visit our Loss Prevention pages or follow @RedRiverMutual on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

*Fire data for 2012-2016 was obtained from 10 of the 13 provincial and territorial offices of the fire marshal/fire commissioner; 2015 is the most recent year for which injury/fatality data is available.