The statistics are sobering: on average, 19 Canadian children ages 14 and under dies as a result of result of fire or smoke inhalation, while a further 600 are hospitalized. Such numbers are especially troubling given that the proper use of smoke alarms and home safety initiatives could prevent most of those deaths and injuries.

With Fire Prevention Week, which begins on October 9, Safe Kids Canada seeks to educate families across the country on the vital topic of fire and burn safety. “It is a parent’s responsibility to give their children every possible chance of survival from smoke and fire,” says Pamela Fuselli, executive director of Safe Kids Canada. “A big part of our education effort will focus on preventative steps parents must take.”

“With more education about prevention steps, as well as awareness of certain areas of the home more prone to burns and scalds, parents can spare their children and themselves a lifetime of heartache,” says Dr. Joel Fish, medical director of the Burns Program at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children.

One of the most important things parents can do is devise a home fire escape plan. “The fire escape planning exercise begins with parents going through the home with kids in tow, first checking each and every smoke alarm,” says John Caruso, chief fire prevention officer for the City of Vaughan Fire and Rescue. “Then, sit down with your kids and draw a floor plan and map two escape routes out of every room.  Agree on a safe outdoor meeting place.  And then practise that escape plan twice each year.”

For more information on ways that you can take steps to prevent a fire in your home, visit www.safekidscanada.ca and www.safeathome.ca, or call 2-1-1 to ask about fire prevention and education initiatives in your community.