The Fire Prevention branch provides knowledge and education to help residents and businesses live and work safe from fire. Public education plays a vital role in preventing fires. Please find important fire prevention and safety information below.
Download our Homeowner’s Fire Prevention Guide
Free smoke, CO alarm exchange available at Fire Hall 5
We’ve extended the free exchange until the end of the week (Nov. 7) at Fire Hall 5. Don’t miss out. Check your alarms today.
Don’t miss this opportunity to ensure your home is protected. Bring your expired or non-working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms to exchange for new ones. (While supplies last)
Limit: Two smoke alarms and one carbon monoxide alarm per household
- Location: Fire Hall 5, 200 Saprae Creek Trail (Airport Road in Gregoire)
- Dates: Extended until Nov. 7.
- Times: 8:30 a.m.– 4 p.m., Monday to Friday (Office is closed from noon-1 p.m)
Tips for your smoke and carbon monoxide alarm
Test your smoke alarm at least once a month by pressing the test button. Make sure everyone in the house is familiar with the sound of the smoke alarm and knows what to do when it sounds. Follow the manufacture instructions for cleaning which may include vacuuming the alarm once a month. If the smoke alarm has batteries, replace them every 6 months.
Smoke alarms expire after 10 years |
To see if your smoke alarm has expired, twist the alarm off the base to look for the manufactured date. This date may be found on the side or the back of the alarm. The smoke alarms expire 10 years after the manufactured date. If you can’t find a date, this could mean that it was manufactured over ten years ago and it is a safe option to replace them. |
Is your smoke alarm hardwired? |
If your smoke alarm is hardwired, that means it is connected to an electrical circuit in your home and should be interconnected to the other hardwired smoke alarms so if one sounds, they all sound. To replace this alarm, you may want to contact an electrician to ensure new alarms are compatible and installed properly. |
How to change your smoke alarm |
First, check to see if your smoke alarm is hardwired or battery operated. If it is battery operated, it will be mounted directly to a wall or ceiling and not connected to any wires. Follow the manufacture instructions for placement. If it is hardwired, it will be mounted onto an electrical box where the wires are connected to an electrical circuit. If there is more than one hardwired smoke alarm, they should be interconnected so when one sounds, they all sound. You may want to contact an electrician to ensure new smoke alarms are compatible and installed properly. |
Where to install the carbon monoxide alarms in your home |
Carbon monoxide alarms should be installed in central locations outside each sleeping room and on every level of the home. Test your carbon monoxide alarms at least once a month by pressing the test button. Make sure everyone in the house is familiar with the sound of the carbon monoxide alarm. |
How often you should replace your carbon monoxide alarms |
Replace the alarms every 10 years or as recommended by the manufacture. If the carbon monoxide alarm intermittently beeps, check for low batteries and replace if needed. If the CO alarm sounds, immediately move to a fresh air location (outdoors or by an open window or door) and call 911. |
Presentations and Fire Hall Tours
Regional Emergency Services offers the opportunity to schedule fire safety presentations, training and tours to a variety of groups. To book Fire Hall tours please fill out the Fire Hall Tour Request Form.
To book presentations please email your requests to RES.Reception@rmwb.ca . For more information contact Pulse.
Other home fire safety information
Fire pits |
For more information on fire pit permits and permit conditions, please visit Recreational Fires and Fire Pits. |
Fire extinguishers |
Fire extinguishers can be used to put out a small fire or contain a fire until the fire department arrives. But because fires grow and spread so fast, the number one priority for residents is to get out safely. You should not attempt to fight even a small fire until people have safely escaped the area and the fire department has been called. OperationUse the acronym P.A.S.S. to remember the fire extinguishing sequence: P - Pull the pin in the handle. Fire Extinguisher Types
Safety Tips
|
Escape planning |
Fire can spread rapidly through your home, leaving you as little as one or two minutes to escape safely once the smoke alarm sounds. A closed-door may slow the spread of smoke, heat and fire. Install smoke alarms in every sleeping room and outside each separate sleeping area. Install alarms on every level of the home. Pull together everyone in your household and make a plan. Walk through your home and inspect all possible exits and escape routes. Households with children should consider drawing a floor plan of your home, marking two ways out of each room, including windows and doors. Safety Tips
If the Alarm Sounds
Create a Plan
More information |
After a Fire
The Fire Prevention branch helps those impacted by fire. As part of our commitment to the residents in our region, the following information is intended as a guide for victims of fire and may not necessarily relate to your specific needs.
Recovering from a fire can be a challenging process for those impacted. Often, the hardest part is knowing the initial steps to take, and who to contact throughout the early recovery period.
The following guide may help you with some of the common issues associated with confusion and lack of information immediately after a fire.