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Over the next few weeks, many families will be helping their post-secondary students settle into college or university. For some, this will be their first time living on their own. Ajax Fire and Emergency Services would like to remind everyone that fire safety is everyone’s responsibility!

Quote

“After about 18 years of living under a parent’s or guardian’s roof, many students may have taken fire safety for granted. We want to remind young people that the leading cause of home fires is unattended cooking. Your best chance of surviving a fire is early warning from working smoke alarms. When you drop your child off, take a moment to show them how to test the smoke alarms by pressing the test button. If an alarm isn’t working, notify the property manager immediately.” – Melissa Balson, Public Educator, Ajax Fire and Emergency Services

Quick Tips

  • Make sure you can hear the building alarm system when you are in your dorm room.
  • Test smoke alarms monthly.
  • Never remove batteries or disable alarms.
  • If you live in an apartment or house, make sure smoke alarms are installed in each sleeping room, outside every sleeping area and on each level of the apartment unit or house.
  • Learn your building’s evacuation plan and practice all drills as if they were the real thing.
  • Have a fire escape plan with two ways out of every room.
  • When the smoke alarm or fire alarm sounds, get out of the building quickly and stay out.
  • Stay in the kitchen when cooking.
  • Cook only when you are alert, never when sleepy or drowsy from medication or alcohol.
  • Check your school’s rules before using electrical appliances.
  • If you smoke, do so outside and only where it is permitted.
  • Charge devices with lithium-ion batteries on hard surfaces only. Avoid charging on soft surfaces like beds or couches.

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