According to the Bureau of Meteorology, we certainly started winter in style, setting a record on June 10th for the coldest day in Sydney in 37 years. fire wise
But, of course, that was a few weeks ago now, and certainly many space heaters and electric blankets were pulled out of cupboards and closets, and the fireplace or stove lit up to fight off the wintry blasts.
Is everything working ok so far? Did you check the cords, cables, and plugs for damage? Or clean the space heater vents from built-up dust?
They may be fine for the moment, but continued usage of damaged or dusty heating devices can result in overheating or sparking and cause devastating house fires. Can we overstate? Maybe, but here it goes again.
First, be sure to check your fire alarms are in place and operating correctly. Only a working fire alarm can save lives. fire wise, fire wise, fire wise
Glenorie Brigade had the opportunity to run some practice drills with the Galston Brigade that focused on building fires. We were able to work with their crew and pumper that has been designed for a suburban application.
The growing number of buildings and domiciles in our area, including aged care residences, has made it imperative that we are more prepared to engage in urban fire fighting. Being able to respond promptly and knowing the drills is essential to the safety of the community. Thank you to Galston Brigade for their willingness to work with us in building and maintaining such an important skill base.
We were also able to focus on fire safety with Glenorie Preschool during some community engagement work. The children were taught about fire safety, how to “Get down low. Go! Go! Go!”, and how to “Stop! Drop! Roll!”.
We also showed them a fully suited firefighter is not a scary thing; it’s just our firefighters underneath all that gear who are there to help them. It is never too early or too late to be fire wise.
We can avoid fires with safe practices, but we can be prepared to achieve the best outcomes if they do happen.
