CANADIANS HAVE A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY ABOUT HOME FIRE SAFETY

(NC) - A new national fire safety survey reveals most Canadians have the right tools in place to protect their homes in a fire emergency but many still do not know the best way to respond in the event of an actual home fire.

According to the annual fire safety study commissioned by the Canada Safety Council (CSC), the majority of Canadians have working smoke alarms (97%), flashlights (88%), fire extinguishers (67%) and a fire escape plan (64%) in place.

Unfortunately, less than half have working carbon monoxide detectors and in the past year, 77% hadn't practiced a home fire drill and only 28% had replaced the batteries in their smoke alarms twice, as recommended by safety experts.

"People continue to have a false sense of security when it comes to home fires," said Suzanne Robillard, spokesperson for the CSC. "It is alarming to us that Canadians are not exercising as much caution as they should be to ensure their own safety at home. It is not enough to have safety equipment in place - knowing how to respond quickly is the key to saving lives."

The study also shows that among Canadians who renovated or made plans to renovate their homes significantly, fully 60% had given no thought to updating their home fire escape plan to better reflect their new home setting. - (NC)

Source: www.newscanada.com