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Message from Fire Chief Chad Brown
On January 10, 2021 a fire in Oxford Mills claimed the lives of four adults. This week we learned of another fire tragedy in the City of Toronto. These fires have caused families to experience significant loss, the communities lost neighbours and close friends, and emergency services workers will be forever marked with the memories of these unfortunate events.
I implore the residents of Mississippi Mills to help prevent similar tragedies by taking a moment to ensure you have working smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms throughout your homes. It is equally important to develop and practice a home escape plan. Smoke and CO alarms are your first defence against tragedy because they quickly alert occupants to potential problems. Early notification ensures occupants are afforded the time to safely escape their home. Never go back into a building once you have escaped, for any reason. The escape plan will ensure everyone knows where to meet outside. Some occupants may need to escape from a different exit route, so a meeting place is important when looking for occupants outside. The escape plan helps to coordinate activities when things are confusing, and everyone is excited due to the unfamiliar situation. Call 911 once it is safe to do so to ensure the fire department is notified of the situation. Communicating information with the first arriving firefighters will ensure operational plans can be quickly developed and immediately implemented.
Did you know that 30% of fire department response is related to smoke and carbon monoxide alarms? We encourage residents to call 911 when they experience issues with their alarms. Checking your alarms frequently and making sure they are not past the expiry date will ensure you do not have any unexpected alarm issues or require a fire department response. Additional information for alarm maintenance can be found on our website: https://www.mississippimills.ca/en/municipal-services/fire-services.aspx
On behalf of the Mississippi Mills Fire Department, please check your alarms and ensure your family is safe from the effects of fire and carbon monoxide. Our firefighters are friendly, we see them participate at activities around our community. Let’s ensure we meet at scheduled events and not during a time of need.
