How to Improve Fire Safety at Home
Wise words from Justin Kutzak, public education officer with the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service.
By Nicole Keen | Illustrations by Jeannie Phan
Justin Kutzak spent 15 years on the front lines as a firefighter in Winnipeg, but these days, he’s a public education officer with the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service. In this role, Kutzak visits schools and senior living centres, as well as apartments and condos, spreading the word about safety and fire prevention. “A lot of people don’t realize that some of their behaviour at home is actually a bit of a concern when it comes to fire safety,” says Kutzak. “Our hope is to get out there and get them to think about how to help prevent a fire.” Click on the arrows (below) to learn more about best practices when it comes to fire safety at home.
What’s better for home use: a fire extinguisher or a fire blanket?
What are the four key components of a fire safety plan?
Is it considered best practice to sleep with your bedroom door closed?
Did you know…?
What fire safety item should you test every month?
Other than cleaning out the lint filter after every cycle, what can I do to help prevent a dryer-related fire?
What’s better for home use: a fire extinguisher or a fire blanket? “Fire extinguishers... you can start using them from eight to 10 feet away. With a fire blanket, you have to know how to use it. It all really boils down to knowing how to use each device properly... we would rather people get away from the fire, get outside, call 911 and let us come put the fire out.”
Other than cleaning out the lint filter after every cycle, what can I do to help prevent a dryer-related fire? “Pull out your dryer [annually] and have that pipe to the outside cleaned out. You don’t need to spend a lot of money on hiring a company — you can just use a battery-operated leaf blower to blow [any debris] from one end to the other.”
What’s better for home use: a fire extinguisher or a fire blanket?
“Fire extinguishers... you can start using them from eight to 10 feet away. With a fire blanket, you have to know how to use it. It all really boils down to knowing how to use each device properly... we would rather people get away from the fire, get outside, call 911 and let us come put the fire out.”
What are the four key components of a fire safety plan?
- Working smoke alarms
- Carbon monoxide alarms
- Having two exits from every room
- Planning an outside meeting place
Is it considered best practice to sleep with your bedroom door closed?
“Yes! ‘Close before you doze’ is an easy catchphrase to remember, and it [comes] down to confining a fire and protecting yourself.”
Did you know…?
Smoke alarms lose their sensitivity over time. “We recommend replacing them after 10 years.”
What fire safety item should you test every month?
“Test your smoke alarms. It’s not hard to do. Get yourself a broomstick or some sort of stick and push the test button. Let it go through its cycle, and it’ll eventually shut off. If it doesn’t go off, you can try changing the batteries.”
Other than cleaning out the lint filter after every cycle, what can I do to help prevent a dryer-related fire?
“Pull out your dryer [annually] and have that pipe to the outside cleaned out. You don’t need to spend a lot of money on hiring a company — you can just use a battery-operated leaf blower to blow [any debris] from one end to the other.”
Justin Kutzak spent 15 years on the front lines as a firefighter in Winnipeg, but these days, he’s a public education officer with the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service. In this role, Kutzak visits schools and senior living centres, as well as apartments and condos, spreading the word about safety and fire prevention. “A lot of people don’t realize that some of their behaviour at home is actually a bit of a concern when it comes to fire safety,” says Kutzak. “Our hope is to get out there and get them to think about how to help prevent a fire.”