Canadians show 'alarming' lack of awareness on fire safety

(NC)-'Fire Prevention Week' kicks off in Canada during October and not a second too soon for the majority of Canadians who need to start doing their homework when it comes to improving fire safety at home, according to a new survey.

The seventh annual Duracell Fire Safety Survey reveals that a whopping 77% of Canadians admitted they failed to practice a home fire drill in the past year. Worse, one in four Canadians admitted to not changing home smoke alarm batteries at least once in the past year as recommended by the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs (CAFC), rendering the critical first line of defense in home fire safety useless.

With Oct. 5 - 11 marking 2008 Fire Prevention Week in Canada, Duracell and the CAFC are urging Canadians to improve their fire safety awareness, particularly as it relates to keeping home alarms in proper working order.

"A working smoke alarm is a key step in fire safety preparedness and Canadians need to be more dedicated to maximizing safety in their own homes," said Pat Burke, president of the CAFC, Duracell's partner in the 2008 national fire safety survey.

The CAFC and Duracell are advising Canadians to get into the habit of refreshing alarm batteries at least once a year and they suggest that an easy way to remember is to do so when resetting clocks every fall.

This year, as the CAFC marks its 100th anniversary, Canada's fire chiefs are partnering with Duracell and Canadian Tire Stores to name Canada's Junior Fire Chief. The contest gives Canadian boys and girls aged 7 to 12 years the chance to win a trip Ottawa to spend a day with the city's fire chief. Details on the contest are available online at www.juniorfirechief.ca.

The seventh annual Duracell Fire Safety Survey was conducted by Omnitel, a division of Acrobat Research, between May 8 and May 11, 2008 and involved a sampling of 1,000 Canadians. More information is available online at www.duracell.com/ca/firesafety.

Credit: www.newscanada.com