Oak Bay Fire Department
1703 Monterey Avenue, Oak Bay B.C. V8R 5V6 (250) 592-9121
Email:  obfire@oakbay.ca Fax:  (250) 598-2749

News Release
Date: December 1, 2014
      OBFD file # 2014-49
For Immediate Release:

Weekly Media Release for Monday, November 24, 2014 to Sunday, November 30, 2014.
Over the past week, Oak Bay Fire Department members responded to 27 calls for assistance.
These calls for assistance include:

15 – Medical First Responder Requests
6 – Commercial / Residential Alarm Activations
5 – Public Assistance
1 - Motor Vehicle Incident

With the cold weather upon us remember the following fire safety rules:

• Keep or maintain a three-foot (one-meter) clearance between all heating equipment and anything that can burn.
• Do not use your oven to heat your home.
• Inspect and maintain heating equipment regularly for safety.
• Portable space heaters should be turned off every time you leave the room and before going to bed.
• When buying a new space heater, make sure it has the label showing it is listed by a recognized testing laboratory. Be sure to have fixed space heaters installed by a qualified technician, according to manufacturer’s instructions or applicable codes. Or make sure a qualified technician checks to see that the unit has been properly installed.
• Make sure your fireplace has a sturdy screen to prevent sparks from flying into the room. Allow fireplace and woodstove ashes to cool before disposing in a metal container.
• Have heating equipment and chimneys inspected and cleaned every year.
• Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home. For the best protection, interconnect all smoke alarms throughout the home. When one sounds, they all sound. Test smoke alarms monthly.
• Install and maintain carbon monoxide alarms to avoid risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.