Check that sprinkler

Photo: Mike Biden

Is your home as fire-safe as it could be?

This Saturday, May 26, the Penticton Fire Department is aiming to help you make it safer. It's Home Fire Sprinkler Day, part of a nation-wide campaign from the National Fire Protection Association and the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition. 

The goal is to raise awareness of the dangers of home fires, and the life-saving benefits of having fire sprinklers installed, especially in new homes.

"Every year, the majority of fire deaths in North America happen at home,” said fire prevention officer Cpt. Mike Richards. “Simply put, that’s unacceptable. There is a solution and it starts with local action.” 

The fire department will set up an event at the Penticton Farmers Market from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.  

“Many people lose sight of the fact that home fires are dangerous not just to residents but also to firefighters,” said Cpt. Richards.

“Today’s new houses are built with lightweight construction and big open designs and they’re filled with synthetic furnishings. When they burn, they fail fast, and that environment places firefighters at risk from fire as well as toxins that lead to disease.”

Fire sprinklers cost around $1.50 per sprinklered square foot, and reduce the risk of dying in a home fire by 80 per cent and the risk of property damage by 70 per cent. 

They control and confine fire, protecting property and giving residents more time for escape the home. 

For more information, stop by the fire department's booth on Saturday.