SURVIVE THE HOLIDAYS

The holiday season typically is one of the deadliest times of the year for home fires. The Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM) is extremely concerned about the number of fire fatalities across the province already this holiday season.

The OFM urges fire departments to take immediate action to raise awareness of home fire safety this holiday season. Below are four public service announcements that address the leading causes of fires during the holiday season, including candles, careless cooking and alcohol. Also included is tree safety.

The fire service is urged to download these PSAs, deliver them to their local newspapers and request that they be printed throughout the holiday season. It is also recommended that departments contact radio and television stations about these issues and offer interviews to further raise public awareness.

Also below are a sample news release and newspaper editorial. Both are meant to remind the public of the importance of maintaining working smoke alarms on every storey and outside sleeping areas of their home. They also include fire safety tips for the holidays. The fire service can download both, customize them by filling in the information as indicated, then send them to local media.

Avoid Holiday Burn Out (English jpg; French jpg)

This is a newspaper public service announcement encouraging safe cooking practices during the holiday season. It includes a graphic depicting pots on a stove with flames and smoke billowing from the pots. The headline states: “Holidays Heating Up?” The text at the bottom states: “Unattended cooking is the number one cause of home fires. Pay close attention when you’re cooking and stay in the kitchen.”

Holidays Heating Up? (English jpg; French jpg)

This is a newspaper public service announcement encouraging people to drink responsibly while cooking during the holiday season. It includes a graphic depicting a cocktail and flames in the background and an “x” through the graphic. The headline states: “Watch the Holiday Spirits.” The text at the bottom states: “It’s a fact that many fire deaths are caused by people attempting to cook or smoke while under the influence of alcohol. There’s more to responsible drinking than taking a cab. Don’t put yourself – or your family – at risk to fire.”

Watch the Holiday Spirits (English jpg; French jpg)

This is a newspaper public service announcement encouraging the safe care of Christmas trees during the holiday season. It includes a graphic depicting a Christmas tree. The headline states: “Keep Your Tree Fire Free.” The text at the bottom states: “Keep all candles away from the Christmas tree. Water your tree daily.”

Keep Your Tree Fire Free (English jpg; French jpg)

News release template HTML, Word

Newspaper editorial template HTML, Word