Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services Office of the Fire Marshal	Ministère de la Sécurité communautaire et des Services correctionnels Bureau du commissaire des incendies
Place Nouveau Building 7th Floor 5775 Yonge Street North York ON M2M 4J1 Telephone 416-325-3100 Facsimile: 416-325-3162	Édifice Place Nouveau 7^eétage 5775 rue Yonge North York ON M2M 4J1 Téléphone: 416-325-3100 Télécopieur: 416-325-3162

For Immediate Release ATTENTION: NEWS AND ASSIGNMENT EDITORS

Practise your home fire escape plan with loved ones on Family Day

TORONTO (February 14, 2008) The Ontario Fire Marshal is urging all Ontarians to spend a few minutes this Family Day on a lifesaving activity that could protect the entire family from fire.

Sit down with everyone in your household and discuss how to get out of the home in the event of a fire, said Patrick Burke, Fire Marshal for Ontario. Consider drawing a floor plan of your home, identifying all escape routes from each room.

Simple steps for home fire escape planning include:

Install working smoke alarms on every storey of the home and outside all sleeping areas Its the law! - Make sure everyone in the home knows the sound of the smoke alarm.
Assess the needs of everyone in the home - Identify anyone who requires assistance to get out of the home safely, such as small children or older adults.
Identify all possible exits ( doors and windows ) and make sure they work - know two ways out of all areas, if possible.
Everyone must know what to do when the smoke alarm sounds Assign someone to help those who need assistance, identify a safe meeting place outside and call the fire department from a neighbours home or cell phone.
Get low and go - Everyone must know that if they are caught in smoke, they should get low and go under the smoke to the nearest safe exit.

You may have only seconds to safely escape your home. Practise your home fire escape plan and make sure everyone can get out quickly.

--30-

For more information please contact:
Gina Pontikas, Office of the Fire Marshal, 416-325-3138
Chris Slosser, Office of the Fire Marshal, 416-325-3120