Sparky, the CBS Fire Department’s popular and entertaining fire safety mascot, lays five on councillor-at-large Joshua Barrett Tuesday after he read a proclamation declaring October 8 – 14 as Fire Prevention Week in the town. Looking on are, from left, Fire Chief John Heffernan, and firefighters Ed Eason and Jennifer Whitty. Also on hand for the ceremony was Sparky’s handler, Firefighter Ryan Collins. Councillor Barrett noted that two of every five house fires start in the kitchen, with 31 per cent of those resulting from unattended cooking. More than half of the injuries resulting from kitchen fires occur when people try to put out those fires themselves. Barrett said people should always keep a lid near the stove when they are cooking, in case they need it to smother flames, and should make sure children are not within three feet of the stove when it is in use. Barrett added that working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in a house fire almost in half. The theme for Fire Prevention week this year is ‘Cooking safety starts with you.’ “Paying attention to fire prevention effectively serves to remind us to stay alert and use caution when cooking to reduce the risk of kitchen fires,” said Barrett. As part of the week’s activities, the CBS Fire Department will be hosting an Open House at the main fire hall in Kelligrews on Saturday, October 14.
