Fire and Rescue NSW open day moves online to encourage the community to be safe at home this winter
Published: 15th May 2020
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Fire and Rescue NSW will be moving their 2020 Open Day online to protect both our community and our staff as we head into winter.
This offers Fire and Rescue a great opportunity to show the public what goes on behind closed doors from fire and floods, natural disasters and pandemics. Our Open Day will now run for a week online via Facebook from 10am Saturday 16 May until 4pm Saturday 23 May.
Open Day will not only be an opportunity for the community to have a virtual tour of their local fire station with live demonstrations and Q&A sessions with firefighters but take the public into the inner workings of Fire and Rescue.
Deputy Commissioner Jeremy Fewtrell said Fire and Rescue have aligned their Open Day to the Get Ready for Winter Campaign which is the perfect time for communities to get in touch with their local firefighters and discuss home fire safety.
“This Open Day our firefighters will walk you through how to check your smoke alarms and help you come up with a fire escape plan via Facebook live.”
Deputy Commissioner Fewtrell said winter is the time when we see an increase in residential house fire related fatalities. So it was important residents remember to be careful when using heaters and fireplaces and electric blankets this winter.
“Don’t put your family at risk this winter, check that all your appliances are switched off and ensure that open fires have been fully extinguished. If we all do our bit to minimise the risks in our home, we can all stay safer together”, he said.
Minister for Police and Emergency Services, David Elliott said, with families spending more time at home than ever before it is crucial, we prepare our homes before winter hits.
“FRNSW do a great job in keeping our community safe, now it is our time as NSW residents to do the right thing by our families, listen to the experts and ensure our homes are safe.”
Some simple steps the community can take include:
- Never ever leave cooking unattended
- Only working smoke alarms save lives - test your smoke alarm today
- Keep everything one metre away from your heater
- Do not overload your power boards with appliances like heaters and electric blankets
- Strong fire screens should be set up in front of open fires
- Turn off your electric blanket at night
- Do not use outdoor heating and cooking equipment inside your home. The use of this type of equipment indoors could lead to the build-up of carbon monoxide which could be fatal
Keep up with our open day activities by visiting www.fire.nsw.gov.au, or the Fire and Rescue NSW Facebook page or by searching for your local station on Facebook.