October 11, 2007, Canton, MI – With National Fire Prevention Week in full swing, Canton Fire Department is out in the community spreading the word about fire awareness and prevention.  Firefighters are taking the department’s Fire Safety House around to all of the third grade classes in Canton, giving children the opportunity to experience and learn about fire in the home, while in a safe and controlled environment.  Firefighters have also been requested to speak to various classrooms about fire safety, and are giving fire station tours to scheduled groups all week.  During the weekends in October, Fire Prevention can be found around town at local businesses getting the word out about prevention and awareness.

This year the department’s annual Fire Prevention Poster Contest usually held in conjunction with National Fire Prevention Week has been moved back to November, to better accommodate the schools schedules.  The theme of the contest will still be focused around the Fire Prevention Week theme, this year being “Plan and Practice Your Home Escape Plan”.  The National Fire Prevention Association urges everyone to not only have a fire escape plan for your home, but to have everyone in the home practice the plan.

According to Fire Marshal Frank Barrett, “It is important that everyone in the home practice the escape plan.  Oftentimes plans will need to be re-worked because of unforeseen obstacles not discovered until a trial run has been performed.”

For further information on the Canton Fire Prevention Unit or the Fire Poster Contest contact 734/394-5456.  Information may also be found on Canton Public Safety’s website, www.cantonpublicsafety.org.

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