Brainerd Fire Department Talks Fire Safety For National Fire Prevention Month

According to the Minnesota State Fire Marshal, 68 people died from fire-related causes in Minnesota in 2017. The month of October is National Fire Prevention Month where fire departments aim to educate their communities on fire and home safety.

During National Fire Prevention Month, the Brainerd Fire Department goes into classrooms to teach kids about fire safety and prevention. By doing this, they hope to motivate kids to bring what they have learned home and share it with their family and put forward a fire safety plan. The fire department also holds their annual open house every October as a way to educate the community.

“It’s great to get into the classrooms to talk to the younger kids about the awareness. It’s great because the kids usually bring that back to their parents, and then that kind of encourages the whole family to talk about the different things that we mention to them about their smoke alarms and an escape plan and things like that,” explained Tim Holmes, Brainerd Fire Department Chief.

With the winter season fast approaching, the Fire Department wants people to double check their furnaces and other appliances that have gone unused during the summer to make sure that they are in clean and working condition.

“With Daylight Savings Time changing here in the next couple of weeks, we would encourage everyone to change their batteries in all their smoke alarms. That way, it’s a good reminder with the Daylight Savings Time to change the batteries,” said Holmes. “Also, make sure that the smoke alarms in the house are current.”

The Brainerd Fire Department recommends that smoke alarms be changed at least every ten years.