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Learning English with CBCListening Lessons for Intermediate StudentsBased on CBC Manitoba Radio Broadcasts

February 21, 2012Lesson 76: Teacher’s EditionLevel: CLB 5 and up

Topic: Fire SafetyLanguage Skills and Functions: Listening – listening to a short interview for detail;

Speaking – making a 911 call; presenting information

Reading – reading a text for main ideas and detail; reading a quiz and answering multiple choice questions

Writing – writing instructions

Language Competencies: Vocabulary, Pronunciation, Listening and Speaking Strategies, Socio-cultural/sociolinguistic Competence

Language Tasks: Discussing fire safety in your home

Listening for detail in a radio interview with Assistant Fire Chief Bill Clark

Using new vocabulary in context to complete sentences on the main ideas of the interview

Reading a quiz about fire safety / answering multiple choice questions

Giving written instructions on fire safety using the imperative

Reading different situations and deciding if they are 911 emergencies

Making a 911 call to report a fire in your home

Reading about home fire escape plans / planning and delivering a presentation on the topic

Essential Skills: Reading text, working with others, oral communication, writing

Worksheets1: 1. Practice Vocabulary in Context2. What’s Your Fire Safety IQ?3. Give Instructions about Fire Safety Using the Imperative4. In What Situations do I Call 911?5. Call 911 to Report a Fire6. Answer Detail Questions about Home Escape Plans7. Plan a Presentation about Home Escape Plans

Appendices: TranscriptAnswers to Fire Safety QuizFire is Fast! There is little time!

1 Answers to worksheets are in the self-study version of the lesson plan. Fire Safety Learning English with CBC of 24

Manitoba Memo

Statistics show that on average, fires in Canada kill eight people a week. Three-quarters of these deaths happen in people’s homes. Death from fire is most common between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m., while people are sleeping. Most people are killed by smoke inhalation, not by flames.

In a house fire, working smoke alarms and an escape plan can be the difference between life and death. A smoke alarm alerts you that a fire has started. A rehearsed escape plan helps everyone get out quickly.

Fire can spread through a home within a few minutes. Newer homes and furnishings are made with a lot of synthetic materials and plastics. These materials cause fires to ignite and burn very fast. They also release toxic gases when they burn. The safe escape time in a fire today is very short.

Most home fires are preventable. The top five causes are:

Kitchen fires, which often result from someone leaving a pot or pan on a hot burner on a stove and forgetting about it.

Home heating fires, which are caused by sparks escaping a wood stove or fireplace, by a chimney catching fire or when flammable objects are left near baseboard heaters or space heaters.

Electrical fires, which can be caused by wall outlets overheating, by worn or broken electrical cords or by faulty electrical wiring.

Careless smoking fires, which are the number one killer in fatal home fires. A lit cigarette can smoulder for hours in a couch or mattress, and then fire breaks out in the middle of the night when people are sleeping.

Candle fires, which usually happen when someone forgets to put out lit candles and leaves the room.

There are three key words for fire safety: prevention, detection and escape. We need to know and understand all three to stay safe.

Fire Safety Learning English with CBC of 24

Pre-listening activities

1. Discuss with a partner

Ask students to think about where they and their classmate live. Write some or all of these questions on the board and ask students to use these questions to interview a partner about fire safety in their home. Then ask the pairs to switch roles.

Do you have smoke detectors in your home? Where are they located? Who checks the smoke detectors to make sure they have working batteries? What emergency number would you call if you had a fire in your home? Do you and your family have a plan to exit your home if there is a fire?

(e.g. a meeting place outside where everyone would go when they left the burning house)

Do you have a fire extinguisher in your home? If so, do you know how to use it properly?

Does anyone in your home smoke in bed? Burn candles regularly?

2. Vocabulary

Elicit or present key vocabulary that students need to understand prior to listening to the podcast (see suggested vocabulary and explanations which follow). You can write the words on the board and elicit possible meanings from the class or break students into groups and give each group a few words to review. Groups can then present the vocabulary to the rest of the class. You can also ask students to mark the syllables and stress for each word, identify word families and practise pronouncing the words. You may want to ask students to think of sentences that use the new vocabulary. If your students keep a vocabulary journal, they can copy the vocabulary into their journal.

Vocabulary

tragic A tragic event or situation can also be described as dreadful or disastrous. It makes you feel very sad because it involves death or suffering.

fire prevention Fire prevention refers to the things people can do to prevent fires from starting.

fire detection A fire detection system lets people know a fire has started and gives them a warning. For example, a smoke detector is an example of a fire detection system.

to escape from When you escape from a situation, you get away from it. We usually escape from situations we think could be dangerous.


the Assistant Fire Chief The Assistant Fire Chief is the second-in-command. He or she assists the Fire Chief in running the fire department and fills in for the Chief if he/she is unavailable.

a smoke detector A smoke detector is a device that senses when there is smoke in a home or building and sets off an alarm to warn people of the danger.

a battery A battery is an object that supplies electricity so that a device like a smoke detector can do its job.

a fire escape plan A fire escape plan is a plan developed to show people how to escape from a home or building if there’s a fire. It shows all of the possible exits.

tips If you give someone tips about a topic, it’s similar to giving them advice.

a carbon monoxide detector Carbon monoxide detectors are similar to smoke detectors, but the alarm sounds if there is carbon monoxide gas in the air in your home. Carbon monoxide is a colourless, odourless and poisonous gas. A problem with your furnace could lead to carbon monoxide in your home.

an exit An exit is a way out. For example, doors and windows are the common ways to exit a home.

the National Building Code The National Building Code is a book for the construction industry. It sets standards and guidelines to ensure that new and renovated buildings are structurally sound, safe from fire, free of health hazards, and accessible to people with physical disabilities.

to take something into consideration If you take something into consideration, it means you have considered or thought about it before finalizing what you plan to do.

to have an alternative If you have an alternative, it means you have another option or choice. For example, if the front door in blocked in a fire situation, an alternative plan is to escape through a window.

to be warned about something When you are warned about something, you are made aware of an event or situation that could be dangerous or harmful.

to reach a certain proportion The word proportion means size or scale.

to be rendered unconscious If you are rendered unconscious, it means you lose consciousness. In this state, you cannot see, smell, move etc. but you are alive.


2. Predict what the interview is about

In this interview, Marcy Markusa interviews Bill Clark, the Assistant Fire Chief for the City of Winnipeg.

Ask students if they can predict the advice Bill Clark will give to CBC listeners about what they can do to stay safe from fire. Here are some examples:

I think he’ll tell listeners to… make sure they have a smoke detector.He’ll probably tell listeners to...make sure they know how to get out of their home if there is a fire.He might suggest that listeners…go to the Fire Department’s website for tips.I’m not really sure what advice he’ll give.

While-listening activities

1. Introduce the podcast

Tell students that in this podcast, they will hear two speakers. They will hear:

Marcy Markusa – host and interviewerBill Clark – Assistant Fire Chief, City of Winnipeg

2. Listen for detail / use new vocabulary in context

Handout Worksheet 1 and review with students. Take up the answers as a class.

3. Listen for spoken language strategies

Ask students to listen for spoken language strategies. Draw their attention to the different strategies Bill Clark uses when he’s speaking.

Strategy Example LinesGaining time to think by stalling by using fillers or hesitators

y’know like ah… I mean uh…

throughout

Re-phrasing Absolutely, a home plan ought to be like okay, mean taking into consider, y’know, alternative plans.

29/30

Reductions y’know throughout

Long, run-on sentences.

In written English, this passage might be two or three sentences.

It’s based on like, the houses are based on the National Building Code and with that ah based on the design and exits, there can be a a single exit ah but that’s to the code and a lot of houses are built that way.

22-26


After-listening activities

1. Review pre-listening predictions

Ask students whether they were able to predict any of the advice that Bill Clark provided.

Extension activities

1. Read a quiz about fire safety and answer multiple choice questions

Handout Worksheet 2. Ask students to work in small groups to answer all the questions on the quiz. Take up the answers as a class.

Hand out Appendix 2. Assign each group 3 or 4 of the expanded answers to the quiz questions. Ask the groups to read the answers and be prepared to share up to five safety tips they learn from the answers with their classmates.

2. Use the imperative to give fire safety instructions

Handout Worksheet 3 and review using the imperative with the class. Ask students to work with a partner to write imperative sentences for each of the situations presented. Take up the answers as a class.

3. Read a list of situations and decide which ones require an emergency 911 call

Hand out Worksheet 4 and review the instructions with the class. Ask students to work with a partner to read / discuss each situation and decide whether they think it is an emergency and 911 should be called. Take up the answers as a class. (Note that some of the situations could depend on the circumstances.)

4. Practice calling 911 to report a fire emergency

Handout Worksheet 5 and review the information about 911 calls. Tell students that the role play is to give them idea of what they might be asked so they can be prepared. The operator may ask other questions as well. Ask students to work with a partner to do the role play.

5. Read a text about developing home fire escape plans and answer detail questions

Handout Worksheet 6 and Appendix 3. Review the instructions with the class. Ask students to work in small groups for this task. Take up the answers as a class.

6. Plan a presentation on home fire escape plans and deliver it

Handout Worksheet 7 and review it with students. Ask the groups to plan their presentation, using the outline provided. Encourage students to act out the presentation, use pictures etc. to make their presentation interesting to listeners. Students can present to their classmates or to other classes.


Want to know more…

The information for Appendix 3 is from the City of Winnipeg website, Fire and Paramedics page. Go to winnipeg.ca/fps/ . Select Public Information, then Fire Safety Tips, then Escape Plan. There is lots of other information available on this website as well.

The website of the Manitoba Fire Commissioner has information on fire safety. You can borrow videos from their library.Go to www.firecomm.gov.mb.ca/mesc_lending_library_3.html

Quiz questions are from several sources, including:www.readersdigest.ca/home-garden/home-improvement/quiz-take-our-home-fire-safety-challenge

Information on when to call 911 is from numerous sources, including:www.drps.ca/internet_explorer/public_safety/safety_tips/index.asp?Action=3&AbsPage=1&Topic_ID=45&Category_ID=1

There is lots of information on the Fire Prevention Canada website: www.fiprecan.ca/

These websites have fire safety information in different languages. www.toronto.ca/fire/prevention/index.htmwww.london.ca/d.aspx?s=/Fire_Dept/Fire_Safety_Resources/ESL.htm

CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external websites


http://www.london.ca/d.aspx?s=/Fire_Dept/Fire_Safety_Resources/ESL.htm

http://www.toronto.ca/fire/prevention/index.htm

http://www.fiprecan.ca/

http://www.drps.ca/internet_explorer/public_safety/safety_tips/index.asp?Action=3&AbsPage=1&Topic_ID=45&Category_ID=1

http://www.drps.ca/internet_explorer/public_safety/safety_tips/index.asp?Action=3&AbsPage=1&Topic_ID=45&Category_ID=1

http://www.readersdigest.ca/home-garden/home-improvement/quiz-take-our-home-fire-safety-challenge

http://www.readersdigest.ca/home-garden/home-improvement/quiz-take-our-home-fire-safety-challenge

http://www.firecomm.gov.mb.ca/mesc_lending_library_3.html

http://winnipeg.ca/fps/

Worksheet 1: Practice Vocabulary in Context

The following sentences summarize the main ideas in the podcast. When you listen this time, listen for new vocabulary and how it is used in the interview. Now try using the new vocabulary. Can you find the correct vocabulary words from the box below to complete each sentence? The first one is completed for you as an example.

1. A tragic house fire in Winnipeg claimed the lives of four people.

2. In the interview, Marcy asks the Assistant Fire Chief what people can do right now to

improve their fire ________.

3. One of the most important things you can do is to have one or more ______________ in

your home. You also need to check the _______ to make sure they are working.

4. It is important to have an __________ so you and your family know how to get out of your

home quickly if a fire starts.

5. Some newer homes only have one main _______. That’s why it is important to know about

________ escape routes, like __________.

6. However, you can’t escape if you aren’t _________.

7. If you don’t have a smoke detector to warn you about a fire, you could become ________

and not even realize you are in danger.

smoke detectors alternative safety escape plan warned

unconscious windows tragic batteries exit


Worksheet 2: What’s Your Fire Safety IQ?

What do you know about fire prevention and fire safety? With your group, read the following questions and the possible answers. Select the best answer for each question.

1. What kind of fire in the home is most likely to cause death?

a) Cooking firesb) Smoking of cigarettes, cigars etc.c) Heating equipment fires (e.g. space heaters, woodstoves)d) Electrical fires

2. What percentage of fires in the home start in the kitchen?

a) 10 percent b) 20 percent c) 30 percent d) 40 percent

3. If a pan on the stove catches fire, what should you do?

a) Throw water on itb) Throw flour on itc) Put a lid on itd) Carry it to the sink and run water over it

4. If you are leaving your home, at what point should you turn off the clothes dryer?

a) If you plan to be gone 15 minutes or moreb) If you plan to be gone 30 minutes or morec) If you plan to be gone an hour or mored) Turn off the dryer before you leave regardless of how long you are going to be away

5. What percentage of people have an escape plan for their home?

a) 10 percentb) 25 percentc) 35 percentd) 45 percent

6. What is the main reason why smoke detectors fail?

a) Missing batteriesb) Dead batteriesc) Disconnected batteriesd) All of the above


7. How often should you replace a smoke detector?

a) Every 5 yearsb) Every 10 yearsc) Every 20 yearsd) You don’t need to replace a smoke detector as long as it is working

8. When should you consider using a fire extinguisher?

a) When the fire is between you and the phoneb) When the fire is between you and the exit doorc) When the fire is confined to a very small aread) When a room is filled with smoke

9. If your clothing catches fire, what should you do?

a) Run for helpb) Jump in the showerc) Find the fire extinguisherd) Drop to the ground and roll over

10. After a fire starts, how long do you have to escape your home safely?

a) One to 2 minutesb) At least 5 minutesc) Up to ten minutesd) Up to 15 minutes

11. If a fire breaks out in your home, what should be your first priority?

a) Calling 911b) Trying to put the fire outc) Getting everyone out of the house safely, then calling 911d) Making sure you take your valuables with you when you leave the house

12. If all the exits are blocked by smoke and fire, what should you do?

a) Yell for help out a window and call 911 if you have a phoneb) Try to keep smoke from entering the room you are in by filling cracks around the door

with sheets, blankets etc.c) Stay where the firefighters can find you - never hide in a closet or under a bedd) All of the above


Worksheet 3: Give Instructions about Fire Safety Using the Imperative

Normally, we think that a proper sentence must have a subject and a verb, but that’s not always the case. In an imperative sentence, the subject is implied. Read the following information about imperative sentences with your partner.

The Imperative is Used… Examples of Imperative Sentences to give a direct command to someone

to give advice, to instruct, to suggest

in spoken language more often than in written language

to communicate written tips or do’s and don’ts on a topic

Be quiet!

Please be quiet.

Don’t/Never smoke in bed.

Turn off the dryer before you leave the house.

Check the batteries in your smoke detector at least once a year.

Imperative Sentence Structure

Imperative sentences use the base infinitive form of the verb. The subject (you) is implied but isn’t said. Some commands are followed by an exclamation mark.

However, if a command starts with “please”, a period is used.

Affirmative imperative sentences tell you to do something.

Negative imperative sentences tell you not to do something.

Be quiet!(Meaning: You must be quiet.)

Please be quiet.(Meaning: I’d like you to be quiet.)

Turn off the dryer before you leave the house.(Meaning: You should always turn off the dryer before you leave the house.)

Don’t/Never smoke in bed.(Meaning: You should not/you should never smoke in bed.)


Here is a list of situations that relate to fire prevention and fire safety. Read the situation with your partner. Can you write an instruction for each situation using the imperative? The first one is completed for you as an example.

1. Situation: You know it’s important for people to remember never to smoke in bed.

Instruction: Don’t smoke in bed. / Never smoke in bed.

2. Situation: You know it’s important for people not to leave the dryer running when they leave the house.

Instruction: _______________________________________________________________

3. Situation: You know it’s important for people to check the batteries in their smoke detector at least once a year.

Instruction: _______________________________________________________________

4. Situation: You know it’s important for people not to leave matches or lighters where children can find them.

Instruction: _______________________________________________________________

5. Situation: You know it’s important for people to remember to put out their cigarette butt before throwing it in the trash.

Instruction: _______________________________________________________________

6. Situation: You know it’s important for people to practice an escape plan for their home in case of fire.

Instruction: _______________________________________________________________

7. Situation: You know it’s important for people to remember not to leave the kitchen if they have a pot cooking on the stove.

Instruction: _______________________________________________________________

8. Situation: You know it’s important for people not to leave candles burning after they leave a room.

Instruction: _______________________________________________________________


9. Situation: You know it’s important for people to remember to keep flammable items away from portable heaters.

Instruction: _______________________________________________________________


Worksheet 4: In What Situations do I Call 911?

Manitoba’s major cities and most regions of the province have 911 service. If you dial 911, you are connected to police, fire and ambulance emergency services. If you aren’t sure if there is 911 service where you live, check with your phone service provider (e.g. Manitoba Telephone System) or with your local health authority.

The general rule is that you call 911 if you think a situation is life-threatening, a medical emergency, or if you think there could be significant danger to people or property. However, sometimes, people call 911 to report incidents or situations which are not actual emergencies. If a 911 operator has to take a non-emergency call, it takes their time away from a real emergency. That’s why most cities and towns also have police non-emergency numbers. For example, Winnipeg has non-emergency numbers for fire, police and ambulance services.2 It also has 311, a general information line for city services.

Read the list of situations below with your partner. When would you call 911?

Situation Call 911? Yes or No?

1. You or another person is seriously injured and in need of medical attention (e.g. chest pains, bleeding, breathing problems) Yes

2. Someone in your neighbourhood is screaming loudly for help.

3. You want to report a lost pet.

4. You see children playing on the thin ice on the river.

5. A crime has just taken place that has resulted in injury, or there’s a situation that could lead to injuries or be life-threatening.

6. Your partner or another person is threatening or abusing you.

7. You want to report that your vehicle was broken into last week.

8. You are driving behind a driver who you think is impaired.

9. A robbery or theft is happening.

10. You hear gunshots or a loud explosion.

11. A serious motor vehicle accident has occurred.

12. You hear the sound of breaking glass.

13. Vehicles are parked on your street in a no-parking zone.

14. You see suspicious activity in your neighbourhood, e.g. there’s a stranger knocking on doors or cars that aren’t usually there.

15. A fire or smoke has been detected.

16. Someone asks you to call 911. You aren’t sure of their situation.

17. You are involved in a minor vehicle accident or fender-bender.

2 The Winnipeg non-emergency numbers are: Ambulance – 986-6336; Fire – 986-6380; Police – 986-6222.


Worksheet 5: Call 911 to Report a Fire

Do you have the language you need to make a 911 call? Can you provide the 911 operator with the information they need in order to assist you?

Here are some important points to remember if you are calling 911 to report an emergency.

Stay calm. Speak clearly. Explain the emergency, and provide the address and telephone number

where the emergency is occurring. The 911 operator will ask questions to determine what kind of emergency

assistance you need. Listen carefully to the questions. Ask the operator to speak more slowly or repeat information if you need to.

Let the operator control the conversation. In some situations, the 911 operator will give you instructions to follow.

Listen and follow the instructions exactly. Always stay on the line until you are told to hang up.

On very rare occasions, you may get a recorded message when you dial 911. Do not hang up. Stay on the line and your call will be answered as soon as an operator is available.

If you aren’t sure if a situation is actually an emergency, but you think it may be, call 911 and report what is happening to the operator. If she/he decides it isn’t an emergency, you will be asked to hang up and call the non-emergency line.

It’s a good idea to keep 911 emergency information near all of the phones in your home. You may know this information by heart, but a visitor or babysitter may not know it. Complete the box below with your personal information. Make copies to put by your phone.

9- 1- 1 Emergency: Police Fire Ambulance

Name: _____________________________________________

Address: ___________________________________________

Nearest Intersection: _________________________________

Telephone Number: __________________________________


Making a 911 Phone Call to Report a Fire

Practice the following role play with your partner. One of you can be the operator and the other the caller. Then switch roles.

911 Operator: Hello, this is 911. What is the nature of your emergency?Caller: ______________________________________________________________

(Tell the operator your home is on fire.)

911 Operator: What is your address? Caller: ______________________________________________________________

(Tell the operator your address.)

911 Operator: What is your name? Caller: ______________________________________________________________

(Tell the operator your name.) 911 Operator: What is your phone number?

Caller: ______________________________________________________________(Tell the operator your phone number.)

911 Operator: What is the current situation? Is everyone safely out of the house?Caller: ______________________________________________________________

(Tell the operator yes, everyone is out of the house.)

911 Operator: The fire and paramedic service is on its way. Do not go back into your home.

Caller: ______________________________________________________________(Tell the operator you understand and will not go back inside.)

911 Operator: You can hang up now. Help is coming.


Worksheet 6: Answer Detail Questions about a Home Escape Plan

Read the text Fire is Fast – There is Little Time (Appendix 3) with your group for detail. Decide whether the statements below are true or false. The first one is completed for you as an example.

1. A fire can get out of control in 30 seconds. True False

2. You have several minutes to get out of the house if a fire starts. True False

3. One working smoking detector is enough for most homes. True False

4. You should test your smoke detector to make sure it works and to ensure everyone in your home knows what the alarm sounds like.

True False

5. If possible, your home escape plan should show two ways out of each room in your home.

True False

6. It’s important to decide in advance who would help infants or older people in the home if there’s a fire.

True False

7. An agreed upon meeting place outside the home is a good idea, but it’s not an essential part of your escape plan.

True False

8. If you can’t read your house number easily from the street, or it can’t be seen at night, you should get a new one that is more visible.

True False

9. You should practice your escape plan monthly. True False

10. Practicing it during the day is important, but it is just as important to practice it at night.

True False


Worksheet 7: Plan a Presentation on Home Escape Plans

Use the outline below to help you develop your presentation. Think about what information you should stress in the presentation.(Hint: look at the key words which are bolded in the text in Appendix 3.) Think about how you could present the information to help your audience remember the key points. Are there parts you could act out or role play? Are there illustrations or pictures you could use? Are there items you could use (e.g. a smoke detector)? You can look at the websites under the “Want to know more” section of the lesson if you need more information or to find ideas.

Key Points to Stress

Support/Expand on Key Points(use facts, role plays, pictures, objects etc.)

What We’ll Actually Say / Do

1. Fire spreads quickly To make this point, you could use facts from the text.

You could also count to 30 with your audience to emphasize how quickly everything happens.

It’s important to plan how to escape your home in case of fire. Fires can get out of control in 30 seconds. That’s not a long time (count to 30 with audience).

You may only have a minute to get out so you need to know how you would escape before a fire happens.

Key Points to Support/Expand on Key Points What We’ll Actually Say/Do Fire Safety Learning English with CBC of 24

Stress


Appendix 1: Transcript3

January 26, 2012 (broadcast date) Speaker Podcast Line

Marcy Hi I'm Marcy Markusa and you're listening to Learning English

with CBC. Recently, there was a tragic house fire in Winnipeg

that claimed the lives of four people. Whenever something like

this happens, we’re all reminded of the importance of fire

prevention and fire safety. As Assistant Fire Chief Bill Clark

explains to me in this interview, there are steps we can all take

to stay safe.

5

Marcy What can people do in their homes right now, this morning, to

ah improve their fire safety?

Bill If you have a smoke detector, check the battery. If you don’t

have a smoke detector, put one in. Ah if you have a family

escape plan, then review it and practice it. If you don’t have

one, make one. Our our department, we have our on our

website, we have ah tips to homeowners and that about

developing safe ah uh escape plans for the home, ah about

smoke detectors, and carbon monoxide detectors.

10

15

Marcy One of the one of the neighbours Bill, just because you

mentioned the escape plan, had told CBC that that entire house

in this particular fire only had one exit.

Bill (agrees) 20

Marcy Is that to code?

Bill That’s that’s that’s common in a lot of new construction. It’s

based on like, the houses are based on the National Building

Code and with that ah based on the design and exits, there can

be a a single exit ah but that’s to the code and a lot of houses

are built that way.

25

Marcy So then your your plan obviously is including windows? It has

3 To hear the complete interview, go to CBC Podcasts: www.cbc.ca/podcasting/pastpodcasts.html?56#ref56 and locate the interview by its date. Fire Safety Learning English with CBC of 24

http://www.cbc.ca/podcasting/pastpodcasts.html?56#ref56

to.

Bill Absolutely, a home plan ought to be like okay, mean taking into

consider, y’know, alternative plans. What if the main exit way is

blocked? What then? Y’know? People need to consider

alternate exit routes, y’know and and practice that plan. But the

most important thing here is that you can’t practice your plan

unless you’re warned. And if you’re asleep, and you don’t have

an an active ah warning system in the house, I mean the fire

can reach proportions where you y’know can be rendered

unconscious before you even know that there’s ah anything

going on.

30

35


Appendix 2: Answers to Fire Safety Quiz

1. b) Smoking

Cigarette/cigar butts are most likely to start fires in mattresses, bedding, trash bins and upholstered furniture (sofas, chairs). Often these fires smoulder for hours and then smoke and flames erupt at night, when residents are asleep. If you, or others smoke in your home be sure to keep smoking materials away from anything that can burn; don’t smoke in bed; use large, deep ashtrays; run water on cigarette ends to put them out before you put them in the trash; if someone has been smoking in a room, check furniture, cushions, trash etc. for any butts that are smouldering and could cause a fire.

2. d) 40 percent

Most kitchen fires are cooking fires. To prevent cooking fires, be sure to never leave what you are cooking on the stovetop unattended; frequently check on what you are cooking in the oven; keep items that burn easily (oven mitts, tea towels, grease etc.) away from the stove; turn pot handles inward so they can’t be bumped or knocked over easily.

3. c) Put a lid on it

A lid will help smother the fire. Put on an oven mitt and then cover the flames with a large metal lid. Turn off the stove. Don’t pick up the pan as that could make the flames spread. Don’t put water on a grease fire as water can cause the hot oil to splash out of the pan. You can also pour baking powder on the flames or use a kitchen fire extinguisher. If the fire is in an oven or microwave, turn off the oven / unplug the microwave to allow the fire to burn out.

4. d) Turn the dryer off regardless of how long you are going to be away

To prevent a fire in your dryer, always clean the lint filter before and after you use the dryer; remove any lint you can see on the dryer door etc.; keep the area around the dryer free of clothing, paper etc. that could easily catch on fire; if you have a gas-powered dryer, have it inspected regularly by a professional.

5. b) 25 percent

It’s estimated that about 25 percent of Canadians have a fire escape plan for their home. Fire safety experts recommend having a plan and practicing it at least twice a year. The plan should have at least two escape routes per room. If you live in an apartment building, know how to escape the building in case of fire.

6. d) All of the above

Having a smoke detector in your home isn’t enough. It has to be working properly. You should test your smoke detector once a month by using the test button; keep it clean, not dusty; replace the batteries once a year on a consistent date ( e.g. every spring on the day when the clock moves ahead one hour); replace the batteries before that date if the alarm starts to make a chirping or beeping sound.


7. b) Every ten years

Older smoke detectors don’t work as efficiently as newer ones, so it is important to replace them every ten years. If you don’t know how old the smoke detectors are when you move into a new home, you should replace them.

8. c) When the fire is confined to a small area

Fire safety experts recommend using a fire extinguisher if a fire is small and isn’t growing, everyone else is already out of the house and the fire department has been called. When using a fire extinguisher, point it at the base or bottom of the fire and sweep the nozzle/spout from side to side.

9. d) Drop to the ground and roll over

If your clothing catches fire, stop what you are doing. Don’t run. Drop to the floor or ground. Cover your face with your hands and roll over and over until the flames are out.

10. a) One to 2 minutes

Once a fire starts, it can spread and grow very quickly. Within a few minutes, a flashover can occur. That’s when a room gets so hot that everything in it catches fire. You may have very little time to escape. That’s why it’s so important to have a fire escape plan and practice it. Closing doors behind you as you’re leaving can slow the spread of the fire.

11. c) Get everyone out of the house then call 911

If you wake up to a fire, or one is spreading quickly in your home, you need to get everyone out. Don’t take time to get dressed or gather valuables. Once you’re outside, use a cell phone or go to your neighbours to call 911.

12. d) All of the above

Make sure to tell your children that even if they’re scared, they should never hide under the bed or in a closet. That makes it hard for firefighters or other adults who are looking for them to get them out safely. Keep heat and smoke from getting through the door of the room you are in by blocking the cracks around the door with sheets, blankets, and/or clothing. If there is a window in the room that it is not possible to escape from, try to open it wide and stand in front of it. If you can, grab a piece of clothing or a towel, place it over your mouth to keep from breathing in the smoke. This works even better if you wet the cloth first.


Appendix 3: Fire is Fast! - There is little time!

In less than 30 seconds, a small flame can get completely out of control and turn into a major fire. It only takes minutes for thick black smoke and flames to move throughout a house. Most fires occur in the home when people are asleep. If you wake up to a fire, you won’t have time to grab valuables. There is only time to escape. Practice a home escape plan with your family until you can be out in under a minute. Or, if you live in an apartment, practice using the fire escape information provided by the building managers. When planning your home escape, here’s what you can do;

Be sure you have a working smoke alarm outside every sleeping area and on every level of your home. Talk to your kids about the smoke alarm and let them hear the sound they make by testing them, so they know what to expect in a fire emergency.

Put it down on paper. Draw out your home escape plan with the entire family. Be sure to mark the escape routes clearly and have two ways out of every room. For example:

Your plan Your meeting place (by a neighbour’s tree)

Walk through the house to demonstrate ways out and clear items away from exit routes. Be sure everyone can open the doors and windows. Create a buddy system for small infants or elderly who need help to exit the home.

Choose a meeting place that everyone can remember. Under no circumstances should anyone ever go back into a burning building.

Be sure all family members know the emergency number in your area so any one can go to a neighbour’s house to call for help once everyone is out.

Make sure your house numbers are a contrasting color to the house and can be easily seen from the street. (If you live in the country, make sure there is a number at the end of your driveway or another way for emergency crews to identify your home from the road.)

Practice your plan at least twice a year. Sound the alarm and see if everyone follows the plan. Be sure to practice it during the day for the first time. After that, tell the kids you are going to test them at night. Try a weekend just after the kids are asleep. If they do not even wake up, put the buddy system into place so you know they can get out for sure. Everyone should be out in under a minute.


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