Penticton Fire Department

Bulletin Board Daylight Savings Time is here! It is not too late to test your smoke alarm!  Do it today! When you are changing your clocks in the spring or fall take a few extra minutes to test your smoke alarms!  Working smoke alarms give your family an early warning signal of smoke or fire.  Make sure your smoke alarms are working properly.                                                                    This is the last thing people think about but they make great gifts!  If you know someone living in a basement suite, in their first apartment or have a vacation home consider giving them a Fire Extinguisher or Smoke Alarm.  Choose a 5lb ABC extinguisher available at hardware stores.  Smoke alarms are another life saving gift!  There are many types to choose from but my favourite has a hush button that you can press when you burn your toast!  The alarm automatically resets!  Smoke Alarm Life Safety Tips            Here are some life saving tips from the Penticton Fire Department: Test your smoke alarms once a month, following the manufacturer's instructions. Replace the batteries in your smoke alarm once a year, or as soon as the alarm "chirps" warning that the battery is low. Hint: schedule battery replacements for the same day you change your clocks. Never "borrow" a battery from a smoke alarm. Smoke alarms can't warn you of fire if the batteries are missing or have been disconnected. Don't disable smoke alarms even temporarily. If your smoke alarm is sounding "nuisance alarms," try relocating it farther from kitchens or bathrooms, where cooking fumes and steam can cause the alarm to sound. Regularly vacuuming or dusting your smoke alarms, following the manufacturer's instructions, can keep them working properly. Smoke alarms don't last forever. Replace yours once every 10 years. If you can't remember how old the alarm is, then it's probably time for a new one. Consider installing smoke alarms with "long-life" (10-year) batteries. Inter-connected battery-operated smoke alarms are now available.  When one rings....all of the alarms ring! Plan regular fire drills to ensure that everyone knows exactly what to do when the smoke alarm sounds. Hold a drill at night to make sure that sleeping family members awaken at the sound of the alarm. Some studies have shown that some children may not awaken to the sound of the smoke alarm. Know what your child will do before a fire occurs.   Poison Prevention Medication is the leading cause of poisoning in children. Small amounts of adult medication can be fatal to your child. Other causes of poisoning are household cleaners and personal care products, such as mouthwash or nail polish. An estimated five children age 14 years and under die every year in Canada from poisoning, and another 1,280 are hospitalized for serious injuries. Many children have swallowed poisonous products that were not stored properly or were taken out of their original container. Parents urged to keep medications and other potential poisons Locked Out of Reach Parents and caregivers are urged to keep chemicals, medications, cleaning supplies and art supplies not meant for children safely stored in a locked cabinet or box, out of the reach of children. If a poisoning is suspected, call your local Poison Control Centre or 911 immediately. "Unintentional poisoning is a common cause of preventable injury to children in Canada," said the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health. "We are urging parents and caregivers to help keep children safe by learning and adopting some basic poison prevention techniques in the home." Children under five are at the highest risk of poisoning and the theme chosen for National Poison Prevention Week in 2010, Locked Out of Reach was selected to help protect those most vulnerable. "Medication is the leading cause of poisoning in children, but household cleaners and personal care products are other common causes of poisoning," says Pamela Fuselli, Executive Director of Safe Kids Canada. "We encourage all parents to take this opportunity and check that their medications and all potential poisons are in their original containers and locked in a cabinet or a box out of the reach of children." "Each year there are thousands of calls to our Centres related to accidental poisoning in children and, in the majority of cases, children can be treated at home," said Dr. Martin Laliberte, President, Canadian Association of Poison Control Centres. "If a poisoning should occur, Canadians should immediately contact the nearest Poison Control Centre or call 911."

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The Penticton Fire Department works hard to provide excellent services to Penticton and the Regional District of the Okanagan-Similkameen(RDOS). 

The Penticton Fire Department is a composite department with both career and auxiliary members working to provide emergency services to the community.  We work out of two fire halls:  Fire Hall #1 is in the downtown core (250 Nanaimo Avenue West).  This hall is also the administration headquarters and houses the Regional Fire Dispatch Centre.  Fire Hall #2 is located in Penticton's industrial area and is located at 285 Dawson Avenue.

 
Our services include the following:

Penticton:

Emergency Response -

The Penticton Fire Department provides a wide range of services to our community.  These emergency responses include:  fire suppression, pre-hospital medical emergencies (1st Responder Program), motor vehicle incidents, industrial accidents and all types of specialized and technical rescues such as high angle, water and confined space. Twenty-eight career members and 40 auxiliary members provide these services.

Inspection and Investigation - ensuring proper equipment and procedures are in place through education, code compliance and enforcement.  Investigations are conducted to better understand the fire cause and to determine how similar situations can be avoided.

Public Education - helping children, adults, business and industry to become more aware of fire and life safety issues, preventive measures and appropriate emergency responses.
 

Penticton and Regional District of the Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS):

Emergency Communications- The Regional Fire Dispatch Centre provides comprehensive regional 9-1-1 services including emergency dispatch, automatic alarm monitoring response and municipal/RDOS after-hours response. Five Dispatchers work around the clock to provide Dispatching to the thirteen Fire Departments in the RDOS.  The fire departments include:  Penticton, Penticton Indian Band, Summerland, Naramata, Kaleden, Okanagan Falls, Keremeos, Oliver, Willowbrook, Osoyoos, Hedley, Princeton and Aranchist Mountain.

Emergency Response – The PFD provides emergency services outside of Penticton when extrication is required for a motor vehicle incident.  The department works closely with the adjacent fire departments, the BC Forest Protection Branch and the Provincial Emergency Program on joint emergency planning and during large scale emergencies such as interface fires and wind storms.

Mission Statement

"To enhance the quality of living in our community by preventing or minimizing injury and loss of life or property from fire or other emergencies that may occur within the jurisdictional boundaries of the area we serve."

Administration

	Fire Chief Wayne Williams
	Deputy Fire Chief Operations Dave Spalding
	Deputy Fire Chief Administration Gord McCleary

Contact Fire Department Operations: Telephone: (250)490-2300 Fax: (250)490-2302 250 Nanaimo Avenue West Penticton, BC Canada V2A 1N5 Email: General Inquiries #1 Firehall 250 Nanaimo Avenue West Penticton, BC #2 Firehall 285 Dawson Avenue Penticton, BC

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