Fire Prevention Week

Fire department of Town of Brome Lake sensitizes population during Fire Prevention Week

Oct. 6 to Oct. 12 marks Fire Prevention Week in Quebec. This year's occasion is running under the theme "Le premier responsable, c'est toi!" ("The person first responsible, is you!"). Photo: by Taylor McClure.

By Taylor McClure
Townships’ Daily News Bits
CIDI 99.1 FM
Published on 09/10/24 - Published on 09/10/24

Sunday marked the start of Fire Prevention Week in Quebec (Oct. 6 to Oct. 12) and the Fire Department of the Town of Brome Lake is raising awareness in the local community around how to stay safe, particularly when it comes to the use of technological devices that have lithium batteries. 

Kevin Robinson, director of Fire and Public Safety for the Town of Brome Lake, told CIDI in a recent interview that one of the growing concerns that the fire department is trying to sensitize the population to is how to safely use a technological device, such as an e-scooter or a cell phone, due to the potential fire outbreaks that can occur.

Providing an example, Robinson said that something as small as someone plugging in their phone to a charger and then deciding to put it under their pillow when they go to sleep can lead to the batteries overheating and create what is called “thermal runaway,” which can lead to fires that are “very, very hard to put out."

Despite this emerging concern, Robinson noted that from his experience people are “much better at prevention than they used to be,” which is why it’s important to continue to publicly raise awareness around prevention and safety. 

Listen to the interview below for the full story: