POINTE-CLAIRE - As part of Quebec Fire Prevention Week, the Ministry of Public Security organized fire drills in communities across the province Wednesday evening to promote preparedness and awareness.
The event, called the "Great Escape," also came to Pointe-Claire's Duke of Kent St., where residents were given some tips by the Montreal Fire Department.
"A lot of times in homes where we have kids that go out through another door, parents are afraid that they didn't get everybody out," said regional fire chief Michel Tassé.
Tassé stresses the importance of families having a prepared evacuation plan with a specified meeting place in front of the home.
"It should be practiced at least once a year," he says.
Tassé adds that people should get out of their house as fast as possible, and to leave the task of saving their pets to the firefighters who have an average response time of three minutes.
Pointe-Claire actually has a long history of holding these types of community fire drills. Mayor Bill McMurchie says the town was doing them three decades before the island's fire departments were merged in conjunction with the municipalities in 2000.
"We'd close streets for a section and there would be parties and the fire department would send their vehicles and all the kids would climb over them," he recalled.
The public security ministry suggests people follow three steps to ensure they are prepared for a fire: buy a smoke detector and make sure it works; prepare a home evacuation plan; practice it.
