The theme this year for fire prevention week is “Charge into Fire Safety: Lithium-Ion Batteries in Your Home” This year’s focus on lithium-ion batteries works to better educate the public about how to buy, charge, and dispose of lithium-ion batteries safely. Many of the electronics in our homes like tablets, smartphones, laptops, e-cigarettes, headphones and many more are powered by lithium-ion batteries. We see their use in lawn tools, scooters and E-bikes which may be stored inside our homes or garages. If not used correctly or damaged, they can overheat and start a fire or explode. We have already responded to two structure fires this year that were both started by Lithium-Ion batteries that were being charged.

The three key messages that support “Charge into Fire Safety: Lithium-Ion Batteries in Your Home” include:

BUY only listed products:

• When buying a product that uses a lithium-ion battery, take time to research it. Look for a stamp from a nationally recognized testing lab on the packaging and product, which means that it meets established safety standards.
• Many products sold online and in stores may not meet safety standards and could increase the risk of fire.

CHARGE devices safely:

• Always use the cables that come with the product to charge it. Also, charge the device in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
• If you need a new charger, buy one from the manufacturer or one that the manufacturer has approved.
• Charge your device on a hard surface. Don’t charge it under a pillow, on a bed, or on a couch. This could cause a fire.
• Don’t overcharge your device. Unplug it or remove the battery when it’s fully charged.

DISPOSE OF/RECYCLE batteries responsibly:

• Don’t throw lithium-ion batteries in the trash or regular recycling bins because they could catch fire.
• Recycling your device or battery at a safe battery recycling location is the best way to dispose of them. In the Hanna area the Hanna Transfer Station will take lithium-ion batteries but make sure they are separated from all other garbage and recyclables as they have a special bin just for these types of batteries.

Fires that happen in homes account for the majority of all fire deaths. Every family should take the time to create a fire escape plan and to practice it a couple of times during Fire Prevention Week. A good fire escape plan should have 2 ways out in case the first exit path is blocked by fire. Make sure that you have a predetermined meeting place outside so you can account for everyone. Please remember that in the Hanna area you need only to call 911 to contact the RCMP, EMS or the Fire Department. Even if you have a friend or neighbor that is a volunteer firefighter it is always best to call 911 instead as that will allow us to respond quickly with the right resources for your incident.

A new trend that we are unfortunately increasingly experiencing is the high amount of false alarm incidents from smoke detectors being set off in monitored home alarm systems and home owners not knowing how to shut them off or how to contact their alarm monitoring company to make sure that the fire department is not contacted when we are not needed. So far this year 35% of our incidents have been from false alarms sent to us by monitored home alarm systems where we were not required with many of them resulting in fire trucks arriving on scene. I would urge everyone that has had these alarm systems installed in their home to make sure you know how to contact your alarm monitoring company quickly to make sure the fire department is not dispatched when we are not needed.

David Mohl, Fire Chief
Hanna Fire Department