Montréal, 06 October 2016 - This year’s theme is preventing cooking fires, as the Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal (SIM) announces Fire Prevention Week, to be held from October 9 to 15. The SIM will be offering a series of activities all week long to inform Montrealers about the different causes of fires and what they can do to prevent them. 

Ms. Anie Samson, vice-president of the executive committee responsible for public security and services to citizens, emphasized the importance of prevention for keeping Montrealers safe. “Safety is our first priority and prevention is key in this regard. The Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal works hard every day to offer Montrealers good advice and steps up its efforts even more during Fire Prevention Week. The awareness-building activities by the SIM teams help reduce fire hazards and protect lives,” Ms. Samson said.

François Massé, Director of the Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal, reminds people that Fire Prevention Week is a concrete initiative showing the importance placed on Montrealers’ safety. “As part of this event, the SIM offers various activities allowing us to share our employees’ expertise with Montrealers and tell them about the importance of fire prevention. It’s an opportunity for our teams to get out and meet people,” Mr. Massé added.  

Key Fire Prevention Week activities

Family launch event

On Thursday, October 6, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Montrealers are invited to the official launch of Fire Prevention Week, at the MontréalBotanical Garden (4101, rue Sherbrooke Est). Come on out and learn more about fire prevention, meet our teams and try our fire safety simulator.

Earthquake simulator

Starting October 6, the Séismobile, a mobile earthquake simulator, will be travelling around Quebec, giving people a taste of what to expect in a real earthquake. The Séismobile will be stopping in Montréal on October 10 near the Jacques Cartier Pier and on October 11^th, on place Émilie-Gamelin, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. A team from the Centre de sécurité civile and the SIM will be there, along with a fire safety simulator. The mobile earthquake simulator will be touring the province just a few days before the Grande Secousse du Québec (the Great ShakeOut), an international earthquake awareness event to be held on October 20. The exercise is designed to teach people what to do in the event of a real earthquake.