Earlier this month CFA and MFB held the official launch for the 2016 Safe Mistake Zone Campaign, an initiative which seeks to raise awareness of the small mistakes around the home that cause many of the 3,000 house fires each year.
CFA also launched the campaign in regional Victoria, with local members heading down to Bridge Mall Ballarat to share tips on fire safety and encourage visitors to make a safe mistake instead of a dangerous one.
Last year CFA firefighters attended 1,646 preventable house fires across the state, including 72 in Ballarat. CFA District 15 Operations Manager Brett Boatman said the most common cause of preventable fires was distractions in the kitchen and leaving cooking unattended on the stove.
“It’s very easy to get distracted, especially around dinner time. But it’s the small distractions that lead to fires, and in some cases, cause serious injury and damage to your home,” he said.
“Most fatal fires occur in the home and can be prevented, which is why we ask people to have a good understanding of what causes fires and know how to prevent them.”
During the winter months, the Safe Mistake Zone Campaign is delivering important home fire safety messages to the community through radio advertising, events, social media promotion and PR activities.
CFA’s regional road show will also spread these important messages across Victoria, kicking off with the first event at Wodonga Plaza from Tuesday 5 July – Saturday 9 July, 10am – 4pm each day. Local CFA members will be heading down to the plaza to encourage members of the community to think about the small mistakes that cause house fires, and make a safe mistake instead – like getting hitched on a whim, or getting a bad (fake) tattoo.
Keep an eye out for other pop up events during July – August in Dandenong, Hamilton, Horsham and Ballarat as well!
Visit the new Safe Mistake Zone website to find out more.
There are still openings available in August / September for more events and activities, so please contact Jess Esler or Georgina Hill (CFA Partnerships and Marketing) if you’re interested in hosting a Safe Mistake Zone event this year.
Author: CFA News