The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

> aries: October 5 — I There's a flaming pot on the stove. There's a bedroom full of stuffed toys. There’s smoke coming out of an adjacent room. There’s a fire detector, which needs testing to ensure that it’s functional. These are all features of the Scugog Fire House, a learning centre for everyone from little children to senior citizens. The trailer is outfitted like a real home, so people can gain hands- on experience in fire prevention, and how to react if there is an actual fire. The Scugog Fire House is “a powerful educational tool,” commented Scugog Fire Chief Richard Miller. He explained that it is important to teach children about fire safety at a young age. They will share this information with their families, and retain this important knowledge for a lifetime. Acting Captain Clint Walker commented that the Fire House has been a valuable resource since it was purchased in December of 2012. You may have toured the Scugog Fire House at local fairs and other events. Local schools have also benefitted from visits by the Fire House and its st aff. Last year, some 1,400 people toured the Fire House to learn fire safety tips. In the kitchen, firefighters explain every- thing from smothering a grease fire using a pot lid, to keeping the handles of pots and pans safely turned inwards. There is also instruction provided on the safe use of microwave ovens, which includes avoiding metal items and tinfoil. In the case of a house fire, children are instructed to throw their stuffed toys, blankets, etc. out of a bedroom window, so when the fire department arrives on the scene, they know that someone is trapped in that room. A cluttered, Scugog’s Fire Safety House —. \ OTF og Scugog Fire Department Captain Clint Walker and Fire Prevention Officer Gord Gettins demonstrate how to control a fire on a stove in the department's Fire Safety House. messy bedroom can also be a potential fire hazard, Clint pointed out. It’s a good idea for cooks to turn off the burners on the stove if they are called away from the kitchen to answer the door, for ex- ample. Carrying an oven mitt with them is a trigger to remember that they were busy cooking. The phone in the Fire House is used to remind people to call 911 in case of emergency. Fire detectors and CO detectors need to be in good working order at all times to make sure that they do their job Please turn to page 38 The Township of Scugog Fire Safety House is used to teach fire safety to children and adults at schools and other special events in the township. FOCUS - OCTOBER 2014 37