Ever wanted to see inside a firehouse or get a closer look inside a fire truck? This Thursday is your chance.
The St. Thomas Fire Department is holding a Fire Prevention Week open house on Thursday, October 8th, from 6pm to 8pm. Both of its stations will be open. Visitors can tour the hall, check out the trucks and learn about fire safety. The department says it is free and open to everyone.
Where to go
- Central Fire Station (Station 1), 305 Wellington Street. The department built it in 1973.
- Captain Dennis Redman Memorial Substation (Station 2), 235 Burwell Road, in the city’s north end. It began serving residents in 2006. It is named for Captain Dennis Redman, who was killed in the line of duty on January 5th, 2001, fighting an apartment fire at 200 Chestnut Street during a snowstorm.
This year’s theme: safe charging
Fire Prevention Week runs October 4th to 10th this year. The National Fire Protection Association, which runs the campaign, chose the theme “Charge Into Fire Safety. Safe Charging Is a Superpower.” It is about the everyday charging habits that can help lower the risk of lithium-ion battery fires. It is the second year in a row the campaign has focused on batteries.
Those batteries are in phones, tablets, toys, power tools, heated clothing and baby monitors, says a federal safety post the department shared this week.
Here are the National Fire Protection Association’s safe-charging tips:
- Use the cord and charger that came with your device, or one the maker has approved.
- Charge on a hard, flat surface like a table, desk or bare floor.
- Unplug your device when it is fully charged.
- Charge big items like e-bikes, scooters and power tools outside when you can, and never block an exit while something is charging.
- Stop using a device if it feels very hot, swells, smells strange, leaks, smokes, or makes popping or hissing sounds.
Check your alarms
The department’s other big message this month is smoke alarms. It says it will be out with billboards, on the radio and in schools. “Push the button, test your alarms, change batteries if required, and ensure your alarms are not more than 10 years old!” one post reads. “Only working smoke alarms save lives, and they are the law!”
Ontario law says every home must have a working smoke alarm on every storey and outside all sleeping areas. Homeowners must install and maintain them. Landlords must make sure their rentals follow the law, and it is against the law for tenants to remove the batteries or tamper with an alarm. Breaking the smoke alarm rules can mean a $360 ticket, or a fine of up to $50,000 for an individual.
The province says to test smoke alarms every month, put in a new battery at least once a year, and replace the alarms every 10 years, following the maker’s instructions.
Carbon monoxide alarms matter too. A house with a fuel-burning appliance, a fireplace or an attached garage must have a carbon monoxide alarm outside each sleeping area. Since January 1st, 2026, Ontario’s Fire Code also requires one on every storey of those homes, even a storey with no bedrooms.
If Thursday doesn’t work for you, the department also books station tours and school visits, and it offers a voluntary home inspection program to help you spot fire risks at home.
Earlier coverage: St. Thomas Fire Says Calls Are Up 19%, Its Busiest Start on Record
Sources: St. Thomas Fire Department on Facebook: open house · NFPA Fire Prevention Week 2026 · Ontario: Fire safety at home
By Anthony Zruna · About the LocVox Newsroom
