POWELL RIVER, B.C.- It’s Burn Awareness Week across British Columbia, and the Powell River Fire Department is offering up some safety tips for residents.
“The goal of Burn Awareness Week is to teach kids how to be responsible for their own personal safety, and to increase family awareness of potential harmful situations,” said Trish Greenwood, Public Educator with the Department.
“In Canada, fire and burn related injuries are the second leading cause of injury-related hospital admissions for children from zero to four years of age.”
Greenwood said the detachment will be welcoming local elementary schools throughout the week.
“Hot water scalds are the leading cause of burns to young children, and the vast majority of these burns are preventable,” she said.
“We’re teaching kids about how to be safe in the bath tub, making sure that hot liquids are kept away from them, using a travel mug with a tight-fitting lid and just being careful around hot things in general.”
She noted that the department does not necessarily get a lot of calls for burns, especially when they are minor. “Generally when that happens, if it’s a minor burn, people can treat it at home or they typically bring them (the injured) in straight to the hospital.”
She said that cold water is the first thing you should look out for if you get burned.
“That’s the quickest and easiest way to reduce that burn,” she explained.
Further details about Burn Awareness Week can be found at this link, or at Powell River Fire Rescue’s Facebook page.
