Maxwell Heights Secondary School to receive Fire Safety Award

TORONTO, June 4, 2013 /CNW/ - Maxwell Heights Secondary School in Oshawa will receive a Fire Safety Award from the Fire Marshal's Public Fire Safety Council at a ceremony on June 12, 2013 in Toronto. The annual Fire Safety Awards recognize outstanding contributions to fire protection and prevention in Ontario.

When the Oshawa Fire Service decided to develop a public education tool aimed at reducing malicious fire alarms in schools, they enlisted the assistance of their target audience - high school students themselves.

The fire department approached Maxwell Heights Secondary School with the idea of producing a video for students educating them about the possible outcomes and consequences of maliciously activated fire alarms. The students were immediately receptive and enthusiastically produced the story concept, wrote the script, shot the video and edited the final production.

The final product, called Alarming Consequences, has been posted on Youtube, with links from the websites of the City of Oshawa, the Ontario Municipal Fire Prevention Officers' Association and the Ontario Fire & Life Safety Educator's Association.

"The video is an educational tool that can be used by any fire department or school that wishes to combat malicious fire alarms," said Ted Wieclawek, Ontario Fire Marshal and Chair, Fire Marshal's Public Fire Safety Council.  "So far, the video has had very positive responses from teachers, fire prevention officers and public educators, as well as a small target group of teens."

The Fire Marshal's Public Fire Safety Council gratefully acknowledges the support of its sponsors in this event: Technical Standards and Safety Authority, The Co-operators Group, Kidde Canada Inc., Home Depot of Canada Inc., Proctor & Gamble Inc., Electrical Safety Authority, CSA Group, Enbridge Gas Distribution Inc., Roxul Inc. and Underwriters' Laboratories of Canada.

SOURCE: Fire Marshal's Public Fire Safety Council

Carol Gravelle, Office of the Fire Marshal, 416-325-3138