Media Advisory - The Heat Is On For Emergency Preparedness Week

Fire / life safety experts offer world's most elite live fire / emergency training and evacuation experience to educate landlords and tenants

TORONTO, May 7, 2012 /CNW/ - Toronto is building more high-rises than any other city on the continent, with 132 high-rises currently under construction, making the importance of fire and life safety for landlords and tenants more important than ever. Join National Life Safety Group, and their internationally recognized training partner, Fire & Emergency Services Training Institute (FESTI) to raise awareness of Emergency Preparedness week.

Media will have a rare opportunity to capture dramatic video footage and participate in an exciting live workplace fire and evacuation experience putting out a real fire using a fire house, extinguisher and escape a smoke-filled high-rise building. This program is truly unique and considered Canada's highest standard in training.

When: Tuesday May 8, 2012     11:00 am - 12:30 pm

What:

• Descend a high-rise evacuation stairwell - under smoke conditions with limited visibility
• Physically use a pull station
• Break glass to active emergency life safety devices
• Discharge Fire Extinguisher to douse a live fire.
• Safely & properly charge a real fire hose

Who:   Experience the live training or capture the dramatic video footage of a group in training 

Where: 2025 Courtneypark Drive East, Toronto (Pearson International Airport)   http://festi.ca/en/contact_us/

Why:  In light of a recent rash of workplace related emergencies across the GTA, this event serves as an important reminder about emergency preparedness and the need for more public private partnerships to reduce risks and educate landlords, tenants and employers. Participants include large landlords of public and private spaces such as shopping centres, office towers, and industrial manufacturing facilities, not to mention those managing government-owned buildings that house critical infrastructure and employ millions across the country.

Jason Reid, Owner and Principal Consultant at NLS Group says, "We currently have a serious fire and life safety gap in our city. That's why we focus exclusively on training both the public and private sector to identify life safety risks in their buildings and workplaces, develop comprehensive building emergency plans, train potential first responders and reduce the impact of these emergencies. Properly trained staff can mitigate the impacts of these emergencies, speed up the investigative process and lead to a seamless procedure, saving time, lives and preventing millions of dollars in unnecessary property damage."  This also ensures that landlords are in full compliance with Fire Codes, Occupational Health & Safety Act, and Accessibility standards and requirements for persons with disabilities to avoid serious litigation and insurance issues.

About Emergency Preparedness Week

Emergency Preparedness Week is a national annual event that is taking placing from May 6^th-12^th and is coordinated by Public Safety Canada in close collaboration with the provincial government and supporting partners, including private industry.  Emergency Preparedness Week focuses on heightening the public's awareness on emergency preparedness within the workplace, home and community, and the importance of knowing what to do and being prepared. This awareness reinforces the idea that we can reduce the risk and lessen the consequences of emergencies by being better prepared.

About National Life Safety (NLS) Group:

NLS Group is a team of facility fire safety and crisis management experts established to improve public safety and mitigate financial losses by providing workplace and infrastructure emergency management via life safety and continuity of operations. We uniquely utilize leadership and experience from both private, and public sectors, bridging a common industry gap, utilizing the principles of emergency management in everyday workplace and facility operations.  NLS Group helps to educate organizations of all kinds to dramatically improve employee safety, reduce lost productivity and prevent costly disruptions to business operations.  For more resources and information please visit www.nationallifesafetygroup.ca

Course leaders will be available for interviews to provide further information and public education

To confirm attendance and schedule interviews please contact:

Heath Applebaum  [email protected]  Tel: [phone]