Simcoe County Vice Principal to receive Fire Safety Award

TORONTO, June 19, 2012 /CNW/ - Mike Pattison will receive a Fire Safety Award from the Fire Marshal's Public Fire Safety Council at a ceremony on June 26, 2012 in Toronto. The annual Fire Safety Awards recognize outstanding contributions to fire protection and prevention in Ontario.

Pattison is the Vice Principal at Tosorontio Public School in Simcoe County.  Pattision is also the honourary fire warden at the school, a role which he takes very seriously, recognizing the importance of fire safety to his students and their families.

At the school, Pattison has been instrumental in facilitating the Adjala Tosorontio Fire Department's Lunch with the Howies program, in which firefighters have lunch with a class of students every week and share fire safety information.  During these visits, students in each class are asked to press the test button on the fire department's child-friendly smoke alarm.  Pattison also follows up with students by sharing stories after the fire department visits. Pattison even takes it upon himself to phone his students' parents and ask them to test their smoke alarms while he is on the phone with them, so he can hear that they work.

"Mike's commitment to fire safety is helping the Adjala Tosorontio Fire Department provide a multi-faceted public education program to families in Simcoe County," said Ted Wieclawek, Ontario Fire Marshal.

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., Domino's Pizza of Canada, Electrical Safety Authority, Canadian Standards Association Group and Enbridge Gas Distribution.

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