We're officially in the middle of Fire Prevention Week. To commemorate the annual occasion, this week's Rocky View Weekly includes a special fire section, featuring the County's various firefighting personnel, and two stories related to local firefighters' achievements.
On that note, our newsroom would like to wish RVC Fire Chief Randy Smith a happy impending retirement (see story on page x). Over the years, Smith has always been quick to respond to our (fairly frequent) requests for interviews whenever we call him up, and he's always been transparent when it comes to discussing fire-related investigations and topics.
We would also like to congratulate the many RVC firefighters who were recognized with a service-longevity award earlier this month (see story on page x). Firefighting is a difficult profession that is wrought with many hazards and challenges, both mental and physical. It's an honourable career and we salute the County's firefighters who have been putting their bodies on the line for decades.
This year marks a special milestone, as 2022 is officially the 100th Fire Prevention Week. The week was first proclaimed in 1922 (for the three years before that, it was only for a day and referred to as Fire Prevention Day) in memory of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, as well as a blaze that destroyed the Centre Block of Canada's parliament buildings in 1916.
The week is always recognized during Oct. 9, with the intention of promoting fire safety tips and making sure homeowners are vigilant when it comes to recognizing fire-related risks. Every Fire Prevention Week has a theme, and this year's is 'Fire won't wait, plan your escape.'
It's important to take the time to consider fire prevention best practices, not just this week but always. As climate change continues to impact our region's weather conditions, we've seen an increase in wildfire activity. Rocky View County is not immune to these challenges, as evidenced by the many grassfires the County's firefighters are called out to extinguish every spring.
