Cochrane Fire Services wants community members to get the most out of their summers through their recently launched six-week 'Be Summer Safe' campaign.
From July 18 to Aug. 22, Cochrane Fire will be sharing weekly safety tips for popular summer activities as well as for adverse seasonal weather conditions via the Town of Cochrane's website and social media.
"The most important thing no matter what you're doing this summer is being able to come home at the end of it, and with a smile on your face," said fire inspector Jeff Avery. "Whatever we can do to make that happen, we will do. That's the underlying mission of this campaign."
With the onset of warmer weather comes backyard barbecues, campfires and time spent cooling off in the water.
The summer campaign is about keeping the good times rollin', while also making smart decisions and mitigating unnecessary risks. Weekly messages will cover topics such as grill and fire pit safety, water safety, fire bans, heat waves, adverse weather, and other safety issues that may pose a risk over the summer months.
“As our community enjoys the warm weather and spending time outside, we want to remind residents to think twice and be safe,” said fire chief Shawn Polley in a Town press release. “Summer safety goes beyond barbecues and fire pits and we all have a role to play in creating a safe space.”
People are perhaps more eager than ever to get their daily dose of Vitamin D, Avery added, and rightly so.
"We know that people have been kind of locked up in their homes for the last couple of years [with the COVID-19 pandemic]," he said. "You go outside and you can see the excitement in people's faces - they want to be outside, they want to do things.
"The weather has been cooperating and everybody just wants to have a good, fun summer. And they should."
While the masses are out enjoying the sunshine, it's important to still be attentive, he added.
"Education is key to this whole initiative," said Avery. "It's just about education and making sure that people know what the safety measures are and how to follow them."
The emergency responder said one of the most common mistakes the fire service sees people make in the summer months, is not reading the Bow River before they get on it.
"There's a lot of people that don't know this river," Avery explained. "So they'll use a raft that maybe isn't the most appropriate for some of the rapids. They get caught up without a proper safety plan in place."
There are some who have stopped at Wildcat Island, a popular camping and picnicking spot upriver from Cochrane, only to lose their rafts to the current after not properly tying off or bringing them up out of the water, he added.
There are several things you can do to ensure that you stay safe on the water this summer, Avery said, chief among them would be to ensure you're wearing a life jacket at all times while on the water - whether it's the Bow, Ghost Lake, or anywhere else.
And "keep your alcohol at home," he asserts. "Taking those two measures alone goes such a long way."
Other proactive actions include checking river flow rates, weather conditions, and ensuring you have the right supplies to make a water safety kit. For a small vessel, this should include items such as a rope, watertight flashlight, and a whistle in a watertight container that doubles as a bailing device.
When it comes to the use of grills and fire pits, Avery said it's important to ensure propane is turned off and fires are out before walking away.
"These are easy things to follow," he said. "At the end of the day, we just want everyone to be safe and enjoy their summer."
The campaign is being coordinated with the Town of Cochrane's communications team, who Avery said has been of great help spreading the word.
This week's message was on water safety. To follow along with the campaign, watch out for weekly posts on the Town's Facebook page.
If you have any safety concerns or have any questions regarding summer safety call 403-851-2540 or visit Cochrane.ca/2263/Be-Summer-Safe.
