It's Fire Prevention Week in Swift Current this week and it coincides with the province's as well.

The City of Swift Current officially proclaimed the week last night at council even though it began on Sunday and it will run until Saturday.

Swift Current Fire Department Deputy Fire Chief Peter L'Heureux said over the years fire departments have shifted from just fighting fires to trying to help prevent them too.

"We've been around for 100 years and for lots of years it was fire response only," he said. "As we have had few fires because people are a little more careful, or more conscious, or more safety in buildings and public areas. We have started to change the way we do things, we respond to car accidents, rescues, and other different things as a value-added service to the community."

The theme of the week province-wide and city-wide is - Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware - fire can happen anywhere.

"Be mindful of your own personal protection and that of your family, instead of relying on other outside sources and other people to take care of things," L'Heureux said is what the theme is about. "Look around, pay attention, make changes in your own home, or your own lives, listen to what's going on around you, and do a bit of learning on your own to better prepare yourself. It's not that we're not there and it's not that we're not a great safety net, but I think everybody could take a look at their own lives and see some places they could make some minor improvements in their personal preparedness for some type of emergency or preventing emergencies in their own home."

He added that one of the reasons the fire department is here is to help maintain public safety and encourage people to help themselves by doing those little things to maintain a safe home.