Tracey Manchester and Hilarie Hudson are jumping right into their new jobs.

The pair have been hired as fire prevention educators with the Petrolia/North Enniskillen Fire Department and they’re on the job for Fire Prevention Week.

Deputy Chief Tim Williams says the educators were hired to spread the word about fire prevention. The department gets calls every week about fire prevention regulations and the firefighters don’t always have time to answer the calls.“The fire prevention educators will be more on the ground, meeting the general public allowing the firefighters to do other things,” he says.

Manchester, whose husband is a volunteer firefighter, is a personal support worker and a member of the Community Emergency Response Volunteers who help out at fire scenes.

Hudson has been trained as a 9-11 dispatcher and in emergency management. She now consults on fire prevention. Both are excited to spread the word.

“The more aware people are about fire prevention the less impact there will be (in a fire),” says Hudson. “There will be less impact on the need to tax other resources and it will reduce their time of recovery.

“And I believe all age groups have to have some type of fire prevention awareness.”

Manchester says their first message to the public will be to check the manufacturing date of their smoke alarms. They are dated she says, and should be replaced every seven to 10 years. If you would like an educator to speak to you, call 519-882-2020.