Smoke Alarms
Ontario law requires all homes to have working smoke alarms on all storeys and outside of all sleeping areas
Most fire deaths in the home occur at night while people are sleeping. Working smoke alarms provide early warning and time to escape.
Working smoke alarms save lives, cutting the risk of dying in a home fire in half. Smoke alarms should be installed and maintained in every home.
Visit the National Fire Protection website to learn more about smoke alarms.
Carbon Monoxide Alarms
Ontario law requires all homes, no matter the age, to have a working carbon monoxide alarm installed near all sleeping areas if they have fuel-burning appliances, a fireplace, or an attached garage.
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a gas you cannot see, taste, or smell. It is often called "the invisible killer." It is created when fossil fuels such as kerosene, gasoline, coal, natural gas, propane, methane, or wood don't burn completely. CO gas can kill people and pets.
Visit the TSSA website to learn more about carbon monoxide.
Home Escape Plan
Did you know you might have less than three minutes to escape a house fire? Today, because of synthetic materials, furniture and construction, fire spreads faster than ever before, and therefore having working alarms and a practice home escape plan has never been more important.
Make a home escape plan.
Draw a map of each level of the home. Show all doors and windows. Go to each room and point to the two ways out. Practice the plan with everyone in your household, including visitors.
Making a plan is easy. Before a fire starts, sit down as a family and develop your plan. Visit the National Fire Protection webiste to learn more about home escape planning. Download your Home Escape Plan Grid here.
Preventing Fires
Being prepared is your best defence against a fire in your home.
Minimize your family's risk of fire-related injury or death by visiting the Office of the Fire Marshal website at the links below:
Fire Extinguishers
As a general rule, fire fighting should be left to professional firefighters. Fire extinguishers are meant for putting out small fires or used to help escape from the area, not firefighting large out-of-control fires.
Only those who are trained or know how to use a portable fire extinguisher should use one.
Visit the National Fire Protection website to learn more about fire extinguishers.
Book Fire Extinguisher Training here.
Lithium-ion Batteries
Lithium-ion batteries supply power to many kinds of devices including smart phones, laptops, e-scooters and e-bikes, e-cigarettes, smoke alarms, toys, and even cars. If not used correctly, or if damaged, these batteries can catch on fire or explode.
Stop using the battery if you notice these problems: odor, change in color, too much heat, change in shape, leaking, or odd noises. If it is safe to do so, move the device away from anything that can catch fire. Call 9-1-1.
Safety Tips
- Purchase and use devices that are listed by a qualified testing laboratory.
- Always follow the manufacturer's instructions.
- Only use the battery that is designed for the device.
- Put batteries in the device the right way.
- Only use the charging cord that came with the device.
- Do not charge a device under your pillow, on your bed, or on a couch.
- Do not keep charging the device or device battery after it is fully charged.
- Keep batteries at room temperature when possible. Do not charge them at temperatures below 32°F (0°C) or above 105°F (40°C).
- Store batteries away from anything that can catch fire.
Visit the NFPA's FAQ and check out this video about E-Bikes and E-Scooters.
Residential Sprinklers
Home fire sprinklers protect lives by keeping fires small. Sprinklers can reduce the heat, flames, and smoke produced in a fire, allowing people more time to escape.
Home fire sprinklers work along with smoke alarms to save lives. Fire sprinklers automatically respond to a fire while it is still small, controlling the spread of deadly heat, flames, and toxic smoke.
Visit the Canadian Automatic Sprinklers Association website to learn more about home fire sprinklers.
Need Assistance?
Not sure what your home needs? We can help. Sign-up for a free CHiRP Home Alarm Check. Firefighters visit your home to ensure your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are working, correctly located, and not expired. Have alarms that need replacing? We can help with that too!
Request CHiRP Check here or contact us at 519-360-1998.
