Fire Prevention Week is Oct. 9 to 15 and Wellington County fire departments are asking residents to check their fire alarms and replace them if necessary.
This year’s theme – Don’t Wait, Check the Date – urges residents to check the manufacturing date on the back of smoke alarms and replace them if they are more than nine years old.
“There’s probably a seven to 10 year lifespan on them… we always want people to make sure they’re working,” said Larry Bolen, chief training officer for Centre Wellington Fire Department.
“And if they are 10 years old that they’re replacing them, not keep using them.”
Bolen said smoke alarms are required on every floor and in every bedroom for new houses.
Homes today burn up to eight times faster than 50 years ago, states the office of the Fire Marshal.
You may have less than 60 seconds to escape a fire in your home.
Only working smoke alarms provide the early warning needed to safely escape a fire, officials say.
The Fire Marshal’s office states there is no smoke alarm warning in one out of three fatal home fires in Ontario. And smoke alarms can increase your chances of surviving a fire by up to 50 per cent.
“The problem with houses that don’t have that protection, they don’t have any early warning,” Bolen said.
“People will not wake up, smoke won’t wake you up, you’ll just keep on sleeping.
“It’s the early warning, it’s so important that you have it.”
He added that for the best protection, smoke alarms should be interconnected so when one sounds, they all sound.
They should also have back up battery power in case of a power outage.
Carbon monoxide detectors are also required.
“The law is that you have to have one (carbon monoxide detector), we recommend … it’s a good idea to have a carbon monoxide detector on every level, but if you’re going to have just one which is required it should be on the level that you’re sleeping on,” said Bolen.
Check smoke alarms
Participate in the Don’t Wait, Check the Date selfie challenge by taking a selfie of your family checking the expiry date of your smoke alarms and posting it on social media, to show everyone your alarm’s up to date.
Share with the hashtag #checkthed8.
For more information about smoke alarms, visit the Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management’s website at www.ontario.ca/firemarshal.
