AWERES TOWNSHIP – Fire Chief Rob Hiiemaa is calling on all residents of Aweres to test their smoke alarms on Sept. 28 as part of Test Your Smoke Alarm Day.
"Be prepared to be 'Saved by the Beep' with a working smoke alarm – it is your best chance to keep you and your family safe in the event of a fire," the fire department north of the Sault said in a news release.
Aweres is joining communities across Ontario on Sept. 28 by asking everyone to take a minute and ensure there are working smoke alarms installed in their homes.
“Being prepared to act in the event of a fire can start with simply pressing the test button and having the confidence that a working smoke alarm is in your home,” said Chief Hiiemaa.
“Lives will be saved by regularly testing smoke alarms at least once a month, refreshing batteries at least once a year, and replacing smoke alarms older than 10 years.”
Last year, Ontario lost 133 people to deadly fires – the highest number in over 20 years, according to the release.
Many of these fires were found to have no working smoke alarm and "stand as a reminder that only working smoke alarms will alert you to a fire and give you and your loved ones enough time to safely escape".
“In Ontario, we’ve seen a significant rise in fatal fires and the number of people we have lost in these fires is very concerning,” added Ontario Fire Marshal Jon Pegg.
“Entire families have been lost to fire and the most troubling part is that the majority of these fires did not have a working smoke alarm in the home. Had there been working smoke alarms, and a well thought out and practiced home fire escape plan, these deaths may have been prevented.”
To that end, the Office of the Fire Marshal, with the support of fire services and fire safety partners across Ontario, is asking Ontarians to regularly test their smoke alarms with a challenge to test all smoke alarms in their residences on Sept. 28.
For more information visit www.savedbythebeep.ca
Quick Facts:
- Smoke alarms have been legally required to be installed on every storey of a residence in Ontario since 2006.
- Residences also include vacation homes, cabins, trailers, RVs, and cottages.
- Landlords must test alarms annually, after the battery is replaced, and after every change in tenancy. Renters must notify their landlord as soon as they become aware that a smoke alarm is not operating.