Take a moment and make sure your smoke alarms are still working
Yorkregion.com
Sept. 6, 2023
Andrew Zvanitajs

There have been more than 65 fire-related home deaths in Ontario this year.

That number is shocking to me, but what’s more surprising is that many of these deaths could have been prevented if there were working smoke alarms installed inside the buildings where the fires occurred.

Smoke alarms are the most inexpensive way to save your life and property. A smoke alarm can give you the most precious thing in an emergency: time to escape.

Being alerted early to a fire is critical to maximizing yours and your loved ones' chances to escape and survive.

Here is what you need to know:

• Every home in Ontario is legally required to have working smoke alarms on every level and outside all sleeping areas, and working carbon monoxide (CO) alarms outside all sleeping areas if there is a fuel-burning appliance or fireplace inside.
• Alarms expire and have a date marked on them. Replace your CO alarms every five to 10 years and your smoke alarms every 10 years.

To make sure your alarms are working, follow these steps:

• Test your smoke and CO alarms once a month by pressing the test button.
• Change the battery in every alarm twice per year.
• Use interconnected smoke alarms -- when one alarm sounds, they should all sound throughout your home.
• Create and practise your escape plan so everyone in your home knows what to do when an alarm sounds.

If you take down a smoke alarm for any reason, you must remember to put it back up and ensure it’s working. This small step could save your life in an emergency, and it’s also the law.

If your alarm keeps going off when you are cooking, move your alarm to a new location. It’s best to mount smoke alarms on the ceiling or high up on the wall -- no more than 12 inches (30 centimetres) from the ceiling.

Don’t install alarms near windows, doors or ducts because a draft can interfere with their functionality -- so can painting or placing decorations over an alarm.

If you have questions about your smoke alarms, you can call Vaughan Fire and Rescue Service’s non-emergency phone number at 905-832-8506, ext. 0.

You can also visit vaughan.ca/fire for more information to help keep you and your family safe.

Don’t wait. Test your smoke alarms today and protect what matters most to you!

Andrew Zvanitajs is the fire chief of the Vaughan Fire and Rescue Service