CO alarms mandatory in all homes as of tomorrow

Yorkregion.com
Oct. 14, 2014
By Chris Traber

Starting tomorrow, carbon monoxide alarms will be mandatory in all residential homes, Community Safety and Correctional Services Minister Yasir Naqvi says.

The updated law states that carbon monoxide detectors will be required near all sleeping areas in residential homes and in the service rooms and adjacent sleeping areas in multi-residential units. The alarms can be hardwired, battery-operated or plugged into the wall.

The new regulation, which comes into effect Oct. 15, updates Ontario's Fire Code following the passage of Bill 77 last year. The updates are based on recommendations from a technical advisory committee, which was led by the Office of the Fire Marshall and Emergency Management and included experts from fire services, the hotel and rental housing industries, condo owners and alarm manufacturers.

"We want Ontarians to be aware of the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning because these tragedies are preventable,” Naqvi  said. “The change to the fire code is all about making sure we keep our families and homes safe. I urge all Ontarians to install a carbon monoxide alarm in their homes immediately."

Mandating the installation and maintenance of carbon monoxide alarms in existing homes with a fuel-fired heating system or appliance, fireplace or attached garage under the fire code and providing the authority for municipal fire services to conduct inspections and promote CO awareness, are significant steps forward for enhancing public safety, Ontario Fire Marshal and Emergency Management Chief Tadeusz Wieclawek said.

"The fatal effects of carbon monoxide left us with an irreplaceable family loss,” Hawkins-Gignac Foundation for CO Education co-chairperson John Gignac said. “Keep your family safe and install a CO alarm so we can combat the silent killer."