Oakville Fire reminds residents: change your clocks, change your batteries

Tue, 28 Oct 2014

Daylight savings ends Sunday, November 2, 2014

With daylight savings time ending on Sunday, November 2, 2014, the Oakville Fire department reminds residents to replace the batteries in their smoke alarms when they change the time on their clocks.

Nearly half of all fatal fires in Ontario occur because there were no working smoke alarms in the home.

“The majority of fire deaths happen at night when everyone is sleeping,” said Oakville Fire Chief Lee Grant. “A working smoke alarm will give you precious time to escape.”

It is the law in Ontario to have working smoke alarms on every storey of a home and outside each sleeping area. For added protection, the Oakville Fire department encourages the installation of smoke alarms inside all bedrooms.

Smoke alarms should be tested every month and replaced every 10 years.

“Working smoke alarms save lives,” said Gary Laframboise, chief fire prevention officer with the Oakville Fire department. “Regular replacement of alarm batteries is an essential part of every home fire safety plan.”

The most commonly-cited cause of non-working smoke alarms is worn or missing batteries. Tampering with or removing batteries from a smoke alarm is illegal. Failure to comply with the Fire Code smoke alarm requirements can result in fines of up to $50,000.

Residents are encouraged to use their extra hour this weekend to develop and practice a home fire escape plan that follows these simple steps:

• Ensure all smoke alarms are installed correctly and in good working order.
• Ensure that all exits are unobstructed and easy to access.
• Practice two ways out of each room, when available.
• Identify who will be responsible for helping young children, older adults or others who will need assistance during an escape.
• Choose an outdoor meeting place, such as a tree or a lamppost, where everyone can gather safely.

In case of a fire in your home:

• If there is smoke, get low and move under the smoke to the closest safe exit.
• Call 9-1-1 from outside the home from a cellphone or neighbouring home.
• Once out, stay out. Never re-enter a burning building.

To learn more about smoke alarms and home fire safety, visit the fire safety page.