Tue, 28 Oct 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:
In case of a fire in your home:
To learn more about smoke alarms and home fire safety, visit the fire safety page.