Smoke alarm compliance better

A series of home visits by the Fort Frances Fire Department, in conjunction with Fire Prevention Week (Oct. 4-9), found local residents seem to be getting the message that having a working smoke alarm is the law.
“It went pretty well,” said firefighter Wayne Riches. “We made contact with 121 residents. We went to more residences than that, but some people weren’t home.
“Of that, there were four smoke alarms and three batteries issued,” he noted, referring to the fact firefighters had to give out the smoke alarms and batteries to ensure they left the residences in compliance with the law.
But Riches said this was an improvement over last year, when about 25 percent of the 97 homes checked weren’t protected as required by law.
He added the fire department will be making routine checks of local homes on a regular basis throughout the fall and winter.
“It’s something that’s going to be enforced,” Riches stressed. “This is a fine, but we’ll try to work with people and give them seven days to become compliant before we start giving those out.”
The fire department also recommends residents check their smoke alarms once a month and replace the batteries every year.
Under the Ontario Fire Code, all residences must have at least one working smoke alarm installed near the bedrooms or sleeping area. If there are sleeping areas on more than one level, one smoke alarm is required for each level.
Riches noted it was encouraging to see some residents went above and beyond the minimum compliance and actually had four or five smoke alarms in one dwelling.
Failure to comply with the Ontario Fire Code can result in a $235 fine for first-time offenders, and up to $25,000 and jail time for those who consistently are non-compliant with the law.
While Fire Prevention Week officially ran from Oct. 4-9, it actually kicked off here a week ago Saturday (Oct. 2) with the Frances Fire/Rescue Service setting up at the Wal-Mart parking lot and inside the store.
The ladder truck was on display, along with a fire safety information booth and the popular “Hazard House”—a small replica house which showed how fires can start accidentally around the home.
There were free fire prevention giveaways and appearances by Sparky the Fire Dog.
Kids could enter a draw for a chance to win a mountain bike and helmet (courtesy of Skates & Blades and the Fort Frances Fire Brigade), or one of two fire safety prize packs (including a knapsack, smoke alarm, T-shirt, stuffed animal, and more).
The draws were made last week, with the winners being Sydney Radigan (bike), Lily Bruyere (safety pack), and Davis and Jace Jackson (safety pack).
Firefighters also visited local elementary schools last week, and will be making the rounds through all local schools throughout the rest of the fall and winter as part of their annual fire education campaign, noted Riches.