Did you know?
Ontario’s annual “Test Your Smoke Alarm Day” will take place on September 28th. Being prepared to be SAVED BY THE BEEP with a WORKING SMOKE ALARM is your best chance to keep you and your family safe in the event of a fire.
The Life-Saving Power of Working Smoke Alarms through a firefighter’s eyes
In 1987, I stepped into the fire service as a volunteer firefighter while simultaneously starting out at the local pulp and paper mill. That dual beginning ultimately paved the way for my career as a full-time fire chief with the Fort Frances Fire & Rescue Service.
Throughout my tenure, I focused heavily on delivering the foundational pillars of fire and life safety protection (3-lines of defence): Public Fire Safety Education, Fire Safety Standards and Enforcement (Inspect-to-Correct), and Emergency Response. These pillars are vital for community protection and must remain a priority moving forward.
Reflecting on decades of service, I am deeply grateful to the extraordinary individuals and organizations who walked this path alongside me. It was a true privilege to receive recognition that defined my service milestones, including: The Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council – Fire Safety Award in the late 1990s, honours from the members of the Rainy River District Mutual Aid Association, and a meaningful tribute from the Fort Frances Professional Firefighters Local 1012, retired members of Local 1012, and volunteer firefighters upon my retirement, marking an unforgettable close to this chapter of service.
To be honest, looking back at the fires I responded to, the true tragedy was never what burned, but the lives lost. Over the years, I’ve watched tragedy unfold up close: a colleague from the local mill lost to the flames, a fellow firefighter and I carrying my coworker’s son out of a burning home only to watch him slip away, and, most haunting of all, the echoing silence left behind by a family—a parent and two children taken just ten days before Christmas, leaving an endless expanse of unlived years behind them.
No one should lose their life to a fire. Yet, preventable fires claimed 111 lives in Ontario in 2024, followed by 125 more last year. These tragedies continue to devastate communities throughout Canada, frequently taking the lives of young children and cutting short countless futures.
Majority of fire-related deaths: No working smoke alarms
- Most fire-related deaths throughout Canada occur in homes where people feel safe and secure, and that do not have Working Smoke Alarms.
- From the moment a Smoke Alarm sounds … you may have as little as one minute or less time to safely escape a fire in your home.
- SMOKE—which is the real killer—can engulf your home or cabin/cottage/camp in 2 minutes or less, giving occupants very little time to escape.
- Smoke is quiet and deadly … it will cover you and your loved ones like a blanket!
Be on the ball and install
- Install Working Smoke Alarms on each level, (including the basement) of your home or cabin/cottage/camp, and outside all sleeping areas (like a hallway).
- For added protection, install Working Smoke Alarms in all bedrooms.
- When possible, install Interconnected-Smoke-Alarms; when one sounds, they all sound alerting residents on each level of the home.
- Some Smoke Alarms have smart features that will send out an alert to your mobile phone if smoke is detected in your home.
Press the test button to ensure it beeps!
Testing your smoke alarms is a simple, effective first step toward home fire safety, giving you peace of mind that WORKING SMOKE ALARMS are in place when it matters most.
- Test SMOKE ALARMS at least once a month, by pushing the alarm test button.
- When the test button is pressed, the alarm should sound.
- If it fails to sound, make sure the battery is installed correctly or install a new battery.
- If the alarm still fails to sound, replace the smoke alarm with a new one.
Change batteries
- Change Batteries at least once a year, or immediately when you hear the low-battery chirping sound.
- If the chirping continues after changing the batteries, you’ll need to replace the alarm.
- If your smoke alarm is hardwired, it should have a backup battery.
- Consider using smoke alarms that have a worry-free 10-year lithium battery.
Clean all smoke alarms
- Follow the manufacturer’s directions for cleaning your smoke alarm.
Certification marks to look for
- SMOKE ALARMS need to have a Canadian certification mark, which means it has been tested by laboratory professionals.
- Some of the common Canadian certification marks you may find on smoke alarms and their packaging include the following: CSA, cUL, cULus, ULC, cETL, or cETLus.
- Know what you are buying: When shopping for smoke or carbon monoxide alarms online, check that a Canadian certification mark appears directly on the product itself, rather than just on the packaging. Unverified third-party sellers frequently offer alarms that lack the proper certification and fail to meet Canadian safety standards.
Replace smoke alarms
- Age matters!
- Replace Smoke Alarms that are more than 10 years old, including those that are hardwired/electrical.
- After 10 years—over 87,000 hours of continuous use—the sensors inside become less reliable.
Visit the Saved by the Beep site
For more information visit www.savedbythebeep.ca
Remember, taking the time to learn and practice injury prevention costs you nothing. Failing to do so, could lead to the unthinkable … the loss of your life and the lives of those you hold dear.
Safety—it starts with you.
