An amendment to the Ontario Fire Code that requires working smoke alarms on every level of the home came into effect yesterday, and local residents are being told to comply with the new law.
“We’re going to be out making sure people meet the new fire code requirements—that is, one smoke alarm on each level of the home, regardless of whether there’s a sleeping area there or not,” Fort Frances Fire Chief Steve Richardson said this morning.
“For the next three months, we’re going to try and do an aggressive inspection program, more aimed towards education than enforcement,” he noted.
“Enforcement is really a last resort,” Chief Richardson added. “We want to be sure the public is aware, and work with them and give them time to comply.”
The fire chief stressed landlords are responsible for ensuring their rental properties do have working smoke alarms, and will be fined for failure to do so.
Tenants whose apartments do not meet the standard are encouraged to contact their landlord to have their residence brought up to code.
Once the alarms are installed, however, tenants of those rental properties are responsible to they leave the batteries in and don’t tamper with it.
Homeowners who are not compliant can be subject to a minimum fine of $235, but depending on the circumstances, may have to go to court and face fines up to $25,000 or, in extreme cases, face jail time of up to one year.
Tenants who tamper with a smoke detector also can be subject to the $235 fine.
Chief Richardson noted the Ontario Building Code previously required new homes and rental properties being built to have working smoke alarms on each level.
The recent amendment brings existing buildings up to that same standard.
In addition to this amendment to the Code, which was first reported in the Times in early January, homeowners must continue to comply with the previous requirement to have smoke alarms outside all sleeping areas.
This applies to all single family, semi-detached, and town homes, whether owner-occupied or rented.
Here are some tips regarding smoke alarms:
•Smoke alarms should be tested monthly, and the batteries replaced or recharged once a year. Alarms should be replaced altogether if they are more than 10 years old.
•Batteries should never be removed from a smoke alarm.
•If nuisance alarms are a problem, move the alarm to another location or purchasing one with a hush feature that temporarily silences it.
•Families also are encouraged to develop a home fire escape plan so that everyone in the household knows what to do if the smoke alarm sounds.
There should be two ways out of every room, and a place established where everyone should meet after they get out.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
