If a fire breaks out but the alarm batteries are dead, it won't make a sound.
It's Fire Prevention Week in Ontario (Oct. 3-9) and this year's theme is "Learn the Sounds of Fire Safety."
Collingwood Fire Department's prevention team is reminding everyone to pay attention to the sounds their smoke and CO alarms make.
Fire Prevention Inspector Jeff Gage said this is a good week for everyone to test their smoke and CO alarms and get familiar with the sound they make.
"The weather is changing and people are heading indoors more, so it's a good time to test your smoke and CO alarms, and check the date ... everything has an expiry date," said Gage.
Anything not working properly should be replaced quickly.
The Ontario Fire Marshal's office reported over one-third of the residential fires in 2019 that resulted in loss of life, injury, or property damage were in homes with no alarm, or where an alarm wasn't functioning properly.
In Collingwood, the fire department has gone door-to-door in local neighbourhoods for a program called Alarms for Life. In 2019, fire crews visited 1,950 homes to remind residents to check their smoke alarms. The program has been temporarily suspended for the pandemic.
According to Gage, it has been an effective proactive measure to make sure fires are detected early and residents get lots of warning.
"It's been very successful," said Gage. "We found a lot of units that needed to be replaced."
In some cases, the fire department will loan out a smoke alarm until the resident can purchase a new one.
The local fire department kicked off Fire Prevention Week a day early this year with a booth at the Collingwood Farmers' Market on Oct. 2. Gage was there with Fire Prevention Officer Carl Prochilo, and both were answering questions from market visitors.
"There were lots of questions about where the alarms need to be in people's homes," said Gage.
The answer is – at least one on every floor, and one within three metres of all sleeping quarters.
Any home with natural gas service and/or an attached garage must also have CO alarms in the same places.
Gage and others from the department will be visiting schools this week. Typically they would do a full surprise fire drill with a smoke machine, but because of COVID-19 they've downsized to an unannounced visit and single classroom drill using a phone app to simulate a fire alarm for one classroom.
This is one of Gage's first Fire Prevention Weeks as a prevention inspector. He started his career as a volunteer firefighter, then went into fire suppression and now into prevention.
"I love the interaction with people and being able to talk to people about things I believe in, and things I know could possibly make a change," said Gage. "I like the prevention side because I have the ability to try to make the change before [something happens]."
For one final tip this Fire Prevention Week, Gage said one of the safest things anyone can do is sleep with the bedroom door closed.
You can find out more about Fire Prevention Week and fire safety on the Collingwood Fire Department website.
