The City Orillia Fire Department, Enbridge Gas, and the Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council are working to improve home safety and bring fire and carbon monoxide-related deaths down to zero.
The Orillia Fire Department received 216 combination smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms through Safe Community Project Zero, a public education campaign that will provide over 16,600 alarms to residents in 70 municipalities across Ontario.
“We appreciate the opportunity to work with Enbridge Gas and the Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council in an effort to reduce the number of needless fire and CO related deaths and injuries in Orillia,” said Chris Ferry, Acting Fire Chief, City of Orillia Fire Department. “The winter season brings with it the increased risk of CO poisoning to our homes. This program will help us to educate our community with a focus toward prevention and detection.”
This year, Enbridge Gas invested $500,000 in Safe Community Project Zero, and over the past 13 years, the program has provided more than 68,000 alarms to Ontario fire departments.
“Carbon monoxide is known as the ‘silent killer’ for a reason, and we have proof that prevention saves lives. We know that the best way to avoid carbon monoxide exposure is to eliminate it at the source by properly maintaining fuel-burning equipment, and that the alarms are a critical second line of defense to protect against carbon monoxide poisoning,” said Luke Skaarup, Director, Northern Region Operations, Enbridge Gas.
When properly installed and maintained, combination smoke and CO alarms help provide the early warning to safely escape from a house fire or CO exposure. CO is a toxic, odourless gas that is a by-product of incomplete combustion of many types of common fuels.
“The objective of Safe Community Project Zero is to deliver combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms to Ontario communities who need them the most,” said Jon Pegg, Ontario Fire Marshal and Chair of the Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council. “It’s a program that fire departments can adopt to help educate their communities about the requirement for all Ontario homes to have a carbon monoxide alarm if they have a fuel-burning appliance or an attached garage.”