Smoke alarms

Seconds count in a fire. Give your family the best head a start and make sure you have smoke alarms installed as required by law - smoke alarms must be installed on every level of your home and outside of all sleeping areas. For added protection, install smoke alarms inside every bedroom. 

For more information on smoke alarms visit the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs' Smoke Alarms webpage. 

Carbon monoxide (CO) alarms

Carbon monoxide is a colourless, odourless, tasteless and toxic gas. CO is often referred to as a "silent killer" since it cannot be detected without an alarm. CO alarms are required outside all sleeping areas if you have a fuel burning appliance in your home or an attached garage.

For more information on carbon monoxide visit the TSSA's CO Safety website. 

Is your smoke or CO alarm celebrating its 10th year in your home? It's time to replace it! 

Check the back of your alarms for the manufacture date. Many alarms expire after 10 years, but some may expire before that so check with the manufacturer if you aren't sure when the alarm expires. Replace any alarms that have expired. 

Once you've checked the date, test the alarm. All alarms in your home should be tested monthly by pressing the test button. If they fail, replace them. If they fail well before their expiration date, contact the manufacturer to see if they have a replacement program. 

Cooking is the leading cause of home fires in Ontario. Follow these tips to avoid accidentally starting a cooking fire:

• Always stay in the kitchen when cooking and turn the stove completely off if you must leave.
• Keep a timer handy to remind you when the oven and burners should be switched off.
• Keep a proper fitting lid near the stove. If a pot of oil catches fire, slide the lid over the pot and turn off the stove. Do not move the pot. Never throw water on a burning pot.
• To avoid burning yourself while cooking:
  • Remove lids carefully to avoid steam burns
  • Use potholders or oven mitts to remove pots from the stove, oven or microwave
  • If you burn yourself while cooking, run cool water over the wound for three to five minutes. If the burn is severe, seek medical attention.
• Keep anything that burns - plastic utensils, dishcloths, paper towels - a safe distance from the stove.
  • Even though the handle on the front of oven doors seems like a perfect place to hang dish towels, it's not, keep towels away from the stove. 
  • Do not leave anything on or beside the stove top, even when all the burners are turned off or during a power outage - burners may accidentally get turned on and ignite whatever has been left on the stove.
  • Wear tight-fitted clothing or roll up your sleeves when using the stove. Loose, dangling clothing can easily catch fire or get caught on put handles (resulting in a spill).
• Check plug-in appliances like kettles and toasters for damaged electrical cords and thermostats - if you have an appliance that isn't working, replace it. If possible, use and purchase appliances with an automatic shut-off.
• Do not overload electrical outlets with too many kitchen appliances.
• Microwave responsibly, do not put paper towels or metal in the microwave

• BBQ responsibly
  • BBQs and charcoal grills should be placed well away from the home, deck or any other combustible items. 
  • Check and maintain propane BBQ lines. If you find or smell a leak, turn off the tank and grill and have a professional inspect the unit before you use it again. 
  • Keep the grill and grease trap clean
  • Ensure coals are completely cooled before disposing of them in a metal bucket, away from combustible structures and items.
• Avoid cooking if you are tired or distracted, or under the influence of medications, alcohol or recreational drugs. If you able to be 100% alert, then order out or enjoy cold meals and snacks. 
• Keep young children and pets at least one meter away from the stove - turn pot handles away from the stove's edge so pots can't easily be knocked off.
• Have smoke alarms installed in your home and test them monthly! 

• The Gear Firefighters Wear - Introduce kids to the gear firefighters wear, with Sparky the Fire Dog! 
• Hot, Not Hot or Sometimes Hot - Do you know what's hot? Learn more with Sparky the Fire Dog! 
• Let's Learn the Sounds of Fire Safety from a Fire Truck! - Our neighbours in Selwyn share the sounds of a fire truck!
• Learn the Sounds of Fire Safety - I spy fire safety, and you can too! 
• Beep, Beep, Beep - Fire safety song for kids.
• Get Outside and Stay Outside - Fire safety song for kids.
• Fire Safety Minute - Plan your home fire escape with the family.
• Making a Home Fire Escape Plan - Making the fire escape plan.

For more videos, games and activities for kids please visit sparky.org.

For the teenagers and their parents, the video No Time to Spare shows the dramatic difference having working smoke alarms makes, the importance of fire prevention, home escape planning and how quickly a fire can escalate in a home. 

For many families the fall is an exciting time as students head back to school, and for some, that means leaving home for the first time. Make sure your children are prepared: talk with them about safety in their new accommodations, maybe even take a tour and ask questions of the property owners or building managers. 

Student Accommodations: A parent's guide to finding fire-safe accommodation for students attending college or university 

FireSmart™ Canada is a national program that helps Canadians increase neighbourhood resilience to wildfire and minimize its negative impacts. Ember the Fox helps engage our young community members too! Visit the Ember page for colouring pages and games.  

 The 2024 contests went online. The theme: Test Your Smoke Alarms!

The 2023 Fire Prevention Week theme was "Cooking safety starts with YOU. Pay attention to fire prevention."

The winner of our 2nd annual Fire Prevention Week poster contest was selected!

The contest was open to all students 12 years of age and older at St. Joseph's CES and Warsaw Public School. 

The theme in 2022 was "Fire won't wait. Plan your escape." Students were asked to create a poster that encouraged families to make and practice a home escape plan.

The student received a prize package that included $100 worth of gift certificates from Lansdowne Place.

Thank you to the Douro-Dummer Firefighters Association for donating the prize!