City of Toronto launches new smoke alarm awareness campaign

FILE: Smoke detector mounted on a ceiling. (Photo by Tumi-1983 – Own work/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0)

Today at Fire Station 331, Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie (Scarborough-Rouge Park), Councillor Ausma Malik (Spadina-Fort York) and Fire Chief Matthew Pegg launched a new smoke alarm social media and direct mail awareness campaign, which alerts residents to the very real dangers of not having a working smoke alarm on every floor of the home and outside all sleeping areas.

The campaign originated from a comprehensive fire origin and cause analysis conducted by Toronto Fire Services. The analysis found that in the last five years, 59 per cent of fires in single-family residential homes across the city were in homes that did not have a working smoke alarm.

The campaign features an image of a room in a home burned in a fire with a simple question asking where a loved one is following the fire.

The campaign, running until the end of the year, provides a QR code and link for residents to embed reminder dates in their mobile phone or computer calendars to change their smoke alarm batteries every six months.

More information on smoke alarms and the new campaign is available at www.toronto.ca/firesafety.

A brochure will be mailed to approximately 90,000 residential homes in ten neighbourhoods identified as most at risk.

Smoke alarms are the most effective early warning devices, helping individuals and families gain precious time to escape a fire safely. Fire can spread rapidly through a home, leaving those in the building with as little as one or two minutes to escape safely once the smoke alarm sounds.

The campaign emphasizes smoke alarm safety messages:
• Ensure there is a working smoke alarm on every level of the home and outside all sleeping areas
• Change smoke alarm batteries every six months
• Smoke alarms don’t last forever; replace them every 10 years
• Test smoke alarms monthly to make sure they work

Heating, holiday decorations, winter storms and candles contribute to an increased fire risk during the winter months. Regardless of the situation in which a fire occurs, they are always a surprise, which makes a smoke alarm alert vitally important.

A backgrounder with additional insight and details on the Fire Services’ smoke alarm research is available online.

Quotes:

“This important public awareness campaign highlights the quick and easy steps Torontonians can take to keep themselves and their loved ones safe, and save lives. Please take the time to make sure your smoke alarms are working so that they can give you and your family precious time to escape a fire if it occurs at your home.”
– Mayor John Tory

“In the last 5 years, 59 percent of fires in single family residential homes across the city did not have working smoke alarms. By using and maintaining smoke alarms, we can increase the likelihood of preventing these tragedies from occurring in the future.”
– Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie (Scarborough-Rouge Park)

“In a fire emergency, you need an alert to act immediately. That’s why a functioning smoke alarm is vitally important to stay safe and save lives. I urge all Toronto residents to be extra vigilant, especially during the winter months as heating, holiday decorations, winter storms and candles can contribute to an increased fire risk.”
– Councillor Ausma Malik (Spadina-Fort York)

“Public education and fire prevention are the first two lines of fire protection in Ontario. Toronto Fire Services is a leader in using data, analytics and geographic research to identify fire incident trends and implement strategies to address priority needs. Being unprepared for a fire in your home can have devastating results for you and your family, including the loss of life. This campaign will educate residents on the critical importance of having working smoke alarms, which coupled with a practiced home escape plan in your home, is the best way to provide you and your family with the ability to survive a fire in your home by escaping quickly.”
– Chief Matthew Pegg, Toronto Fire Services

Toronto is home to more than 2.9 million people whose diversity and experiences make this great city Canada’s leading economic engine and one of the world’s most diverse and livable cities. As the fourth largest city in North America, Toronto is a global leader in technology, finance, film, music, culture and innovation, and consistently places at the top of international rankings due to investments championed by its government, residents and businesses. For more information visit the City’s website or follow us on Twitter , Instagram or Facebook .