The Haldimand County Fire Department and Emergency Services wants everyone to know how crucial smoke alarms are to saving lives. More than just knowing, they want to see every household respond accordingly and ensure their alarms are in working order.
Captain Richard Geerdink, Fire Prevention Officer, sees that the number of people dying due to fires is increasing in Ontario. The province hit a 20-year high in 2022.
“We reached a pivotal year (in 2022)v with 133 deaths, and already this year, as of the end of June, we’ve already reported 75 deaths related to fire,” said Geerdink.
Geerdink said it was very important to make sure smoke alarms are present and functioning in all needed areas of the home.
“It’s key fact: working smoke alarms save lives,” he iterated.
He noted that while it may be too late to save a home once the alarm sounds, alarms help save the people inside.
“Smoke alarms get people out of their homes with the amount of time they need to get out – I can’t stress it enough. A working smoke alarm is the only factor that will assist in getting people out of their homes.”
Homes in Ontario are required to have smoke alarms on every level of the house and outside of any sleeping areas.
In addition to working smoke alarms, he said, it is also important to practise a fire escape plan and have everyone in the family know there safe meeting spots are.
Emergency services regularly holds outreach events teaching the public, children in particular, about the importance of a smoke alarm and an escape plan.
“We have a very successful school age, child campaign with our grades kindergarten through grade two where we visit the schools, and we teach them to go home and practice and create emergency escape plans with their family,” he noted.
He also mentioned the use of CO monitors, which detect above-normal levels of carbon monoxide. Geerdink said CO detectors and smoke alarms were “key for keeping people safe.”
Geerdink recalled the Nolan Young tragedy that occurred in 2013 when 12-year-old Nolan passed tragically, the victim of accidental carbon monoxide poisoning while sleeping in the family van during a rainy night of camping: “CO alarms are just as important,” he said.
Anyone with questions about smoke or CO alarms can contact the fire department for personal assistance.
In their efforts to spread the word and get residents thinking about – and acting on – their smoke and CO alarms, Haldimand Fire has launched a new initiative aimed at keeping that goal front-of-mind.
For the first time, an alarm logo has been installed on the ice at Haldimand’s arenas.
“Hockey is very strong in Haldimand County and with the cooperation of the people who look after the arenas, we were able to get a smoke alarm logo imprinted on the ice surface,” he explained. “So, every time there’s a face-off over the corner and it’s front and centre for a lot of people to see.”
“It gets imprinted in your brain and you go home and hopefully families are having that conversation because of something that we are able to do,” he added.
Geerdink returned to the importance of working smoke alarms and their ability to save lives.
“I can’t reiterate enough. We are on a climb in the province, province wide with deaths. We are all still responding to homes where smoke alarms are not working,” he said. “It’s very upsetting to know that it’s a small product, but it has huge advantages of making sure people are safe.”
“We don’t want to have a death in our community because of a non-working, smoke alarm.”
