Daylight savings time recently came into effect. The London Fire Department wants to remind everyone to replace the old batteries in their smoke alarms if they haven’t already when they turned their clocks back.
A recent smoke alarm program carried out by the department with the assistance of the London Homebuilders Association found that of the 7,016 homes entered, 14 per cent had inadequate protection. The fire department is committed to ongoing public education efforts that will ensure every London resident is protected to the full extent of the Ontario Fire Code.
In order to survive a fire, occupants need to be provided with early warning and know what to do when the smoke alarms sound. Installing and maintaining working smoke alarms on every storey of a home and near all sleeping areas is the law. Tampering with a smoke alarm or removing the batteries can result in a fine of up to $50,000. For rental properties, landlords are responsible for installing and maintaining the required number of smoke alarms.
In addition to smoke alarms, everyone should have in place a home fire escape plan, outlining two ways out of every room and a meeting place outside the home to ensure that all occupants got out safely.
The plan should then be practiced by holding fire drills in the home, just as they held are in schools and workplaces.
Dan Oldridge,
Deputy fire chief
