Providing carbon monoxide alarms to residents most at risk

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A collaboration between Tillsonburg Fire and Rescue Services, Enbridge Gas Inc., the Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council and Oxford County Paramedic Services will help improve home safety as they work to bring fire and carbon monoxide-related deaths down to zero.

Tillsonburg Fire & Rescue Services recently received a generous donation of 192 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.

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“The Tillsonburg Fire and Rescue Services Department would like to thank Enbridge Gas and the Fire Marshal’s Public Safety Fire Safety Council for the opportunity to collaborate on this community initiative,” said Fire Chief Shane Caskanette in a media release.

“Providing alarms to residents who are most at risk will help improve home safety within our community. The early warning that these alarms provide will help keep our residents safe in a fire or carbon monoxide emergency.”

This year, Enbridge Gas spent $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.

Oxford County paramedics visit homes daily and provide invaluable program support by referring families that may benefit from a free smoke and CO alarm to Tillsonburg Fire and Rescue Services, who schedule delivery or installation of the alarms.

When properly installed and maintained, the combination smoke and CO alarms help provide the early warning needed to safely escape a fire or carbon monoxide leak. Carbon monoxide is an odourless, tasteless, poisonous gas that forms when carbons from fuels burn incompletely. Carbon monoxide poisoning occurs when CO builds up in your bloodstream, which can lead to serious tissue damage or even death.

“Carbon monoxide is known as the ‘silent killer’ for a reason, and we have proof that prevention saves lives,” said Steven Jelich, Director, Southwest Region Operations, Enbridge Gas.

“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 defence to protect against carbon monoxide poisoning.”