Fire Prevention & Public Education
Smoke Alarms
Under the Ontario Fire Code, every home in
Ontario is required to have working smoke alarms installed between sleeping and
living areas. Homeowners must ensure
that smoke alarms are installed on every level of a home and are required to
maintain the smoke alarms in working order. In rental accommodation, the obligation to install and maintain smoke
alarms in operating condition falls to the landlord, who must also provide
smoke alarm maintenance information to the occupant of each unit. It is an
offence for any person to disable a smoke alarm – this requirement applies
equally to homeowners, landlords and tenants.
The smoke alarm should be tested once a
month. Remember to check the batteries in your smoke alarms. Vacuum out the
dust and change the batteries every spring and fall when you adjust your clocks
for daylight savings time. Smoke alarms do not last for ever, and should be
replaced after ten years. Replace smoke alarms that malfunction in any way.
Types
Smoke alarms operate on one of two basic
principles: ionization or photoelectric. For maximum protection, you should
understand the advantages and disadvantages of both types. Keep in mind only
smoke alarms that are ULC approved should be used.
Ionization
The ionization alarm uses a small amount of radioactive material to make
the air within the sensing chamber conduct electricity. When very small smoke
particles enter the sensing chamber, they interfere with the conduction of
electricity, reducing the current and triggering the alarm. The particles to
which the alarm responds often cannot be seen with the human eye. Because the
greatest number of these invisible particles is produced by flaming fires,
ionization detectors respond slightly faster to open flaming fires than do
photoelectric detectors.
Photoelectric
The photoelectric alarm uses a small light source, either an incandescent
bulb or a light-emitting diode (LED) that shines its light into a dark sensing
chamber. The sensing chamber also contains an electrical, light-sensitive
component known as a photocell. The light source and photocell are arranged so
that light from the source does not normally strike the photocell. When smoke
particles enter the sensing chamber of the photoelectric detector, the light is
reflected off the surface of the smoke particle, allowing it to strike the
photocell and increase the voltage from the photocell. When the voltage reaches
a predetermined level, the detector activates.
Power Supply
Batteries or household current can power
residential smoke detectors. Battery-operated alarms offer the advantage of
easy installation - a screwdriver and a few minutes are all that are needed.
Battery models are also independent of house power circuits and will operate
during power failures. It is critical that only the specific battery
recommended by the alarm manufacturer be used for replacement.
Smoke Alarm Location
A smoke alarm in every room will provide
the fastest detection - 85% of all fire deaths and injuries occur in homes
where there are no working smoke alarms. Remember, only a working smoke alarm
can save your life! Most fatal fires occur at night when people are asleep.
Often, victims never wake, due to the carbon monoxide poisoning. A working
smoke alarm will alert you, giving you precious time to escape. Because smoke
rises, they should be placed on or near the ceiling, according to your user’s
manual.
Carbon Monoxide
Detectors
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colourless,
odourless and deadly gas. It has almost the same density of air, so it mixes
freely with it. CO is a by-product of anything that burns. It comes from gas or
oil-fired appliances such as furnaces, dryers, stoves, water heaters,
fireplaces and barbecues. It can also come from wood burning stoves, fireplaces
and automobile engines. Because you can’t see, taste or smell it, CO can kill
you before you know it is present. Symptoms can be mistaken for those
accompanying the flu. They may include headache, fatigue, nausea, dizzy spells,
and confusion. If you feel better after being away from the house for a period
of time, you could be suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning.
Type
Look for a CO detector that is ULC listed
to the Canadian Gas Association (CGA) standard #619. The ULC mark guarantees
that the product has passed tests in the areas of performance, safety, and
accuracy. Install the CO detector between sleeping areas and living quarters,
and on every level where there is a fuel burning appliance.
General Safety
Procedures
Prevention
§
The first line of defense is to have
working smoke alarms on every level of your home
§
Never leave cooking unattended
§
Have your chimney and appliances
maintained
§
Never leave candles burning unattended
§
Keep combustibles at least 3 feet away
from portable heaters
§
Keep lighters and matches away from
children
§
Discard all cigarettes and dispose of
ashes in a safe container
§
Do not store flammable or combustibles
liquids in your basement
A fire can start anytime anywhere, you and
your family must be prepared. If a fire occurs in your home, you may have to get
out of a difficult condition in a hurry. Escaping from a fire will be much
easier if you have already planned and practiced your home escape plan. Make
sure that your plan includes hallways and doorways that are free of any
obstructions, and that all doors and windows can open. Your plan should include
a meeting place somewhere away from the house.
What to do if a Fire Starts
All it takes is an unguarded or careless
moment for a fire to start, and within a couple of minutes your home could be
filled with smoke. Smoke and fumes can kill, particularly the heat and the
poisonous smoke from some furnishings. As soon as you hear your smoke alarms:
Get Out & Stay Out. You will only have a short time to get out – use it
wisely and try not to panic. Before opening a closed door, use the back of your
hand to see if the door is hot or cold. If the door is warm, don’t open it; if
it feels cool; open it slightly just to see what is on the other side. If there
is a lot of smoke on the other side of the door, close it to protect you in the
room. However, if there is only a little smoke, crawl low under the smoke to
reach your exit. Close all doors behind you. Don’t worry about valuables or
possessions; just get everyone out of the house. Telephone 911 from a
neighbour’s phone or your cell phone, and stay at your meeting place.
If you are Trapped by Fire
Try to remain calm. If you are unable to
use the door because of flames or smoke, close the door and use sheets or items
of clothing to block any gaps. If you have a phone in the room, call 911 and
advise the operators you are trapped. If the room has a window, open it
slightly, wave something bright and shout “Help Fire!”; if you do not have a
window, move to the furthest room or point away from the fire.
Help Us To Help You
To ensure that we reach you in the quickest
possible time, make sure that your house numbers are large enough to be seen
from the road, especially at night. If possible, place your name and number on
your mailbox, wall or gatepost next to the road rather than on the door. Some
door numbers are too far from the road to be seen. Bushes can hide the name or
number, especially in spring or summer – cut back foliage regularly so they can
be clearly seen.
Simple Safety Tips
KITCHEN
Cooking oil and grease are the major cause of
residential fires in Canada. Kitchen fires, due to cooking oil or grease
catching fire, cause the fastest-spreading destruction of any kind of
residential fire. Do not leave cooking unattended. Do not wear loose clothing
with long sleeves.
LIVING ROOM
Provide fire screens for fireplaces. Provide
sufficient electrical outlets for your needs. Check the furniture for fallen
cigarettes or embers, if you had smokers in the room. Have your wood stove
installed by a qualified installer.
BEDROOM
When clothes are ironed, ensure the iron is
unplugged when finished. Check electrical appliances for safe operation (e.g.
electric blankets). Be aware when
smoking in the bedroom, bedding materials are very combustible. Don’t smoke in
bed.
BASEMENT & ATTIC
Remove all unnecessary combustibles. Have your
furnace, and chimney and flue connections checked for leaks, and clean the
furnace at least once a year. Remove flammable liquids from the house. Never
store gasoline in basements or other confined areas.
GARAGE & WORKSHOP
Most contain flammable materials such as thinners,
gasoline, paints and industrial cleaners. They should be properly covered,
stored neatly and kept from ignition sources such as space heaters. Keep your
workshop free of combustibles like papers, wood shavings, and oil rags.
Candle Safety
Candles, as with any naked flame, can be
the cause of a fire, especially in the home and particularly where there are
children. The risk of incidents is greater when alcohol has been consumed.
Always keep matches & lighters out of reach of children.
Great care should be taken when using
candles:
§ Always place candles well away from curtains, furniture and drapes
and always out of draughts
§
Keep candles out of the reach of
children
§
Keep pets away from burning candles
§
Never leave a burning candle
unattended
§
Keep candles away from hair &
clothing
§
Always place candles upright in sturdy
holders, ones that cannot fall over easily
§
Always make sure you snuff your
candles out when you leave the house or before going to bed
Cigarette Fires
More people die in fires caused by smoking
than any other single cause. Because tobacco is designed to stay alight,
cigarettes can easily start a fire. Take responsibility and keep lighters and
matches out of the reach of children – every year children die from starting
fires with smoking materials.
Take extra care if you smoke when you’re drowsy, taking prescription drugs, or
if you have been drinking. It is too easy to fall asleep and not notice that a
cigarette is still burning.
Don’t light up if you need to lie down. Despite the risk of falling asleep the
potential for setting the bed on fire is a big factor.
Use proper ashtrays. Make sure the ashtray is heavy,can’t tip over
easily, and is made of a material that won’t burn. Never tap your ash into a
wastepaper basket. When smoking has occurred in your home, check upholstery and
sides of cushions for fallen embers.
Fire Extinguishers
Tackling a fire in its very early stages
can play a major part in saving your property; however fire extinguishers are
for use in small fires only. Never place yourself or others in jeopardy by
attempting to extinguish a fire that is too large, or if smoke presents a
hazard to the operator of a fire if the fire is spreading beyond the spot where
it started. Whether it is for your home or business, choose the correct type of
fire extinguisher and receive the correct training. Buy only an extinguisher
which has been approved by nationally recognized testing laboratories and
tested by U.L.C. Familiarize yourself with the location and operating
instructions of extinguishers which are at your disposal.
How to identify the proper fire extinguisher
Class ratings are shown on the faceplate
of the extinguisher as A, B, C or D. Some are marked with multiple ratings
such as ABC. These extinguishers are capable of putting out more than one
class of fire.
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The ABC’s of Fire
Extinguishers
Class A - Extinguishes solids such as wood,
paper, plastic
Class
B - Extinguishes flammable liquids (i.e. fuel, oil, grease,
propane)
Class
C – Will not conduct
electrical currents - use for energized electrical equipment, appliances,
switches, wiring, fuse boxes, electrical motors, power tools, panel boxes
Class
D - Extinguishes combustible metals such as magnesium, sodium,
titanium and potassium that burn at high temperatures and give off sufficient
oxygen to support combustion
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