Fire Safety Devices

It's the law

The Ontario Fire Code makes it mandatory to have working smoke alarms in every home, on every level, and outside all sleeping areas. This applies to all single-family, semi-detached and townhomes, whether owner-occupied or rented.

It is the responsibility of homeowners to install and maintain smoke alarms. It is the responsibility of landlords to ensure their rental properties comply with the law.

If you are a rental property tenant and do not have the required number of smoke alarms, contact your landlord immediately. It is against the law for tenants to remove the batteries or tamper with the alarm in any way.

Failure to comply with the Fire Code smoke alarm requirements could result in a ticket for $360 or a fine of up to $50,000 for individuals or $100,000 for corporations.

A working smoke alarm can save lives in the event of a fire in your home.

Did you know that 90% of residential fires are preventable? In Oshawa, from 2009 to 2012, only 39% of buildings where fires occurred had working smoke alarms. Out of those fires:

• 15% of buildings where a fire occurred had smoke alarms that did not operate
• 19% of buildings where a fire occurred, no smoke alarm was present

Change your clock, change your battery

To make sure that the batteries are always fresh, change the battery in your smoke alarm when you change your clock in the spring and fall.

Test your smoke alarm

To ensure your smoke alarm is working, test it once a month by pushing the test button. If you think your smoke alarms are more than 10 years old, replace them with new ones.

Make sure everyone in the household knows what to do if the smoke alarm sounds. Develop a home fire escape plan and practice it with the entire household.

Safety tips

Install smoke alarms on every storey of your home, including the basement.

• Follow every step of the manufacturer's directions when you install your smoke alarms
• Follow directions for testing and cleaning them
• Change batteries as recommended
• Never "borrow" batteries from your smoke alarm for another device
• Replace any smoke alarm that is more than 10 years old

Dealing with nuisance alarms

Only working smoke alarms save lives.

• Never remove the batteries from smoke alarms
• If you have problems with nuisance alarms, try relocating them or buying an alarm with a hush feature to silence the alarm temporarily
• If your smoke alarm goes off when cooking or showering, do not remove the battery. There are solutions to deal with the problem, that include:
  • Keep stove and burners clean
  • Adjust the timer setting on the toaster
  • Use the range hood fan when cooking
  • Turn on the bathroom fans while taking a shower
  • Install smoke alarms with the hush button that will temporarily silence the alarm. The smoke alarm will re-set itself after several minutes
  • Move smoke alarms that are too close to the kitchen or bathrooms to a different location
  • Try replacing ionization smoke alarms near the kitchen and bathrooms with photoelectric smoke alarms
  • Replace smoke alarms that are more than 10 years old

Choose the right alarms

Smoke alarms are available with different features and applications. It may be confusing to know if you are choosing the right alarm. Consider selecting an alarm with the following features

Ideal locations

Smoke alarms must be installed on each storey of the home and outside sleeping areas. Because smoke rises, smoke alarms need to be installed on the ceiling. If this is not possible, install the alarm high up on a wall. Always follow the manufacturer's instructions when installing smoke alarms.

Avoid putting smoke alarms close to bathrooms, windows, ceiling fans and heating and cooking appliances

If you suspect carbon monoxide in your home, get out immediately and call 911.

Carbon monoxide (C.O.) is an invisible, odourless gas formed when fuels do not burn completely.

Heating and cooking equipment that burn fuel can be C.O. sources in the home. Vehicles or generators running in an attached garage can also produce dangerous gas levels.

It is the law. The Ontario Fire Code has made it mandatory to have C.O. alarms in most residential properties.

The law requires you to install C.O. alarms in your home, apartment or multi-residential unit if you have a:

• Fuel burning appliance

• Fireplace

• Attached garage

Installation of C.O. alarms near all sleeping areas in residential homes is mandatory. In multi-residential units, C.O. alarms must be installed in services rooms and adjacent sleeping areas.

Owners of multi-unit residences must comply with Carbon Monoxide alarm regulations as per the Ontario Fire Code.

Units built in Ontario after 2011 are required to have C.O. alarms installed when built. Learn more about Ontario Regulation 194/14.

Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning

C.O. poisoning can mimic flu symptoms, food poisoning and other illnesses. Symptoms include:

• Headache

• Fatigue

• Shortness of breath

• Nausea

• Dizziness

High level of C.O. poisoning results in progressively more severe symptoms, including:

• Mental confusion

• Vomiting

• Loss of muscular coordination

• Loss of consciousness

• Death

The dangers of C.O. exposure depend on many variables, including the victim’s health and activity level. Some community members may be more severely affected by lower concentrations of C.O.:

• Infants

• pregnant women

• People with physical conditions that limit their body's ability to use oxygen (e.g. asthma)

A small amount of C.O. can poison a community member by over a longer time period or a large amount of C.O. over a shorter amount of time.

What do I do if my carbon monoxide alarm activates

Immediately move to a fresh air location outdoors or open a window or door. Ensure everyone inside the home is accounted for and call 911 from the fresh air location and stay there until emergency personnel arrive.

Why call 911

Oshawa Fire Services will respond with C.O. alarms and determine if there is a C.O. source. If C.O. is detected, the gas company may be contacted to inspect appliances. Once the source is identified and a solution determined, you may be safely permitted back into your home.

Carbon monoxide safety tips

• Test C.O. alarms at least once a month

• Replace C.O. alarms according to the manufacturer's instructions

• If you need to warm a vehicle, remove it from the garage immediately after starting it. Do not run a vehicle or other fuelled engine or motor indoors, even if garage doors are open. Make sure the exhaust pipe of a running vehicle is not covered with snow.

• Ensure all vents for the dryer, stove, fireplace, and other fuel burning appliances are clear of snow and ice

• Use generators in a well-vented location outside, away from windows, doors and vents

• Clean and inspect all fuel burning equipment annually, such as dryers, fireplaces and chimneys

• Never operate a gasoline-powered engine indoors or in a closed space

• Never burn charcoal inside a home, garage, vehicle, or tent

• Never use gas appliances such as ranges, ovens, or clothes dryers to heat your home.

• Never use portable fuel-burning camping equipment inside a home, garage, vehicle or tent unless designed for enclosed use

If the audible trouble signal sounds, check for low batteries. If the battery is low, replace it

Where to install carbon monoxide alarms

• Choose a C.O. alarm that has the label of a recognized testing laboratory

• Read the manufacturer's instructions that come with each alarm

  • The best location for C.O. alarms is in a central location outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home
  • Do not block units with furniture or window coverings
  • Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for placement and mounting heights
  • For the best protection, interconnect all C.O. alarms throughout the home. When one sounds, they all sound
  • Dust and debris can affect the sensor’s proper functioning, so keep it clean
  Keep common household chemicals and cleaners away from your C.O. alarms. Over time, these can damage the sensing device in the unit

Where not to install a carbon monoxide alarm

• Do not install a carbon monoxide alarm in a place where the temperature can fall below 4.4 C, such as an unheated garage or storage shed

• Do not install within five feet of any open flame appliance such as a cook top, fireplace or furnace

• Keep clear of any direct exhaust from gas engines, vents, flues or chimneys, as these will damage the alarm

Where to buy a carbon monoxide alarm

You can buy C.O. alarms from most hardware stores in Canada. Look for devices that are approved by Underwriters Laboratories of Canada and Canada Standards Association.

Approved devices include battery-operated units, electric units that can be plugged into a duplex receptacle, and hard-wired units.

If this is an emergency, dial 9-1-1. Do not wait.

Use an extinguisher only if:

• The fire is small, confined, and not spreading
• Everyone else has left or is leaving the building
• The fire department has been called
• You can fight the fire with your back to a safe escape route
• The extinguisher matches the type of fire
• You know how to operate the extinguisher

Do not fight a fire under any other circumstance. Instead, leave the building immediately, close the door behind you and call 9-1-1.

Types of extinguishers

There are three types of fire extinguishers available for home use. Fire extinguishers must be labelled to show the class of fire they can extinguish. Oshawa Fire Services recommends a multi-purpose A.B.C. type extinguisher for general household use.

• Class A: Ordinary combustibles, including paper, wood, drapes and upholstery
• Class B: Flammable liquids such as gasoline, oils, solvents, paints and flammable gases
• Class C: Electrical fires involving energized electrical material such as power tools, appliances, televisions and electrical motors

Fire extinguishers also have a number rating based on imperial units.

Type A fires:

• 1 would stand for 1 1/4 gallons of water
• 2 would represent 2 1/2 gallons
• 3 would be 3 3/4 gallons of water etc.

For type B and type C fire, the number represents square feet. For example, 2 would be two square feet, 5 is five square feet, etc.

Using a fire extinguisher

1. There is a simple acronym to remember to operate most fire extinguishers; the abbreviation is P.A.S.S which stands for Pull, Aim, Squeeze and Sweep.
2. PULL out the locking pin, breaking the seal. Some extinguishers may use a different release device. Refer to your operator's manual
3. AIM the nozzle horn (or hose) at the base of the fire about three metres (10 ft) from the fire
4. SQUEEZE the trigger handle all the way, releasing the extinguishing agent
5. SWEEP the material discharged by the extinguisher from side to side, moving front to back, across the base of the fire until it appears to be out. Keep your eyes on fire area. Repeat the process if the fire starts up again. Never turn your back on a fire even if you think it is out

Limitations

Portable fire extinguishers have limited applications against small fires. When used correctly, an extinguisher can save lives and property by putting out a small fire or containing it until firefighters arrive. However, they do not replace the need to call Oshawa Fire Services. Always call 9-1-1 first when a fire occurs, no matter how small.

Fire extinguishers are not designed for use on large or spreading fires. Even on small fires, they are effective only under the following conditions:

• The extinguisher must be rated for the type of fire being extinguished
• The extinguisher must be large enough for the fire at hand
• The extinguisher must be in good working order, fully charged and within easy reach
• The operator must be trained in the proper use of the extinguisher
• The operator must be physically capable of lifting, handling and operating the extinguisher

Care of fire extinguishers

Extinguishers require regular care. Learn how to inspect your extinguisher by reading your operator's manual and following the maintenance instructions. Remember to recharge reusable extinguishers and replace disposable models after every use.

Where to install fire extinguishers

Install your extinguishers in plain view, above the reach of children, near an exit route, and away from stoves and heating appliances. Ideal locations for extinguishers are:

• kitchens
• workshops
• upper levels of homes
• top of a basement stairwells