December 13, 2005
2005-35
On December 13, 2005, Monte Kwinter, Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services, announced an amendment to the Ontario Fire Code to require working smoke alarms on every level of every home. The Fire Code currently requires that smoke alarms be installed near all sleeping areas in a home. Ontario Regulation 650/05, which was filed on December 12, 2005, amends the Fire Code by adding the requirement that, effective March 1, 2006, smoke alarms must also be installed on each storey of a dwelling unit that does not contain a sleeping area. A copy of the new regulation is attached for your information.
The penalties for non-compliance of smoke alarm requirements remain the same:
$235 fine (total payable) under Part 1 (Certificates of offence) of the Provincial Offences Act;
or
a maximum $25,000 fine or up to one year in jail or both for
individuals, and a maximum $50,000 fine for corporations, under Subsection
28.(3) of the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997.
Media Campaign:
Working Smoke Alarms: It’s the Law!
To coincide with the announcement of the new amendment to the Ontario Fire Code,
the Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM) and local fire departments are launching a
media campaign entitled Working Smoke Alarms: It’s the Law!
at news conferences
in Toronto, Hamilton, Sudbury, Thunder Bay, Windsor and Ottawa, held from
December 13 to 15, 2005.
The purpose of the campaign is to inform landlords and tenants of residential
occupancies and homeowners about their responsibilities under the Fire Code. It
is critical that all fire departments participate in this educational campaign
over the next few months to ensure that everyone in Ontario knows that having
working smoke alarms on every level of their homes is the law and is essential.
To assist fire departments in conveying this important message, the OFM has
developed the following resources:
Sample News Release:
Fire departments are encouraged to tailor the enclosed sample news release to
their own community and send it to their local media during or as soon as
possible after the launch of the Working Smoke Alarms: It’s the Law!
campaign.
Public Service Announcements (PSAs)
New television, radio and print PSAs have been developed and will be sent to all
English and French media in Ontario for use during the week of the campaign
launch and throughout the rest of the year. The OFM urges fire departments to
contact their local media and encourage the use of the PSAs and/or arrange to
give an interview. The public service announcements can be viewed or downloaded
from the OFM Web site, www.ofm.gov.on.ca.
Video (television): The smoke alarm PSAs
“Emily’s Room” and “La chambre d’Émilie” have been distributed to television
stations across the province with a letter asking them to air the PSA now and
throughout the rest of the year. The OFM urges fire departments to contact local
television stations and request that the PSA be aired.
Audio (radio): A radio PSA has been distributed
to radio stations across the province with a letter asking them to air the PSA
now and throughout the rest of the year. The OFM urges fire d
epartments to
contact local radio stations and request that the PSA be aired.
Print (newspapers): A print PSA has been sent to
newspapers across the province. The PSA informs Ontarians about the new
amendment to the Ontario Fire Code. It also emphasizes the importance of smoke
alarms as the responsibility of homeowners and of landlords and tenants of
residential occupancies. A thumbnail of the PSA appears to the right. The OFM
asks fire departments to contact local newspapers and request that this PSA be
printed in their publication.
Newspaper Article
A newspaper article about the Working Smoke Alarms: It’s the Law!
campaign has
been distributed to community newspapers. A copy of the article is enclosed for
your use and information. The OFM asks fire departments to contact local
newspapers and request that this article be printed in their publication.
Backgrounder
Background information has been prepared to assist the media in writing their
stories. Included in the backgrounder are fire loss and smoke alarm statistics,
and information about the amendment to the Fire Code and the fines and penalties
for non-compliance. A copy is enclosed.
Regulation (English)
Backgrounder (English /
French)
Sample News Release (English /
French)
Article (English /
French)
Disponible en français
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