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Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services Office of the Fire Marshal |
Ministère de la Sécurité
communautaire et des Services correctionnels |
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Place Nouveau Building 7th Floor 5775 Yonge Street North York ON M2M 4J1 Telephone 416-325-3100 Facsimile: 416-325-3162 |
Édifice Place Nouveau |
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For Immediate Release
ATTENTION: NEWS AND ASSIGNMENT EDITORS
Make it Stop! Campaign a Real ‘Life Saver’
Toronto (January 25, 2007) – Today, the new Fire Marshal of Ontario, Pat Burke, launched Make it Stop!, a unique provincial campaign to provide life-saving solutions to nuisance alarms in Ontario homes.
A nuisance alarm is when smoke from a toaster, an open oven door or even steam from a shower cause a smoke alarm to activate. Frustration due to nuisance alarms is a primary reason why batteries are removed from smoke alarms, leaving occupants vulnerable in fire.
“Disabling a smoke alarm is not only risky, it’s against the law,” said Burke. “If nuisance alarms are a problem, never remove or disconnect the batteries. Instead, visit the new website www.makeitstop.ca or call your local fire department for practical solutions such as relocating smoke alarms or using smoke alarms with a ‘hush’ feature. These solutions could save your life.”
Make it Stop! was developed by the Office of the Fire Marshal following a review of provincial fire loss data from 1995 to 2004. Fire department reports during that period indicated a smoke alarm was present in 79 per cent of homes that had a fire. However, these smoke alarms activated in less than half (47%) of these fires. In many cases the batteries had been removed or disconnected.
Launched at a Toronto fire station, Toronto Fire Services Fire Chief Bill Stewart applauded the new campaign. “Every year, people die in fires without working smoke alarms,” said Fire Chief Bill Stewart. “This campaign will educate Toronto residents about the importance of working smoke alarms in their homes and make the city a safer place from fire.”
Working with the fire service, Make it Stop! is designed to educate people about nuisance alarm solutions, smoke alarm technologies, home fire escape plans and the importance of working smoke alarms. New public service announcements will direct Ontarians to visit www.makeitstop.ca.
It is the law in Ontario for every home to have a working smoke alarm on every storey and outside all sleeping areas. Failure to comply with the Fire Code smoke alarm requirements can result in a ticket for $235 or a fine of up to $50,000.
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For more information, please contact:
Carol Gravelle,
Office of the Fire Marshal, 416-325-3138
Bev Gilbert, Office of the Fire Marshal, 416-325-3178
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