While changing your clocks, change your smoke alarm batteries

Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services Office of the Fire Marshal	Ministère de la Sécurité communautaire et des Services correctionnels Bureau du commissaire des incendies
Place Nouveau Building 7th Floor 5775 Yonge Street North York ON M2M 4J1 Telephone 416-325-3100 Facsimile: 416-325-3162	Édifice Place Nouveau 7^eétage 5775 rue Yonge North York ON M2M 4J1 Téléphone: 416-325-3100 Télécopieur: 416-325-3162

Toronto (November 1, 2007) – The Ontario Fire Marshal is urging Ontarians to change the batteries in their smoke alarms when they change their clocks this weekend.

“When Ontarians change their clocks, they should treat themselves to new smoke alarm batteries,” says Fire Marshal Pat Burke. “Only working smoke alarms can alert people to fire and give them the precious seconds they need to safely escape. It is the law to have working smoke alarms on every storey and outside all sleeping areas.”

In many fatal home fires, the smoke alarms have not worked, often because the batteries are dead, disconnected or missing. Smoke alarms are essential to detecting smoke in the early stages of fire. Many people are alive today because they were alerted by their smoke alarms. So, when Ontarians change their clocks on November 4^th, they should also remember to change the batteries in their smoke alarms.

Smoke alarms should be tested monthly and replaced if they are more than 10 years old. Also, it is important that everyone knows what to do if a smoke alarm sounds.
For safety tips to keep your family safe from fire, visit www.ofm.gov.on.ca.

For more information this weekend contact:
Carol Gravelle, Office of the Fire Marshal, 416-325-3138 (cell 416-427-9795)
Bev Gilbert, Office of the Fire Marshal, 416-325-3178 (cell 416-605-8074)