Working smoke alarms could have saved the lives of young family

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 (March 4, 2008) Five people, including three young children died in a house fire this past weekend in Hamilton, Ontario. It has been confirmed by Office of the Fire Marshal investigators that there were no working smoke alarms found in the home.

Im wondering how many more deaths have to needlessly occur before people get the message, said Patrick Burke, Fire Marshal of Ontario. This young family would probably still be alive today if there had been working smoke alarms in the home.

So far this year, 32 people have died in fires in Ontario. In February, two children and their father perished in a fire in Toronto. A week later, a man in a wheelchair was unable to escape a fire in his home. Although both investigations are ongoing, the Office of the Fire Marshal is urging everyone to test their smoke alarms.

In order to survive a fire, you need to be provided with an early warning and know what to do when the smoke alarms sound. Its the law to have working smoke alarms on every storey of the home and outside all sleeping areas. For added protection, it is recommended to also install smoke alarms inside all bedrooms.

Smoke alarms can give you and your family the precious time needed to safely get out, said Burke. A few minutes spent testing your smoke alarms and practising a home fire escape plan could make the difference between life and death.

Tampering with, or removing the batteries from your smoke alarms is against the law. 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.

For more information please contact:
Gina Pontikas, Office of the Fire Marshal, 416-325-3138 or
Bev Gilbert, Office of the Fire Marshal, 416-325-3178