Fire Prevention Week - October 6-12, 2024

As Fire Prevention Week 2024 begins, the Town of Petawawa Fire Department issues an urgent call to action: ensure every home has working smoke alarms. With fire-related fatalities remaining at a high level since 2020, this year's theme, "Smoke Alarms: Make Them Work for You!™," serves as a critical reminder that lives depend on it.

Following the success of last month's "Test Your Smoke Alarm Day," the Town of Petawawa Fire Department encourages residents to make fire safety a year-round habit. The reality is that most deadly fires happen in homes without working smoke alarms. It’s the law in Ontario to have a working smoke alarm on every storey and outside all sleeping areas—don’t wait until it’s too late.

Residents should take the following actions to ensure their family's safety:

• Install smoke alarms outside each sleeping area, and on every storey of the home, including the basement.
• Test smoke alarms monthly by pressing the test button.
• Replace smoke alarm batteries at least once a year.
• Replace any alarm that is over 10 years old or does not respond during testing.
• Practice a home fire escape plan regularly to ensure everyone knows how to evacuate safely in an emergency.

"Working smoke alarms provide the early warning needed to escape a fire safely," said Petawawa's Acting Fire Chief Craig Proulx. "Ensuring they are working can prevent tragedies and save lives."

Most deadly fires happen at night when families are asleep. In many cases, victims never wake up. A working smoke alarm may be the only thing standing between you and tragedy.

Ontarians are reminded that having working smoke alarms on every storey of your home, along with a well-practiced home fire escape plan, is the best way to ensure your entire household is prepared to escape a fire in your home safely. 

QUOTES

“Every working smoke alarm is a potential lifesaver. In a fire, seconds matter, and the early warning provided by these devices can be the difference between life and death.”
Jon Pegg, Ontario Fire Marshal

“In too many cases, we’ve seen lives lost that could have been saved by something as simple as a working smoke alarm. It’s a small device with the power to prevent unimaginable loss.”
Acting Fire Chief Craig Proulx