WHILE CHANGING YOUR CLOCKS, CHANGE YOUR SMOKE ALARM BATTERIES

It's the law to have working smoke alarms

TORONTO, Nov. 4 /CNW/ -

NEWS

Daylight savings time ends on November 7th and the Fire Marshal of Ontario is recommending Ontarians replace the old batteries in their smoke alarms when they change their clocks this weekend.  

In order to survive a fire, occupants need to be provided with an early warning and know what to do when the smoke alarms sound. It's 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.  

Tampering with, or removing the batteries from a smoke alarm 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.  

QUOTES

"In order for smoke alarms to do their job, they need to have working batteries," explained Pat Burke, Fire Marshal of Ontario. "Once a year, old batteries should be replaced with new batteries. When you change your clocks this weekend, the fire service wants everyone to take the time to change the batteries in all smoke alarms."  

LEARN MORE

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.

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For further information:

Carol Gravelle, Office of the Fire Marshal, 416-325-3138

Bev Gilbert, Office of the Fire Marshal, 416-325-3178