Ryan Murrell, fire chief for the Township of Muskoka Lakes, says taking 60 seconds out of your day on Sept. 28 could save your life.
“Being prepared to act in the event of a fire can start with simply pressing the test button and having the confidence that a working smoke alarm is in your home,” explains Murrell. “Lives will be saved by regularly testing smoke alarms at least once a month, refreshing batteries at least once a year, and replacing smoke alarms older than 10 years.”
“Test Your Smoke Alarm Day” is done by fire departments across Ontario in collaboration with the Office of the Fire Marshal.
Jon Pegg, Ontario fire marshal, shares 133 people died in fires in Ontario in 2022, which is the most in over 20 years.
“In Ontario, we’ve seen a significant rise in fatal fires and the number of people we have lost in these fires is very concerning,” continued Pegg. “Entire families have been lost to fire and the most troubling part is that the majority of these fires did not have a working smoke alarm in the home. Had there been working smoke alarms, and a well thought out and practiced home fire escape plan, these deaths may have been prevented.”
Derek Holland, fire prevention officer for the Muskoka Lakes Fire Department, shares how smoke alarms have been legally required on every storey of a residence in Ontario since 2006, which includes vacation homes, cabins, trailers, recreational vehicles, and cottages.
