New parents can now pick up a free smoke alarm, courtesy of the Midland and Penetanguishene fire departments.
Called the “One Free Smoke Alarm” program, it aims to provide life-saving smoke alarms to new parents in their communities.
“Every year fire departments across Ontario run thousands of calls where they determine smoke alarms within citizens’ homes are either non-existent, not functioning, or out of date,” explains Cale McLean, a captain and fire prevention officer with the Midland Fire Department.
“Approximately one in three homes in Ontario where a fire death occurred did not have working smoke alarms.”
To reduce this provincewide and daunting statistic, fire departments are partnering with their community libraries to include a free smoke alarm coupon for new parents as part of the libraries’ “Baby On Board Packs.”
These kits are offered to new parents who sign up for a free library membership (or one for their new baby) as resources to welcome and assist them with their new child.
Different smoke alarm types are required depending on the year the home was built as per the Ontario Building Code and Ontario Fire Code. The program is intended to help new parents by equipping them with compliant and functional smoke alarms in their homes.
Coupons for smoke alarms can be redeemed at the Midland Fire Department headquarters located at 550 Bayshore Drive.
While this program is for new parents, the Midland and Penetanguishene Fire Departments urge all residents to: understand how their smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms work, test them regularly, ensure they’re less than 10 years old and install a detector in each bedroom of any home built prior to 2014.
“This recommendation stems from the statistic that most house fires occur during sleeping hours, and this will ensure those in the home hear the alarm in the event of a fire,” the department noted in a release.
For more information about the New Parent “One Free Smoke Alarm” program, or the smoke and CO alarms in your home, contact your municipality’s fire department by email at [email protected] and [email protected].
