Waterloo Fire Rescue’s annual summer smoke alarm campaign to happen online

Waterloo Fire Rescue's smoke alarm campaign is going virtual again this year.

Spokesperson John Percy said before COVID, firefighters would visit 4,500 homes in the city during the summer to educate families about fire safety. It is still very important for the community to know the safety around fire alarms.

According to a news release issued by Waterloo Fire Rescue, 114 people in Ontario died in fires last year, a 35 per cent increase over 10 years. As of May 19, there have been 54 deaths in the province.

Percy adds with people mostly staying at home more because of the pandemic, it is important to educate families on fire and life safety. “We have a Google classroom where community members can go to and it is going to provide them with a lot of good home and fire safety lessons, we have videos from staff and photos. There are a lot of good activities on there for people to be educated on.”

He is also encouraging families to practise fire drills with their children. “To do a home fire drill with just everyone in your household and in your bubble, always choose two ways out, have a meeting place and always make sure all of your smoke alarms work.”

In the province, it is mandatory to have a working smoke alarm in every single storey of your home and outside your bedroom. It is also a requirement to have a working carbon monoxide alarm in the hallways near the bedrooms. Percy says the leading sources of fires in June are cooking equipment, barbecues, smoking, and electrical fires. He adds there are many resources available on the Waterloo Fire Rescue Fire & Life Safety Public Education Google classroom on how to clean appliances to make sure they are safe to use during the summer months.

One tip he shares, “If people haven't started using their BBQ yet, we would like you to inspect it, and clean it to make sure there are no bugs or spiders inside the fuel pipe. What we recommend before using their propane BBQ – where the hose connects to the BBQ itself. Pour a solution of 50/50 ratio of dish soap and water and as they pour it over, if they notice bubbles that means there is a propane leak so don't light the BBQ. Reconnect the hose and do another test to make sure there are no bubbles.”

Name of Google Classroom: Waterloo Fire Rescue Fire & Life Safety Public Education
Class Code: ckoh3rf