Is your family fire-safe?

Make sure your home and smoke alarms are ready for a fire emergency

LISTEN CLOSELY AND YOU CAN almost hear furnaces clicking on, fireplaces crackling, space heaters whirring and pots of comfort food bubbling on stoves. October is the time to get warm and cozy. It’s also Fire Safety Month, which means it’s also time to brush up on fire prevention, create emergency plans and make sure smoke alarms are working properly.

There’s no question these hightech gizmos can save lives, but, says Matt Pegg, President of the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs ( OAFC), many people are still not using them correctly. According to the most recent

OAFC statistics (for 2011), in 33 per cent of preventable residential fires where there was a fatality, there was no smoke alarm warning. In 15 per cent of these cases, there was no smoke alarm present in the home, and in 18 per cent the smoke alarm did not operate because the batteries were dead or nonexistent, the units were installed or placed incorrectly or they had been disabled.

Pegg also emphasizes the importance of working smoke alarms. “Installation is critical,” he says, “as is the maintenance of the alarms, battery replacement once a year, weekly testing.” (See “Check, Test, Maintain” at right.)

There are also different types of smoke alarms for different areas of the home. Jeff Smith, V.P. of commercial residential sales at First Alert’s sister company BRK Canada, explains, “Ionization technology is more sensitive to high-heat, fast-flaming fires. But that can be a problem when these alarms are placed near kitchens or bathrooms.” He says this placement can result in repeated “nuisance” alarms that make frustrated residents disable the alarm. Ionization alarms are best installed away from sources of heat and humidity.

“On the other hand,” Smith says, “photoelectric smoke alarms react well to slow, smouldering smoky fires.” He recommends that, “Smoke alarms installed within 10 feet of high heat or humidity should be photoelectric.” He says homeowners should learn about the technology in order to choose smoke alarms properly.

The latest in that technology, he explains, is First Alert’s new Atom smoke alarm. “It’s small and inconspicuous,” he says, “but it has stateof-the-art photoelectric technology.” The unit can also be mounted on the wall or ceiling.

Still, Pegg says, “Fire safety needs to encompass an entire fire-safety plan. Everyone needs to know what to do when the alarm goes off, and they need to practise that plan. What route will they take? Where will they meet?”

Preventing a fire in the first place is key. According to the OAFC, fires are most frequently caused by misuse of cooking appliances, fireplaces and heating equipment. The association offers tips for preventing fire in these areas.

STOVES, OVENS, BBQS: Stay in the kitchen or by the BBQ if you are grilling, frying or broiling food; turn the appliance off if you need to step away, even for a minute. Have a “kid-free zone” of at least one metre around cooking areas.

FIREPLACE OR WOODSTOVE: Never burn anything but wood — gift wrap, boxes, cartons, etc., burn too rapidly and generate far too much heat. Never leave the fire unattended or smouldering.

HEATING EQUIPMENT: Have furnaces, water heaters, vents, radiators, etc., checked by a qualified professional every year. Never leave a portable space heater unattended. When storing items near a furnace or water heater, make sure there is a minimum three-foot safety zone around them.

Finally, says Pegg, “I want everyone to make a personal commitment that when an alarm sounds, their first priority is to get out,” he says. “Don’t hesitate to call 911. It’s better to have a team arrive and discover a false alarm, than not at all.”