Enbridge Gas and the North Grenville Fire Service have announced that they are working to improve home safety and bring fire and carbon monoxide-related deaths down to zero. The North Grenville Fire Service received 216 combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms through Project Zero, a public education campaign that will provide 7,500 alarms to residents in 35 municipalities across Ontario.
This year, Enbridge Gas invested $225,000 in Project Zero, and, over the past 12 years, the program has provided more than 50,000 alarms to Ontario fire departments. When properly installed and maintained, combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms help provide the early warning to safely escape from a house fire or carbon monoxide exposure. Carbon monoxide is a toxic, odourless gas that is a by-product of incomplete combustion of many types of common fuels.
“Carbon monoxide is known as the ‘silent killer’ for a reason, and we have proof that prevention saves lives. We know that the best way to avoid carbon monoxide exposure is to eliminate it at the source by properly maintaining fuel-burning equipment, and that the alarms are a critical second line of defense to protect against carbon monoxide poisoning,” says Ian Ross, Director, Eastern Region Operations, Enbridge Gas.
“The objective of Project Zero is to deliver combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms to Ontario communities who need them the most,” says Jon Pegg, Ontario Fire Marshal. “It’s a program that fire departments can adopt to help educate their communities about the requirement for all Ontario homes to have a CO alarm if they have a fuel-burning appliance or an attached garage.”
“Smoke and CO alarms can provide the early warning needed to help protect residents from the dangers of smoke and carbon monoxide,” says Fire Chief John Okum. “Residents can help keep their families safe by having working smoke alarms on every storey of their home and a carbon monoxide alarm outside all sleeping areas.”
