At least two fire chiefs in the Kawarthas region are calling on local residents to be "saved by the beep."
Both the Town of Cobourg and the City of Kawartha Lakes are among the municipalities taking part in an Ontario-wide effort aimed at increasing safety by ensuring people have working smoke alarms in their homes.
Cobourg fire chief Ellard Beaven and Kawartha Lakes fire chief Terry Jones are asking residents to test their smoke alarms on Saturday, September 28, as part of the provincial "Test Your Smoke Alarm Day" campaign being led by Ontario's Office of the Fire Marshal.
A working smoke alarm provides the best chance to keep residents and their loved ones safe in the event of a fire, according to media releases issued by both municipalities.
"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," both fire chiefs said.
"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."
In 2022, Ontario lost 133 people to deadly fires — the highest number in more than 20 years. Many fires occurred in homes where there weren't working smoke alarms.
"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," said Ontario Fire Marshal Jon Pegg in a statement.
"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."
The Office of the Fire Marshal, with the support of fire services and fire safety partners across Ontario, is asking residents to regularly test their smoke alarms, in addition to the challenge issued to test all smoke alarms in their residences on September 28.
Ontario residents are encouraged to snap a photo of themselves or family members testing their smoke alarms and post it to social media using the hashtag #SavedByTheBeep. For more information, visit savedbythebeep.ca.
Since 2006, smoke alarms have been legally required to be installed on every storey of an Ontario residence, which also includes vacation homes, cottages and cabins, and trailers and RVs.
In rented residences, it is the responsibility of landlords to test alarms annually, after the battery is replaced, and after every change in tenancy. Renters must notify their landlord as soon as they become aware that a smoke alarm is not operating.
Statistics Canada noted in a report released in June of 2023 that just more than one in three residents have a working smoke alarm.
Death rates were lower in homes with working smoke alarms, where 26 per cent of incidents resulted in death. Homes without a working smoke alarm, including those without an installed alarm or the status is unknown, accounted for nearly three out of four deaths, or 74 per cent.
Residential fires accounted for the most fire deaths In 2021. Of the 202 fire-related deaths, three out of four occurred in residences. Among the 10,819 residential fires, one per cent ended in a death, with a total of 156 fatalities.
Cooking equipment, smokers' materials, and open flames continue to be the leading causes of fire in residential settings.