If you live in Caledon, don’t be alarmed to see a firefighter at your door.
That visit may be part of the Home Safe Home door-to-door campaign, which encourages residents to check their smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are working properly.
The annual initiative, which began in 2007, runs from May to October.
As part of the program, residents can opt to have their smoke alarms inspected during a house visit by Caledon firefighters, who’ll also be available to chat about fire prevention and safety.
The firefighters will be in uniform, and participation is optional.
Last year, Caledon firefighters went to 1,688 homes as part of the campaign.
At 1,019 of the homes, the residents were either not home or declined to participate and were left with fire safety information.
According to Caledon Fire, 76 per cent of homes visited needed their alarms replaced, with some being more than 20 years old.
“This is an educational program only, so there were no charges laid,” deputy fire chief Samantha Hoffmann said in an email.
There were 121 fire-related fatalities in Ontario in 2023.
Caledon Fire Chief Dave Pelayo said working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms save lives.
“We look forward to speaking with Caledon residents and helping ensure the safety of our community,” he said in a Tuesday news release which announced the start of the annual fire safety campaign.