On the first day of National Fire Prevention Week, Windsor Fire and Rescue Services is issuing an urgent call to action to ensure every home has working smoke alarms.
With fire-related fatalities remaining at a high level since 2020, officials said this year's theme, "Smoke Alarms: Make Them Work for You!," serves as a critical reminder that lives depend on it.
"We really want to emphasize that having a smoke alarm, there's more to it than just that. They have to work," stressed Windsor Fire Chief, Steven Laforet.
"And that's what it's all about. Get that early warning. Get out. Know what to do and where to go when that smoke alarm sounds, so there's no delay and you can get out safely."
Following the success of last month's "Test Your Smoke Alarm Day," Windsor Fire and Rescue Services encouraged residents to make fire safety a year-round habit.
Laforet said the reality is that most deadly fires happen in homes without working smoke alarms, while reminding it's the law in Ontario to have a working smoke alarm on every storey and outside all sleeping areas.
"It's a lot better to be on your front yard waiting for us to arrive than be inside hoping that we get there in time," said Laforet.
In 2023, Ontario saw 123 fire deaths, compared to 133 fire-related deaths in 2022, which was the highest figure in more than 20 years.
According to Laforet, Windsor Fire and Rescue responded to 293 fires in 2023.
He said of those, nearly half didn't have a proper working smoke detector or any alarm at all. He explained there were 28 civilian injuries, one civilian fatality and 17 firefighter injuries.
"At this point, I'm pleading with the public," Laforet said.
"Check your smoke alarm, make sure that it works. If you don't know how many you should have based on your home, call Windsor fire, go on Windsorfire.com. We have a tremendous amount of informational material there. If there's a language barrier, all our information is translated into 12 different languages. And, if we have a language that somebody in your family, or a friend, maybe our material isn't in their language, we can work to get the message out to them."
Residents should take the following actions to ensure their family is safe:
- Install smoke alarms outside each sleeping area, and on every storey of the home, including the basement.
- Test smoke alarms monthly by pressing the test button.
- Replace smoke alarm batteries at least once a year.
- Replace any alarm that is over 10 years old or does not respond during testing.
- Practise a home fire escape plan regularly to ensure everyone knows how to evacuate safely in an emergency.
Laforet noted Windsor Fire and Rescue Services has organized a variety of events to continue during Fire Prevention Week.
Tuesday, Oct. 8
Crews will be bagging groceries and handing out free grocery tote bags at the following locations:
- 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. FreshCo at 300 Tecumseh Road East
- 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.: Food Basics at 2750 Tecumseh Road East
- 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.: Remark Fresh Markets at 2727 Howard Avenue
Wednesday, Oct. 9
- 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.: Coffee with the residents at Chartwell Royal Marquis Retirement Residence at 590 Grand Marais Road East
- 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.: Open house at all fire station locations:
Station #1 – 815 Goyeau Street plus Meet the Chief
Station #2 – 3121 Milloy Street
Station #3 – 2750 Ouellette Avenue
Station #4 – 2600 College Avenue
Station #5 – 2650 Northwood Street
Station #6 – 1587 Provincial Road
Station #7 – 1380 Matthew Brady Boulevard
Thursday, Oct. 10
At the malls, there will be fire safety booths inside, fire safety materials, giveaways, meet Sparky and truck tours outside:
- 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.: Tecumseh Mall, 7654 Tecumseh Road East, Windsor
- 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.: Devonshire Mall, 3100 Howard Avenue, Windsor
Friday, Oct. 11
- 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.: Tecumseh Mall, 7654 Tecumseh Road East, Windsor
- 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.: Devonshire Mall, 3100 Howard Avenue, Windsor
Saturday, Oct. 12
- 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.: Tecumseh Mall, 7654 Tecumseh Road East, Windsor
- 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.: Devonshire Mall, 3100 Howard Avenue, Windsor
More information on Fire Prevention Week can be found on Windsor fire's website and Saved by the Beep.