This Saturday is Test Your Smoke Alarm Day across Ontario, part of the ongoing “Saved by the Beep” campaign, encouraging residents to make fire prevention a priority.
Test Your Smoke Alarm Day was launched last year in response to the 133 fire fatalities Ontario suffered in 2022 – the most in 20 years.
St. Thomas is among area fire departments taking part, with Chief Fire Prevention Officer Kim Destun explaining the premise of the day.
As Destun stresses, working smoke alarms are the best way to be alerted to a fire, giving you and your family the time needed to escape. Adding that testing your alarms is a quick and simple process.
It is recommended that you test smoke alarms at least once a month and replace batteries at least once a year.
Destun says that it’s also key to replace the alarms itself after a certain date.
For those who may have issues accessing alarms, Destun encourages them to call the non-emergency line for assistance.
While September 28th is Test Your Smoke Alarm Day, alarms are important all year long! Residents are encouraged to sign up to have monthly reminders sent to their phone and take the pledge to keep their families safe.
The St. Thomas Fire Department have installed billboards around the city to help educate the community, and will also be turning to social media to share this important massaging.
Written by: K. Freeman
