Fire officials have been going door to door throughout North Huron and Morris-Turnberry checking to see that homes are in compliance with the Ontario Fire Code by having properly working smoke alarms and Carbon Monoxide alarms.
But as Fire Prevention Officer James Marshall points out, the number of homes that are not protected is frightening.
Marshall says only 11 per-cent of households within the area are in compliance, meaning almost 90 per-cent of homes are unprotected.
“As we see with back to school and all of these photos being out on social media with children starting their first day of school, it’s hard not to draw a line between 90 per-cent of our homes in our municipalities are not protected with (properly working) smoke alarms,” says Marshall.
He says it’s unacceptable to know that so many homes in the area are unprotected in the event of a carbon monoxide leak or a fire.
Marshall also stresses the importance of having a family plan in place, such as what to do in the event of a fire, having an escape route and a meeting place in the event of a catastrophic fire event.
“The long and the short of it is, in the event of a house fire, if you aren’t out of the house within 2 minutes and 45 seconds, you’re dead,” adds Marshall.
Officials are reminding families and home owners to ensure that their homes are properly outfitted with working smoke alarms, working Carbon Monoxide alarms, and that a plan is in place in the event a fire should occur.
